A scholarship fund has been established in memory of Kim Cupps and in honor of her long career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the Computing Directorate. Cupps passed away in June 2019 following a courageous battle with ovarian cancer.
Cupps was born and raised in Livermore, and after graduating from Granada High School in 1979, she earned a Bachelor of Science in math and a Master of Science in computer science from Chico State University. She then returned to Livermore to join LLNL in the Computing Directorate.
During her 29-year career, Cupps played a key role in bringing several of the world’s fastest and most powerful supercomputers to LLNL. She was a gifted leader and manager known across the Laboratory where during her career she held several senior management positions in the Computing Directorate. Cupps was known for her ability to form and motivate teams to take on challenging technical projects and was instrumental in recruiting and training the next generation of leaders in the Computing Directorate.
“Kim left a lasting legacy at LLNL through her contributions to achieving the Laboratory’s mission and through her dedication to excellence and diversity in the Computing Directorate’s workforce,” says Cupps’ wife and former Pedrozzi Board Member Gina Bonanno. “The Kim Cupps Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to students pursuing undergraduate degrees in a STEM field who exhibit qualities Kim embodied such as leadership and a desire to share their knowledge and skills with others. By establishing this scholarship in her honor, we will not only recognize her contributions to LLNL, we will be supporting the next generation of science, technology, engineering and math leaders who come from right here in Livermore. As a Pedrozzi Board Member, I hear first-hand that Pedrozzi scholarships do more than lessen the financial burden of higher education for Livermore students; they create a supportive community – the type of community that Kim valued and fostered. This scholarship was established in collaboration with Kim’s LLNL friends and colleagues who were looking for a way to honor her, and they are excited to see this being done through the Pedrozzi Foundation,” adds Bonanno.
Others inspired by Cupps’ leadership, friendship, and zest for life have contributed to the scholarship fund, allowing it to become an endowed and lasting scholarship. Additional donations may be made via check, stock transfer, charitable distribution from retirement accounts and employee giving programs, such as the LLNL HOME campaign. Direct donations to the Pedrozzi Foundation can be mailed to 1141 Catalina Drive, #170, Livermore, CA 94550 or made securely online.
The Kim Cupps Memorial STEM Scholarship is one of many scholarships established at the Pedrozzi Foundation by community members in honor of family, colleagues, and inspirational leaders. Contact us at info@Pedrozzi.org or 925-456-3700 for more information on establishing or endowing a scholarship fund for Livermore graduates.
Through a Pedrozzi Foundation and Livermore Lab Foundation partnership, the recipient of the Kim Cupps Memorial STEM Scholarship is eligible to receive a paid internship at Lawrence Livermore National Lab when he or she is a rising college junior or senior.
