At a university like Bucknell, with its emphasis on close faculty-student relationships, it's clear that people matter. More importantly, every person matters. From the renowned professor to the student on a scholarship, great people make Bucknell great. They're the worldwide community of Buckellians. And they're well worth supporting, in any way you can.
More than a group of facilities or an exhibition of fine architecture, Bucknell's campus is place that nurtures young minds, harbors fond memories and promises bright futures. And though it can be hard to imagine, the special buildings and spaces that are so much a part of Bucknell today were once mere visions, needs, and wishes - until supporters helped to make them reality.
Real work is being done at Bucknell: scientific insight, artistic expression, social understanding. Much of it is being done through University programs, which open new avenues of learning, highlight the achievement of students and faculty, and bring together an array of disciplines in exciting ways. By investing in Bucknell's programs, you help strengthen its culture of collaborative learning and exploration.
Giving of yourself is one of the greatest ways to give to Bucknell. Whether it's reaching out to alumni, raising money for the Annual Fund, or providing valuable workplace advice and experience to current students, your contribution is a valuable one. The rewards are many: from camaraderie to a sense of accomplishment to the heartfelt appreciation of your fellow Bucknellians.
I am confident that every student benefits from learning to think mathematically as part of the process of becoming a more informed citizen of the world.
› Jodi Black, assistant professor of mathematics
Art history is an ever-expanding field that values experimentation and creativity. It allows me to incorporate issues that stem from philosophy, sociology, religion, science and more.
› Roger Rothman, associate professor of art and art history
It's really wonderful to see my students transition into these loving, care-giving people in addition to becoming fabulous music teachers.
› Kimberly Councill, associate professor of music, Samuel Williams Professor of Music
It's incredibly gratifying to take students out and show them how the Earth really works.
› Jeffrey Trop, associate professor of geology
When I think I understand something, my students invariably help me have that Alice-in-Wonderland, dropping-through-the-hole experience of 'Oh, I didn't see it that way.' After these classroom interactions, the universe looks a little bit different.
› Carmen Gillespie, professor of English
Students have to make their own guidelines. That's what I think higher education should be. It challenges them to create a problem-solving technique for themselves,
› Anjalee Hutchinson, assistant professor of theatre and dance
I try as much as possible to give my students not only the literature in the debates but also real-world examples of how these issues impact people on the ground. They can start to see that these aren't abstract, ivory tower discussions.
› Berhanu Nega, associate professor of economics
There's nothing quite like witnessing a student having a 'Eureka!' moment to know I've really made a difference.
› Katharina Vollmayr-Lee, professor of physics
I always try to stress to the students that they're very likely doing things nobody else has done before.
› Charles Kim, associate professor of mechanical engineering
If you learn about biodiversity, you will find that there are many things, literally millions of things, left on the planet that we still don't know about. It just takes the proper training and willingness to go out and find them.
› Christopher Martine, associate professor of biology, David Burpee Professor in Plant Genetics and Research
Annual gifts designated to the President’s Fund support new teaching, research and multi-disciplinary projects that promise to have a direct impact on the University’s mission in strategic areas. They turn belief into action in an immediate way. A recent $1 million challenge gift from an anonymous donor will help this fund swiftly begin to address some of Bucknell’s most urgent institutional needs.
Campaign co-chair William Morrow '70, and his wife, Madeline, committed $6 million toward the University's strategic priorities, including Academic West.
The College of Engineering recently opened the Richard J. Mooney Innovative Design Laboratory, a workspace in which engineering students and faculty can bring their designs and ideas to life. The facility is the gift of Pam Mooney and family in honor of her late husband, Dick Mooney ‘60.
Some two-dozen Bucknell students have attended Bucknell through the Sampson Family Scholarship Endowment. Now, thanks to an additional $5 million commitment from Ben Sampson ’69, P’96, even more talented young people will benefit from the program, begun more than two decades ago with his late brother, Myles Sampson ’67.
When donors make gift designations, they turn their passions into lasting influence and ideas into reality, in the fullest spirit of We Do. Trustee David Ekedahl '56 P'79 and his wife, Patricia Ekedahl P'79, supported their interest in environmental issues by establishing an endowed professorship.
The late Robert L. Rooke, a longtime trustee who graduated in 1913, and his descendants have made the Rooke family among the most significant contributors to Bucknell across its history.
Trustee Steve Holmes ’79, P’06, P’08 didn’t hesitate when President John Bravman asked him to chair the campaign. Giving to Bucknell—and communicating that need to others—is personal for Holmes and his wife, Bonnie Bencsko Holmes ’79, whose three children attended Bucknell.
Leanne Freas Trout ’50 made a special gift in memory of her late husband, David Trout ’50, who was an emeritus trustee. The David Morton and Leanne Freas Trout Professorship of French and Francophone Studies is the first endowed faculty position funded through the comprehensive campaign.
Trustee Bill Graham ‘62, whose $5.6 million gift was the major impetus behind the recent restoration of wrestling to varsity status, is passionate about the role the sport of wrestling played in his undergraduate education.
Ken Freeman ‘72, chairman of the Board of Trustees, made a significant gift to Bucknell’s School of Management with his wife, Janice. It comes at a crucial time, as the school – one of the campaign’s six academic initiatives – seeks accreditation.
The late Ellen Peterson Williams '19, a retired music teacher, bequeathed $4 million to the music department. Her gift endowed two professorships and a related research fund, plus two merit scholarships.
