"We hold for this university a vision�a bold vision," said UAlbany President Karen R.
Hitchcock. "This campaign is a measure of our ability to fulfill with excellence our historic mission: addressing the critical issues of a changing society and enriching lives. The rapidly evolving society in which we live has a profound impact on the knowledge and skills a UAlbany student possesses and on the research direction of our faculty. It is essential that the University build on its tradition and strengths to meet these changing needs."
The Campaign for the University at Albany will benefit all nine professional schools and colleges, 600-plus faculty members and 17,000 undergraduates and graduate students. It will strengthen UAlbany�s endowment, increase undergraduate merit scholarships and endowed graduate fellowships, establish endowed chairs and professorships, upgrade facilities and help in the construction and furnishing of new buildings.
"Strengthening our endowment is critical," said Robert Ashton, Vice President for Advancement and the University's chief fund-raising officer. "Historically, endowments have been so important to building great public universities because they provide a reliable source of flexible funds. They allow a university to respond to unanticipated opportunities and challenges nimbly, quickly, in a time frame that�s not typically accommodated by the public budget process."
Two of the largest gifts received to date reflect UAlbany�s international strength in nanosciences and nanoengineering, an area of explosive development in the last two
years. In April of 2001, IBM donated $100 million in funds and equipment to establish the Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics, representing the largest gift in UAlbany history and the single largest donation ever by IBM. A year later, SEMATECH, a consortium of leading computer chip manufacturers, announced an initial investment of $193 million to establish a research and development facility at the Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics -- $100 million of that amount is a gift to the University.
History of private philanthropy at the University at Albany
To learn more, visit The Campaign for the University at Albany website.
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