Donor news

New SOM scholarship will give hand up to incoming freshman

Alumnus hopes gift will increase diversity in business


Image: Marc S. Dieli '89.
Marc S. Dieli '89.
The endowed scholarship will be awarded to an incoming freshman in the School of Management (SOM) with demonstrated financial need and who shows academic promise. First preference will be given to a Hispanic or African American student.Having spent nearly 30 years in public accounting, Marc Dieli ’89 says the field has become more diverse, and he’s proud that his firm Ernst & Young (EY) has been a leader in the diversity initiative. At the same time, he thinks more can be done. It’s one of the reasons he made a gift to establish the Dieli Family Scholarship.

“I had been giving to Binghamton University for a while, and much of it was to further EY’s recruiting efforts at the school,” said Dieli, a partner in EY’s assurance services practice. “[With this scholarship], I wanted to do something on an individual level and leave a legacy going forward, in addition to continuing to contribute to EY’s recruiting efforts.”

Dieli has been a champion for both Binghamton University and EY, actively building bridges between the two. He coordinates EY’s annual fundraising drive for Binghamton and frequently returns to campus to recruit students. Dieli has been chosen as the alumni speaker for the spring 2018 SOM Commencement ceremony.

EY had long supported the SOM by funding the EY Connect mentoring program for underclassmen. In 2015, the firm established the EY Student Support Fund, which replaced EY Connect, enabling SOM and the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science to jointly hire a staff member to focus on professional development for freshmen and transfer students.

Dieli is very proud that Binghamton is one of the top feeders of new talent into EY’s New York office, where more than 300 of our alumni are currently employed.

“You say the name ‘Binghamton’ at EY and it’s thought of as being one of the best schools, if not the best school, for consistently producing outstanding graduates,” Dieli said. “When someone comes to us from Binghamton, so much is expected because our alumni have such a strong reputation for being top performers.”

Before long, some of the accountants entering EY with high expectations placed upon them might be alumni who made it through Binghamton with the help of the Dieli Family Scholarship. And the support Dieli offers isn’t just monetary.

“In five to 10 years, I’d love to have a group of Binghamton grads who received the scholarship. I have a lot I can share with them, and I’m very willing to provide mentoring and support. I’ll be very interested to see how their careers have evolved.”