Linehan’s Legacy Lives On

Avangrid Foundation honors legacy of wind-power expert Andy Linehan ’78 by giving to Reed.

Since 2010, Avangrid (formerly Iberdrola U.S., parent company of Avangrid Renewables) and the Avangrid Foundation have been strong supporters of financial aid for environmental studies majors at Reed. By making yearly gifts to the Andrew Linehan Scholarship, the Avangrid Foundation has supported access for talented young scholars who seek to solve the world's most complex problems with curiosity, interdisciplinary understanding, and academic rigor. These gifts demonstrate Avangrid Foundation's commitment to higher education and honor the legacy of an Avangrid employee taken from the world too soon.

The Linehan Scholarship honors Andrew Linehan ’78. Near the end of a battle with cancer, Andy established this scholarship for a Reed student with financial need, with preference given to students in the environmental studies program. An astounding number of friends and business associates contributed to the fund. Many, including Andy’s employer, have made it a priority to continue Andy’s legacy with generous gifts to this scholarship every year. The Avangrid Foundation is an independent organization that funds philanthropic investments primarily in areas where Avangrid and its subsidiaries operate.

Since its inception, the Linehan Scholarship has supported six students, some of them for multiple years. This year’s recipient is a junior environmental studies major from Portland, Oregon. The Linehan Scholarship was established at the same time as Reed’s environmental studies program, which combines focused study in biology, chemistry, economics, history, or political science with interdisciplinary work on environmental themes across the natural sciences, history, and social sciences.

At the Andrew Linehan Day of Recognition celebration at Portland City Hall on Earth Day 2010, Peter Mostow ’87, a friend of Andy and a donor to the fund, read the following statement. “[Andy] carries with him always the gifts [Reed College] bestows—a profound commitment to ideas and ideals, an interest in and respect for the thoughts and position of others, and the archaic, yet critically relevant belief that civic growth should not be about pragmatic horse-trading and reaping short-term returns, but about developing shared values and investing in long-term vision.”

The Andrew Linehan Scholarship at Reed was established to carry on Andy’s values of service and environmental stewardship, and to recognize those students who are preparing to carry that work further.

Reed College Financial Aid Statistics:

• More than $28 million in Reed-funded grants was awarded to Reed students in 2018-2019.
• 55% of the Class of 2022 received need-based grants, which do not need to be repaid. Average Reed grant: $39,990.
• For students who took out loans, the average loan debt for the graduating class of 2017 was $17,336, well below the national average.

Tags: Alumni, Climate, Sustainability, Environmental, Financial Aid, Giving Back to Reed