To honor his memory, Friends of the American University of Afghanistan (F-AUAF), in partnership with the Humphries family and a generous lead donation from George Shinners, have established the Mark Humphries Memorial Fund. This fund will provide financial aid for students who wish to attend AUAF. Friends of AUAF hopes that this fund will serve as a lasting tribute to Mark Humphries’ efforts to provide a better life for the Afghan community.

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April 19, 1952 – February 3, 2005

Mark Humphries, a Texan and graduate of Texas A&M, was a husband and father of three. In February 2005, Mark died in a tragic plane crash, while working in Afghanistan as an engineer with The Louis Berger Group, Inc.

At that time, Mark had been working in Afghanistan on the Kabul-to-Kandahar highway construction project, which is part of the USAID funded Rehabilitation of Economic Facilities and Services program (REFS). In building the roadway, Humphries’ local Afghan team helped to develop a line of transport, which extends through some of the most isolated and dangerous areas of Afghanistan.

Mark’s younger brother, Chris Humphries, and George Shinners, a colleague and friend, wanted to honor Mark’s memory in a way that would be meaningful to him and continue his mission to provide a better life for Afghans. Mark had a deep love and affection for Afghanistan and its people. He quietly reached out to the Afghan community, including children and those in need of medical attention.
When Chris and George learned about the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), then a new and particularly vulnerable university, they decided it was a project that Mark would support with great enthusiasm. With Chris’ encouragement, George generously reached out as AUAF’s lead donor, creating The Mark Humphries Memorial Fund. When this fund reaches $100K, it will become The Mark Humphries Memorial Financial Aid Endowment. This endowed fund will exist, in perpetuity, to provide financial aid for students who wish to attend AUAF. Preference is set for students who attend the Mirwais Girl’s School in Kandahar province, or those who are descendents of deceased or incapacitated former Afghan REFS employees. Both groups were especially important to Mark.