The victim of Sunday's fatal car accident at the Ridges was not an Ohio University faculty member.
Nor was she even a recent graduate.
But, OU leaders agree, 80-year-old Ying A. Chang's commitment to the university should go unquestioned.
Decades after she earned a master's degree in mathematics at OU in 1973, Chang had set up at least two endowments supporting students working toward upper-echelon degrees of their own. And Chang's additional contributions were felt in a number of OU's departments and colleges.
Chang died Sunday afternoon in a single-car crash on Water Tower Drive at the Ridges. It's not immediately clear what caused her car to swerve off the road. First responders to the scene included officers from the Ohio University Police Department, Athens Police Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and an Athens County Emergency Medical Services ambulance.
OU released a statement Thursday afternoon recognizing Chang for her contributions.
"Ying Chang was a committed Ohio University alumna who cared deeply about math, science and education," said Sharon Zimmerman, executive director of constituent relations for Health Affairs.
Since 2002, Chang has funded a scholarship for graduate students in mathematics, according to OU webpages. And for the last three years, the webpages say, she has also funded a fellowship in OU's physics and astronomy department.
Department chair David Ingram told The Post on Wednesday that he thought of Chang as "a friend of the department."
In Zimmerman's statement, she said Chang also made contributions to OU's Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the university's paleontology program.
In an email to The Post, OU's director of external communications, Stephanie Filson said she couldn't provide details about the amount of money Chang contributed to the university, as Chang requested anonymity for that.
Zimmerman said Chang's "passion for learning and her support and enthusiasm for Ohio's students, faculty and programs will be dearly missed."
