Mentorship, philanthropy and STEM excellence: The Boy legacy 

Before the University of Washington Bothell School of STEM was established in 2013, professors like Dr. Arnold Berger were working diligently to help establish a wider breadth of programs for students pursuing STEM degrees. Berger was serving as chair of a faculty committee to establish the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) and in the process, he enlisted the help of colleague and former Boeing engineer, Ralph Boy. Ralph shared this insight with Berger and submitted a letter to the higher education board in Olympia recommending the program. In January 2010, the degree was established at the university.

Since the founding of the Electrical Engineering program, Ralph and his wife Doreen have left an everlasting impact on the campus community and continue to give back their time, talent and treasure. With the formation of the School of STEM, Ralph became one of the first advisory board members and in 2024 was recognized as the first emeritus advisory board member.

Blueprints to breakthroughs 

Ralph joined the UW Bothell Electrical Engineering Advisory Board in 2010, and his expertise helped establish the EE program as it exists today. He focused on designing the capstone program to ensure students were working on projects in which they were building a product that would work and in theory be able to sell.

“It’s a very hands-on type of support that really our students benefit from,” said Berger. “Having Ralph as a capstone mentor and adviser to the program is invaluable.”

Leveraging his career at Boeing, Boy developed a comprehensive checklist for EE capstone projects that helps students navigate the complexities of engineering projects, from schematic designs to market analysis. The capstone projects provide students with a physical portfolio that they can present to potential employers at interviews.

“I think that’s one of the things I’ve really learned is the power of having a mentor from industry to help bridge that gap between what they’re taught from books and here it is in practical application,” Ralph said.

A living room launchpad 

With the School of STEM yet to be established and the EE program beginning to gain interest, Ralph and his wife Doreen opened their home to students working on capstone projects and for celebration dinners.

“There was no place for them to assemble some of these projects to work on that,” Doreen said. “So, we invited them to come up to our house and had them work here.”

Doreen didn’t get involved in the projects, but through hosting students at their home, she built a rapport with them, learning their stories and backgrounds.

“I got to meet the students and see them firsthand, and you start to learn a little bit more about them and some of the struggles that they had to get to the point they’re at in their education, “Doreen said. “And at that point, that’s when Ralph and I talked about what we can do to help some of these students that are kind of living on the edge, so to speak.”

With a background in nonprofit fundraising and donor relations and a passion for equal access to quality education at any age, Doreen saw an opportunity to help UW Bothell students who were pursuing higher education but might have struggles come up like a broken-down car, an illness, or family emergency. She saw an opportunity to establish an endowment.

Doreen was not alone in this line of thinking. “We wanted to do STEM because we felt that it could be one of the underfunded or under endowed programs,” Ralph said.

Despite neither Ralph nor Doreen having attended UW Bothell, they felt connected to the tight-knit community and saw firsthand the impact that they could make. In 2017, the Doreen and Ralph Boy Endowed STEM Undergraduate Scholarship was established.

Engineering a legacy for the future 

After donating to the endowment every year, Ralph and Doreen decided they needed to set a goal – one million dollars.

“We both work on a philosophy that says, lay your intention and the universe will take care of the details,” Doreen said. “We had no idea how we’re going to get a million dollars endowment.”

Setting the goal was step number one. Step two was figuring out how to make it happen. Ralph and Doreen have planned on a 5% donation every year which comes out to $50,000.

“We both look at this as a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Ralph said. “You had to build up a relationship and then everything had to be just right in order to do this.”

In 2018 the Boys were honored with the UW Bothell Legacy Award, the highest award for donors and supporters, in recognition of their service, philanthropy and inspiration.

Through their expertise, mentorship, and philanthropy, Ralph and Doreen have not only shaped UW Bothell’s STEM programs but transformed the lives of students. Their endowment reflects their joint commitment to education and equity, ensuring that future generations of students can achieve their dreams. As Ralph and Doreen continue to work toward their ambitious endowment goal, they inspire the community to believe in the transformative potential of generosity and the enduring legacy of shared purpose.