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

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.

Your comments are welcome. Write to Michigan State University, 
408 W. Circle Drive, Room 302, East Lansing, MI 48824 or call 
(517) 355-7505.

Catch up on the latest from MSU
msutoday.msu.edu

Explore giving opportunities
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. 

MSU_DJNinsert_sept2019.indd 1

