The University of Washington Tacoma honored a respected community leader and an alumnus making a difference in the world at its 2007 Founders Day ceremony in June.
Herb Simon, a longtime supporter of the university and member of the University of Washington Board of Regents, was given the Community Founders Award. Eric Stowe, a 2001 graduate of the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences program and a local nonprofit director, was given the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Simon is a strong advocate for UW Tacoma and the South Sound region. A 1964 UW graduate, Simon was an early supporter of UW Tacoma. He is a former member of the UW Tacoma Advisory Board and a current member of the Capital Campaign Committee, which has raised almost $38 million for scholarships, professorships, facilities and program support.

Eric Stowe is executive director of A Child’s Right, a Tacoma-based nonprofit agency that provides assistance to children in developing countries in need of clean water and improved sanitation. He leads the agency with the goal of eradicating waterborne diseases and providing clean water to children around the world. In 2007, Stowe has led missions to set up clean water systems for orphanages, nunneries, rescue shelters and schools in Nepal and China. A trip to Southeast Asia is planned in September. In the last six months, Stowe and A Child’s Right have already made an impact on more than 7,500 children in need of clean water.