This fund was established by Mrs. Paul B. Zuber in 1989 to recognize the impact that her husband, Paul B. Zuber, had on underrepresented students attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. As a result of the leadership of underrepresented students attending Rensselaer, Mrs. Zuber wished to continue to academic and leadership contributions of underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students with this award.
Paul B. Zuber was a prominent attorney in the state of New York who was instrumental in the de-segregation of several area school systems. He joined the Rensselaer community in 1972 as the Director of the Center for Urban Environmental Studies. During his tenure, Mr. Zuber was an influential figure in the Black and Latinx student community.
Paul Zuber represents the best of what Rensselaer has to offer its students. After earning his law degree attending classes at night from Brooklyn Law School, Mr. Zuber immediately set about improving access to education for African American students. He filed his first lawsuit against the Board of Education on the very day he passed the New York State Bar exam. As an educator, Paul Zuber inspired the students who he worked with to reach for the highest ideals of leadership, citizenship, and academic merit.