Avi Shaked and Dr. Babs Waldman greet CEAS scholarship recipients at April reception

three people talking among themselves
Avi Shaked ('80 Electrical Engineering), center, and spouse Babs Waldman talk with UWM Chancellor Mark Mone at a reception for the donors, who established a scholarship fund in the college 20 years ago.

Avi Shaked (’80 Electrical Engineering) and spouse Babs Waldman, MD, met with about 30 students at a reception on April 29 celebrating both scholarship donors and recipients for the 2024-25 academic year. 

The couple established the Avi Shaked & Babs Waldman Engineering Scholarship for the college in 2005 and have added to the original amount twice since. At over $3 million, the fund has helped nearly 1,100 undergraduate engineering students pay for their degrees.

Ricky Frieseke (right front) and other scholarship recipients chat with the donors at the April reception.

This academic year alone, 87 students from the college received the scholarship. The average award per student was more than $2,000.

The scholarship fund is emblematic of an upward trend in giving this year, UWM Chancellor Mark Mone told the attendees.

“During the last academic year, UWM awarded more than $28 million in student scholarships,” Mone said. “That was an 8% increase over the previous academic year.”