Hanuma Kodavalla is pleased to announce that he and his wife have established the Hanuma and Anuradha Kodavalla Endowed Chair in Telugu at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Richard Rorty, an American philosopher, just before his death in 2007, wrote an essay, “The Fire of Life” saying, “I now wish that I had spent somewhat more of my life with verse…. I would have lived more fully if I had been able to rattle off more old chestnuts – just as I would have if I had made more close friends. …Cultures with richer vocabularies are more fully human…; individual men and women are more fully human when their memories are amply stocked with verses.”

“Telugu has a rich tradition of more than a thousand years of poetry of various genres that greatly influenced Indian culture, music, and dance. By establishing this endowed chair at UW, we hope to increase the awareness of Telugu literature, music, and dance in the larger population and enrich their cultural lives,” says Hanuma Kodavalla.

The generous gift provides an invaluable addition to the College of Arts & Sciences and Department of Asian Languages & Literature. By enhancing the University’s ability to recruit and retain faculty with expertise in Telugu language, culture, and literature, the endowment ensures that more people will experience the language’s treasures for many years to come.

Although neither of the Kodavallas attended UW themselves, their daughter is now a student. Also, they have long appreciated UW’s position in the region and beyond. “The UW is a major institution of higher learning that attracts people from all over the world,” says Hanuma Kodavalla.

The Kodavallas have been in Seattle for a long time and have noticed the change. “Twenty years ago, there weren’t many associations or businesses,” says Hanuma Kodavalla. “Thanks to many of the high-tech companies, now there’s a large population, large cultural events, and we hope that the endowed chair will act as a bridge between various cultures.”

It also serves to expand the breadth of foreign language and cultural study in the College of Arts & Sciences – the heart of humanities scholarship at the University of Washington. This deepening of humanities research and discourse will be an overall benefit to the student experience for years to come. “I believe in the importance of a well-rounded education, and institutions like UW are the right place to make that happen,” says Hanuma Kodavalla. “Regardless of the majors students undertake, having a strong humanities department makes a big difference in the students’ lives.”

(Original: ENDOWED CHAIR IN TELUGU TO EXPAND LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES)