Psychology Alumnus Fuels Opportunities for Future Students with Planned Gift

Fueled by a decades-long interest in Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis—sparked during his FIU studies—and amid a successful career as a small businessowner, psychology alumnus Joseph Carvelli II ’75 was interested in giving back to his alma mater while advancing today’s research in psychology.

So, Carvelli decided to create two endowments at FIU through planned giving. The first will provide scholarship support to Honors College students studying psychology, and the second will establish a graduate fellowship endowment to support psychology students in the College of Arts, Sciences & Education’s Cognitive Neuroscience and Clinical Science doctoral programs.

Though he personally did not have the opportunity to attend graduate school nor conduct research in the field which inspires his passion so deeply, Carvelli likes knowing he can still make a difference by funding the bright minds exploring neuroscience and behavioral theory today.

And he’s grateful to be in a position to give back to FIU’s Psychology program, which prepared him for a 40-year career matching people’s personalities and skillsets with businesses’ staffing needs. (Carvelli owns the South-Florida based recruitment agency Your Staffing Source, Inc.)

The planned giving process opened his eyes to the significant impact he can make at FIU through philanthropy.

“I wanted to help people help themselves—the motivated and driven students in psychology who are serious about their major, but they just need some assistance to meet their goals.”