Centennial Campaign on target as fiscal year ends


BY B.J. ALMOND
Rice News staff

Despite the setbacks caused by Hurricane Ike and the prolonged economic downturn, the $1 billion Centennial Campaign is on target as the 2009 fiscal year comes to a close June 30. The campaign has raised a total of $552.7 million, of which $50 million has been raised since the official launch of the campaign last November.

The funds raised by the campaign will be used to prepare Rice students for leadership roles in their workplaces and communities, enhance the university’s scholarship and research capabilities and expand its community and international outreach.

“Based on the milestones we set four years ago when we developed the master plan for the campaign, we’re exactly on target,” Vice President for Resource Development Darrow Zeidenstein said. “A year ago we were about nine or 10 months ahead of schedule, and although we lost that cushion during the economic slump, this fiscal year has been the third-largest fundraising year in Rice’s history, thanks to the generosity of our donors.”

Zeidenstein credited that early momentum to the leadership of Board of Trustees Chairman Jim Crownover ’65, President David Leebron, the board, campaign co-chairs Susie Glasscock ’62 and Bobby Tudor ’82 and other volunteers across the country.

He said the Resource Development staff has worked hard to sustain the campaign’s momentum. “They stayed very focused and strategic when Ike and the economy were on everyone’s minds,” he said. “They did a lot of listening and kept relationships and dialogue going. We learned that not everyone was impacted by the economy in the same way, and we had to be mindful of what people were going through.”

One of their key messages is that during periods of economic uncertainty, the mission of Rice University becomes even more important. “Access to well-educated, talented and innovative people is in the long-term interest of the United States,” Zeidenstein said.

Rice’s supporters, including faculty, staff and students, have responded with nearly a 1.5 percent increase in gifts over the prior year to the Rice Annual Fund, which brought in more than $6.4 million this year toward the campaign. 

Sara Lowman, vice provost and university librarian, explained why she contributed. “I chair the annual fund at the elementary school my girls attend, so I know it’s important to have supporters follow a pattern of giving,” she said. “And a high level of commitment from faculty and staff to the Rice Annual Fund helps the university when Rice is applying for grants.”

Centennial Campaign
Find out how Rice University is preparing its students and researchers for the next century Centennial Challenge
Give to Rice University through the Centennial Challenge to Young Alumni. From now until June 30, Rice will match any gift from a young alum — 5-to-1! Bill Kazmierski ’09 contributed to the Annual Fund even before he graduated in May. “Rice was a truly life-changing experience for me,” he said. “From the friendships and loyalties of being at a residential college and the strong Rice spirit at sporting events, Rice made it easy for me to get involved and make a difference around campus. And the professors at Rice made a noticeable effort to make sure that I got the attention I needed.”

Kazmierski credited his Rice education with helping him land a job as a process engineer at Samsung Austin Semiconductor. “I see the Rice Annual Fund as a way to express my gratitude,” he said.

About 1,400 recent graduates — more than 350 than last year — also expressed their gratitude to Rice by donating more than $151,000 in response to the Centennial Challenge to Young Alumni. Their gifts brought in another $360,000, thanks to the matching program offered by Cathryn Rodd Selman ’78 and two board members, who are now offering a 5-to-1 match through June 30. 

Support for the Rice Annual Fund are just two highlights of the campaign this past year.
 
A number of multimillion-dollar gifts are going toward endowed faculty positions; educational programs like the new Ph.D.s in art history, business and sociology; and collaborative and interdisciplinary research efforts. The campaign’s Centennial Scholarship Initiative has received $55 million in commitments toward its $100 million goal.

Several building projects funded by campaign gifts are already in operation. The Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen, for one, opened last December and is enabling engineering students from different specialties to collaborate on projects — just as they will in their careers.

“Bioengineering students are talking with mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering and computational and applied mathematics students in the kitchen,” Director Maria Oden said. “It allows undergraduates to do what motivated them to go into engineering — to design things, to build things. The student teams have equipment, supplies, work space and technical advice all in one place.”

It’s not uncommon for students to notice what some of the other teams are doing and ask each other for guidance and help improving their projects, and that was the intention for such a collaborative work space, Oden said. Although the kitchen has been open only six months, several teams have won state or national awards with projects they developed there, such as a device that measures intrinsic hand muscle strength.

Tudor Fieldhouse also opened last fall and now provides athletes and Owls fans a modern facility for men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball games. The Youngkin Center housed within the fieldhouse provides student-athletes with a study area and offices for the Athletics staff.

The Raymond and Susan Brochstein Pavilion opened last year as well. Located in the Central Quad, the pavilion quickly became a popular hangout for students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus.

This fall Duncan and McMurtry colleges will open to help house the largest freshman class in Rice’s history, which ties in with the expansion of the undergraduate student body as part of the Vision for the Second Century. And the Rice community will have access to state-of-the-art workout facilities when the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center opens this fall too.

“These wonderful additions to the Rice campus and experience would not have happened without the generous support of our alumni — and the names of these new buildings leave no doubt that Rice alumni continue to be the bedrock of our fundraising efforts,” Crownover said. “Rice alumni contribute so much to their professions and communities, but they never forget to give back to the school that they believe gave them so much as students.”

That applies as well to the university’s leaders. “It’s worth noting that all of the deans, vice presidents and senior staff have made some sort of personally significant campaign commitment,” Associate Vice President for Development Kevin Foyle said.  

Glasscock hopes to appeal to the entire Rice community during the next phase of the campaign. “We want to give everyone an opportunity to be part of Rice’s Centennial Celebration and the Centennial Campaign,” she said. Glasscock’s 50-year class reunion coincides with Rice’s centennial year, and she hopes that milestone will energize the Class of 2012’s participation in the campaign.

Tudor also wants to reach out to members of the Houston community who aren’t directly affiliated with Rice. “It’s clear that many of the things that are important to Rice are also important to the citizens of Houston.” He cited such examples as Rice’s Ph.D. program in art history that involves the Menil Collection and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, joint research in biosciences between Rice and Texas Medical Center institutions, and the Shepherd School faculty who perform with the Houston Symphony. “We think many of Houston’s leading philanthropists will express their desire to see Rice continue to grow and flourish,” Tudor said.

The campaign, the largest fundraising effort in Rice’s history, is scheduled to continue through the end of the university’s centennial year (2012), which runs through the school year to 2013. 

”We planned our campaign to help us fulfill our high aspirations for Rice,” Leebron said. “Especially during these challenging economic times, we are grateful to our alumni, campus community and friends whose extraordinary generosity has enabled us to continue to implement our vision. Susie and Bobby, with the support of many dedicated volunteers, have provided the leadership that has kept our ambitious campaign on track to make Rice’s 100th anniversary a celebration as much about Rice’s future as its past.”

June 30 is the deadline for making a gift that counts toward the current fiscal year’s total. Go to www.rice.edu/centennialcampaign and click on the yellow “Make a gift now” button in the upper right corner.