Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement
Sponsored by the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Alumni Association, the Alumni Awards are the university’s highest alumni honors. Recipients are selected based on their exceptional professional and civic contributions and for their outstanding support of the university. The 2022 Alumni Award recipients include six alumni and one student.
ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ launched the public phase of its $350 million Forever Brighter comprehensive fundraising campaign in October 2021, and during the first year of the public campaign, a record-breaking $77.6 million was raised. This philanthropic feat was made possible with the support of 10,687 donors, 3,753 of whom made a gift to ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ for the first time.
ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡â€™s Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement launched the university’s most ambitious fundraising campaign, called Forever Brighter, last October, creating communications and fundraising materials that share the remarkable impact of alumni engagement and donor philanthropy on the university. The division has earned 19 marketing and communications awards from multiple competitions.
George L. Jenkins, a 1963 graduate of ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡, and his wife, Gina, of Scottsdale, Arizona, have pledged $1 million to create the Gina and George Jenkins Student-Athlete Scholarship Fund that will support student-athletes in any varsity athletics program or team sponsored by ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡â€™s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
The first-ever Day of Giving raised needed funds from more than 350 alumni, friends and partners in just 24 hours. The blue and gold community came together in support of a variety of scholarships as part of the university’s Forever Brighter comprehensive campaign.
Most people who have spent time on ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡â€™s campus in Kent, Ohio, recognize the name Risman. It is connected to the popular Risman Plaza and Risman Drive, but they may not realize that for the Risman family, educating and supporting students has been a family affair for almost 40 years.
Infant mortality rates in Northeast Ohio are three to five times higher for Black babies than white babies, an alarming statistic that is an issue across the country but particularly prevalent in this part of the state. A new $100,000 grant from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation will support innovative work being undertaken at ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡, an elite research university with the esteemed R1 designation, to address this important issue.
KeyBank Foundation has awarded a new $200,000 gift to ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ to continue KeyBank Foundation’s support for the successful Key Connections program offered by University College at ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡. The Key Connections program will continue to support student success initiatives for underserved students, including first-generation students and students from limited income backgrounds who will enroll in Fall Semester 2022.
ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ officially broke ground on Crawford Hall, the future home of the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, on March 8 in a ceremony attended by more than 400 people, including university officials, donors, alumni, students, elected officials and special guests.