Category: Philanthropy
$1M Gift Bolsters American & New England Studies Program
PhD students in the American & New England Studies Program (AMNESP) can dream a little bigger next year thanks to an anonymous $1 million gift, part of which will create a new Public Humanities Fund to support research projects, award grants, and fund research-related activities beyond campus. Income from the gift, expected to start flowing during the 2024–2025 school year, will also fund academic fellowships, outside speakers, conference travel, and the like. But Joseph Rezek, a College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of English and AMNESP director, and the faculty are most excited about the Public Humanities Fund and its potential to expand opportunities beyond the campus and help recruit top students.
Tenth Annual Giving Day Raises More Than $3.8 Million
More than 11,500 donors, supporting over 800 causes, made gifts in excess of $3.88 million on Boston University’s 10th Giving Day, April 3. Gifts came from all 50 states and 52 countries on the annual one-day fundraising event. “Terriers came out in force for this milestone Giving Day,” says Erika N. Jordan, BU vice president for alumni engagement. “The theme, Unstoppable BU, took hold and you could feel the energy leading up to April 3. A record number of challenges came in, ambassador sign-ups more than doubled, and the communication exchanges across campus were electric.”
New Questrom Institute to Explore Business’ Role in Society
The Ravi K. Mehrotra Institute for Business, Markets, and Society (IBMS) “will help others understand and appreciate the role business and markets do, can, and should play in creating lasting prosperity, advancing societal goals, and solving global challenges,” its mission statement reads. Ravi K. Mehrotra, founder of a global shipping firm, has given BU a gift to endow a namesake institute studying how business contributes to society, and how it can do better.
2023 BU Giving Day Raises More Than $3.8 Million
Boston University’s ninth Giving Day brought in more than $3.8 million from more than 12,000 donors, supporting more than 450 causes across campus. Gifts came from all 50 states, and from 48 countries.
Lifelong Friendship Behind $100 Million Gift to Medical School
Lifelong friends Aram V. Chobanian (Hon.’06) and Edward Avedisian (CFA’59,’61, Hon.’22) will now be connected forever as the namesakes of BU’s medical school. Thanks to a $100 million gift from Avedisian that will support scholarships, endowed faculty chairs, and cutting-edge research and teaching, the school is being renamed the Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine.
CARB-X wins $370 Million to Fight Antibiotic Resistance
CARB-X, a nonprofit global partnership that channels funding and expertise to companies for new antibiotics, vaccines, and rapid diagnostics, is receiving up to $370 million in additional funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Wellcome, a global charitable foundation.
Renovated Groce Pépin Culinary Innovation Laboratory Now Cooking
The renamed Groce Pépin Culinary Innovation Laboratory received more than $200,000 in renovations, the first in 30 years. The space boasts a new granite countertop, stainless steel stove, glass door fridge, and commercial sink station, along with five overhead cameras and wall-mounted monitors that enhance visibility of demonstrations, for culinary arts students on-site and online.
Effort to Synthesize Lung Tissue Wins Funding
A bold, early-stage project aiming to develop lab-grown lungs has been awarded $1.5 million over three years from the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group. The effort will be led by researchers at Boston University’s College of Engineering and School of Medicine.
$8 Million Gift from Richard Shipley to Expand Technology’s Role in Education
An $8 million gift from Richard Shipley (Questrom’68,’72), a BU trustee emeritus, will help the University expand digital learning, a goal outlined in its 2030 Strategic Plan. Shipley’s gift will fund the Shipley Center for Digital Learning & Innovation, an all-University resource, which will be associated with the Center for Teaching & Learning and will be overseen by the associate provost for digital learning and innovation.
MassMutal Donates $1 Million to Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences
MassMutual’s donation is the first partnership for the fledgling academic unit. The money will be spread out over three years, with two primary purposes: to create the MassMutual Professor of the Practice Fund and to launch the MassMutual Fund for the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, which will aim to hire a program manager and software engineer to support experiential learning activities; organize diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the center; and award approximately six $10,000 MassMutual Externship stipends to undergraduates.
