So when she decided to move to the Northwest in 2001, Walker knew what she was going to do with a 2.5-acre parcel of land she owned in Lancaster--give it to CSUN for the establishment of an endowment to support the study of the nonprofit sector. The land is valued at more than $40,000.

"Knowing the demographics of Lancaster," she said, "I expected the land would appreciate in value. I had held it since 1974, and had seen the area's growth pattern." Why not, she asked, put that idle acreage to work?

Walker, who also has professional expertise as a consultant for non-profit ventures, said the idea to give her land to the university seemed to her "a unique opportunity to create a small endowment for the study of the non-profit sector."

The Isabelle Walker Endowment for Nonprofit Organization Studies was established for the study of the nonprofit and philanthropic independent sector. It will underwrite faculty and student awards as well as stipends for curriculum development, seminars, research or fieldwork.

College of Health and Human Development Dean Helen Castillo, whose college will distribute funds from the endowment, said the former department chair "leaves a rich legacy that together with this gift will benefit students for years to come."

Friend and former colleague Dianne Philibosian, professor of leisure studies and recreation, said the idea for a real estate gift reflects Walker's ability to think outside of the box. "Knowing Isabelle, this is such a beautiful example of her passion for leadership. She really has demonstrated all ways of giving."