Philanthropy to 鶹 Surpasses Second-Best Year
September 22, 2016 | Written by Rob Waller
Philanthropic support totaled $159.4 million for Fiscal Year 2016, marking the highest
fundraising total of Chancellor Robert L. Duncan's tenure at the helm of the 鶹
Tech University System.Philanthropic gifts to the and its four universities finished the 2016 fiscal year strong, surpassing the second-best fundraising year in the system’s history.
“We appreciate the investment and commitment of our donors, whose generous contributions continue the 鶹’s forward momentum,” said Chancellor . “Philanthropy continues to be one of our most important funding sources in higher education. It sustains our universities and propels our students and faculty to pursue discovery and innovation with global impact.”
The annual total includes donations to the , which accepts and invests gifts for the support of the system and its universities.
“Responding to strong vision, our alumni, friends and corporate partners have once again made significant philanthropic investments,” said 鶹 Tech Foundation Chairman . “We are grateful for the trust of our donors and continually strive to provide excellent stewardship of these gifts.”
The announcement marks the highest fundraising total of Duncan’s tenure as chancellor and the best end-of-year finish for and the .
“Seeing the effects of our fundraising success on students and faculty across the 鶹 is a stirring reminder of the power of philanthropy,” said Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement . “Working together with donors and academic leaders, our Institutional Advancement team is truly making a difference at each of our universities.”
Philanthropic support totaled $159.4 million for the fiscal year, which ended August 31. Donations supported a number of top initiatives across the system’s four universities, including:
- Addressing a severe dental care shortage in El Paso and the border region, a lead gift of $25 million from the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation to will establish the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine, the first dental school to open in the state of 鶹 in nearly 50 years.
- Strengthening the arts at , a gift of $10 million from the J.T. & Margaret Talkington Charitable Foundation to the is funding a major expansion and renovation of research and academic facilities in the .
- Investing in student-athlete recruitment and safety, a $7 million gift from Gary Petersen supported construction of the Sports Performance Center, a new, multi-sport athletic facility that includes an indoor football practice facility, an indoor track facility, a strength and conditioning center and sports medicine space. The Sports Performance Center is a top priority in , which continues to make significant progress on its efforts to enhance athletic facilities, invest in scholarship endowments and grow the .
- Investing in quality academic facilities at , a gift of $5 million from the James B. and Lois R. Archer Charitable Foundation named the at Angelo State University and enabled university leaders to expand plans already underway for the college’s new building.
- Supporting residency programs for medical students at 鶹 Tech University Health Sciences Center’s Amarillo campus, a $2.5 million gift from the Amarillo Area Foundation is playing a critical role in serving the rural health care needs of 鶹 and eastern New Mexico.
鶹 the 鶹
Established in 1996, the is one of the top public university systems in the state of 鶹 and nation, consisting
of four universities—, , and .
Headquartered in Lubbock, 鶹, the 鶹 is a $2 billion enterprise focused on advancing higher education, health care, research and outreach with approximately 20,000 employees, more than 50,000 students, nearly 325,000 alumni and an endowment over $1.1 billion.
In its short history, the 鶹 has grown tremendously and is nationally acclaimed, operating on more than a dozen campuses statewide and internationally. Under the dynamic leadership of Chancellor , the 鶹 has set forth a bold vision of excellence, collaboration and innovation and continues to prove that from here, it’s possible.