A lasting legacy: Rothfuss family makes $10 million gift to name UK Department of Psychology

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 18, 2026) — For Richard M. “Rick” Rothfuss, psychology has always represented more than a field of study.

It was the subject he chose shortly after he arrived at the University of Kentucky in 1969 — a decision that would influence the course of his undergraduate years.

Now, more than five decades after earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology from UK, he is making an extraordinary investment in the department.

Today — with recommendation from UK President Eli Capilouto — the UK Board of Trustees accepted a $10 million gift Rick and his wife, Catherine J. “Cathie” Rothfuss, are making to the Department of Psychology in the UK College of Arts and Sciences.

For their generosity and commitment, Capilouto also recommended the board approve naming the department in their honor.

“The generosity of the Rothfuss family is a testament to the best of a college experience — one that persists long after graduation as it transforms into a life of meaning and purpose. That is what this gift will enable,” said Capilouto. " We are deeply grateful to the Rothfuss family for believing in what future generations of UK students will make possible, and we are proud to further enshrine the Rothfuss family legacy by naming the psychology department after them.” 

For the Rothfuss family, it’s their way of both giving back — and paying it forward.

“I’m very proud of my association with the university,” Rick said. “My experience at UK changed my life.”

Where it all began

For Rick, his UK connection is part of a much larger story — one that began when he arrived on campus as an ardent freshman from Bellevue, Kentucky.

“The year from the fall of 1969 through the spring of 1970 was probably the jump start of my maturation as a person,” he said. “It was a very important year in my life.”

That formative year marked a period of independence and discovery for Rick — as UK provided new opportunities, and psychology courses challenged him to think differently about people, behavior and the world around him.

“Psychology was very intriguing to me — and I was fascinated by it,” he continued. “My fascination just kept getting greater the more courses I took.”

It was also a chapter of life he shared with Cathie, his high school sweetheart.

As they built their future together, Rick earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from UK in 1972, before going on to earn his law degree from Northern Kentucky University's (NKU) Chase College of Law in 1977. Cathie earned her degree from NKU in 1973.

Over the decades, their connection to UK continued beyond his own experience. All three of the Rothfuss children are UK graduates.

Mark earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 2000 and a law degree in 2003; Carson earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 2002; and Ashley earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2005.

Rick has also remained personally connected to the university throughout the decades.

He’s a member of the UK Arts and Sciences board since 2004 and currently serves on its Leadership Advisory Board. He is also a Henry Stites Barker Fellow and a life member of the UK Alumni Association.

“It's been rewarding to see our children find their own paths at UK,” the Rothfusses said. “And we’ve always felt a responsibility to stay involved and give back to a place that has meant so much to us.”

The path not taken

A psychology degree from UK may not have led Rick directly into the profession, but his interest in the field never faded.

“Psychology was the path not taken.”

He served as an attorney, president and CEO of Lerner Sampson & Rothfuss — a Cincinnati-based boutique law firm focusing in real estate and mortgage banking.

Although he ultimately built a successful career in law, Rick said the lessons he learned in psychology stayed with him throughout his professional life.

“I really feel confident that a psychology degree is helpful no matter what you do in life — it definitely served me well.”

Investing in what comes next

The new gift allows Rick to return to the discipline in a different way — by helping ensure future generations of students have opportunities he could only have imagined when he was a student himself.

The $10 million commitment will establish four funds designed to strengthen the department across its academic mission:

• The Rothfuss Department Chair, providing flexibility to support innovation, strengthen leadership and increase the department’s visibility.
• Rothfuss Professorships, helping attract and retain outstanding faculty, while expanding excellence in research, teaching and mentoring.
• The Rothfuss Undergraduate Success & Career Pathways Fund, supporting scholarships, internships, research and education abroad opportunities for students.
• The Rothfuss Graduate & Research Endowment, supporting the recruitment and success of doctoral students, as well as summer research, travel and professional development opportunities.

The investment comes at a pivotal time for UK Psychology.

Since 1917, the department has advanced understanding of the human mind and behavior, while preparing generations of students to become leading experts in the field.

Today, it’s one of UK’s largest undergraduate programs and is home to nationally recognized graduate programs and researchers working to improve mental health, well-being and communities across Kentucky and beyond.

The Rothfusses’ support will help accelerate the department’s momentum by strengthening its ability to recruit exceptional faculty and graduate students, while expanding opportunities for undergraduate students.

“Rick and Cathie Rothfuss are creating a lasting legacy for UK through their extraordinary generosity,” Ana Franco-Watkins, Ph.D., dean of UK Arts and Sciences, said. “This transformational commitment will expand opportunities for students, strengthen research and discovery, and position psychology for an even brighter future. We are deeply grateful for their belief in the power of education and the impact this gift will have for generations to come.”

A gift years in the making

For the family, the decision to name the department has been years in the making.

In early 2022 — after Rick sold a majority interest in his downtown Cincinnati buildings — he began exploring opportunities to create a lasting connection with UK and the department.

That same year, the Rothfusses celebrated Rick’s Golden Wildcat anniversary and met with Franco-Watkins, who had recently become dean of the college.

Conversations about the possibilities continued.

Rick was inspired by other examples of transformational philanthropy at UK, including the naming of the Dr. Bing Zhang Department of Statistics and gifts from David Rosenberg and Stanley and Karen Pigman.

As he considered the impact he wanted to make, he kept returning to the place and discipline that had such a profound influence on his own life. UK was more than a place to earn a degree — it was where he discovered a passion for psychology and gained perspectives that shaped his life and career.

Naming the department is a way to memorialize the lasting impact. “I wanted to show gratitude, thankfulness and honor,” he said.

A legacy rooted in gratitude

The Rothfusses have already invested significantly in the university.

In 2024, they established the Richard M. and Catherine J. Rothfuss Neuroscience Endowment with a $100,000 pledge. They see their latest $10 million commitment not simply as philanthropy — but as a lasting legacy.

Rick’s father recently passed away at the age of 101, prompting him to reflect more deeply on the legacy each generation leaves behind.

Yet, the legacy he hopes to leave extends far beyond a name on a department. Rick hopes the gift will create opportunities for future generations of students, just as UK did for him and his family.

It’s a fitting return to the place where his own story began.

“UK impacted us,” he said. “We wanted future generations to know we were there, and that we are grateful that UK was — and is — in our lives.”