Just nine months after the completion of
Michigan State University’
s record-breaking
capital campaign at the end of 2018, significant
changes to the university’
s landscape already
are taking shape. Campaign gifts — many
of which came from generous alumni and
friends in the Detroit area — make possible
new facilities cropping up across campus, bold
research programs and initiatives, recruitment
of top faculty in critical areas and increased
support for student success.
Empower Extraordinary, the Campaign
for MSU highlighted the university’
s close,
collaborative relationship with Detroit and
with the enthusiastic alumni and supporters
who live there. An active network of campaign
volunteers and members of the President’
s
Campaign Cabinet from Detroit and Southeast
Michigan helped share the campaign’
s message
and hosted events to support its efforts.
In total, 50,324 donors — nearly one-fifth of the
255,284 overall donors to the campaign — hail
from Detroit and the surrounding area, and
their contribution of $220.1 million, or 12%
of the total $1.83 billion raised, added vital
support in nearly every area of need.
Promoting student success — $60 million
The campaign sought funding to provide
the best educational experience for anyone
seeking an education, regardless of their
socioeconomic background. Detroit-area
donors contributed more than $52 million
to support undergraduate scholarships,
graduate fellowships and financial aid for all
students, while an additional $7.1 million went
toward experiential learning initiatives such as
education abroad and to help defray expenses
for students pursuing internships.
CONNECT WITH MSU
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Your comments are welcome. Write to Michigan State University,
408 W. Circle Drive, Room 302, East Lansing, MI 48824 or call
(517) 355-7505.
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givingto.msu.edu
Learn more about alumni participation
alumni.msu.edu
VISIT US ONLINE
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
• High Holy Days at MSU Hillel
Sept. 29, 30; Oct. 1, 8, 9
Celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at
MSU Hillel. Rosh Hashanah services begin at 6
p.m., followed by dinner, Sept. 29. Daytime and
evening services Sept. 30 include lunch and
dinner, and morning services are followed by
lunch Oct. 1. A Yom Kippur pre-fast dinner
begins at 6 p.m., followed by services, Oct. 8.
Yom Kippur services begin at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 9,
ending with dinner at 7:45 p.m. msuhillel.org
• Wharton Center presents Michael Feinstein
and Storm Large
Oct. 12, 8 p.m.
Five-time Grammy-nominated pianist and
vocalist Michael Feinstein joins forces with Pink
Martini’
s Storm Large to reimagine standards
and modern classics in Shaken & Stirred —
Classic Songs Reimagined. whartoncenter.com
• Alex’s Great State Race
Nov. 15
Army ROTC cadets from MSU and the University
of Michigan will run the game ball from East
Lansing to Ann Arbor on the eve of the rivalry
football game. The annual event is in memory of
Alex Powell, an MSU student and patient at U-M
Hospital, with proceeds benefiting centers for
students with disabilities at MSU and U-M.
alexsgreatstaterace.org
Recruiting top faculty — $65 million
Donors from the Detroit area made a significant
impact on MSU’
s pursuit of 100 new endowed
faculty positions to help recruit, retain and
reward the very best educators and researchers.
Detroiters’
contributions of more than
$65 million created positions in the College of
Arts and Letters, the MSU College of Law and
in the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for
Jewish Studies and Modern Israel, to name a few.
Growing research impact — $10 million
Overall, private funding for MSU’
s research
enterprise grew by 35% during the campaign.
This better positions MSU researchers to solve
some of society’
s biggest challenges in areas
including health sciences, education policy and
the future of transportation mobility, while also
expanding their teams and the physical spaces
and resources they need to conduct their work.
Detroit donors contributed nearly a third of the
support toward this effort.
Supporting facilities and community —
$85 million
Detroiters’
support for MSU’
s facilities and
community initiatives added up to $85 million
to support new growth — including major
building projects for the College of Music and
the Eli Broad College of Business and upgrades
to several athletics venues. Off campus, gifts
from several Detroit donors and organizations
empowered the MSU Community Music School
in Detroit to provide lessons to hundreds of
youth free of charge and to launch the Verses
program, which helps Detroit students ages
10-16 learn to harness the power of words
through songwriting, composing and making
music under the guidance of poets, musicians
and music industry professionals. e
Detroit donors empower MSU
MSU’s Wharton Center
ranks among the top 10
performance venues
of its kind in the world
by Venues Today.
MSU alumnus Will Langford performs his original work entitled “Pamoja (As One)” for several hundred
campaign donors who attended last fall’s Empower Extraordinary celebration event. Langford is a native
Detroiter, Fulbright scholar and Community Music School-Detroit faculty member.
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