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Banner year
Fundraising activities surpass $10 million goal with more expected in 2007-08
- During his annual "state-of-the-college" address, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Michael Whiteford sang the praises of the LAS fundraising team.
"So, hug a Foundation officer," Whiteford said. "They deserve it."
Deserve it indeed. Last year was a banner year for fundraising in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The college succeed its $10 million goal by more than $200,000. The funds were raised for the college's academic units through pledges, estate gifts, stock and cash during the 2006-07 fiscal year.
By comparisons LAS fundraising just three years before was $2.5 million, which was considered a very banner year at the time.
"There is not a department in the college that has not directly benefited from these efforts," Whiteford said. "In addition to raising money, and perhaps more importantly, these individuals are making important friends for departments, for the college and for the university.
"And our efforts are only going to get better."
Some of the major gifts secured in 2006-07 include:
- $1.5 million pledge for an endowed chair in software engineering.
- $1.5 million deferred gift to fund scholarships in five LAS departments.
- More than $2.5 million in commitment to the new chemistry building.
- $950,000 in research funding from Carver Trust.
- $500,000 from Meredith Corporation to fund a Professional in Residence position in magazine design.
- $480,000 total in gifts and pledges for the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences Wyoming field camp renovation and $500,000 for unrestricted support.
- A pledge of $300,000 for an expendable professorship in chemistry.
- $100,000 for graduate student international travel in the Department of Psychology.
Alsatia Mellecker, LAS executive director of
development, says were a number of factors that contributed to exceeding the $10 million goal.
"We have a team of development officers that are committed to getting the job done," she said. "We also have a great core of department chairs and faculty members that work with us in developing leads of potential donors."
As an example Mellecker mentioned Carl Jacobson, professor and chair of the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences.
"The contact and knowledge that Carl Jacobson has with his alumni is wonderful," Mellecker said. "He has steered us in the right direction and has worked hand-in-hand with us on every major gift the department has received this past year.
"Carl helped secure the major gift for his department's field camp that pushed that project from being a dream to becoming a reality."
But it isn't just the geology department's success this year that has Mellecker excited.
"The software engineering gift will allow computer science to add a senior faculty member that will bring not only expertise but prestige to the department," she said.
Another $10 million goal has been established for LAS in 2007-08 and Mellecker says the effort is well on its way to becoming a reality.
President Gregory Geoffroy, Mei Hong, John Corbett and LAS Dean Michael Whiteford at announcement of Hong as the inaugural recipient of the John D. Corbett Professorship in Chemisty.
Around LAS
October 1-14, 2007
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