Developments at Virginia Tech
The official Tumblr of Virginia Tech's Office of University Development, located at the Gateway Center on the corner of University City Blvd., and Prices Fork Rd., in Blacksburg, Va.
This website is maintained by the Development Communications team headed by Albert Raboteau, Gary Cope, and Chuck George.
At Virginia Tech’s Latham Hall, philanthropy helps research take root. The winter 2011-12 issue of Virginia Tech Magazine features a story on the remarkable work being done in this research facility. Click on the photo to read the story.
The winter 2011-2012 issue of Virginia Tech Magazine is available online. The cover article is about the closing of the highly successful Campaign for Virginia Tech: Invent the Future. The cover reads:
Rock Steady: An eight-year, $1.1 billion campaign fortifies the future
Click on the image above to visit the Virginia Tech Magazine website to read more articles about Virginia Tech’s successful campaign.
Traditions of Excellence
Virginia Tech has many traditions, such as our class ring, our Corps of Cadets, and our emphasis on service. We also have traditions of excellence in discovery, learning, and outreach. These traditions are highlighted in our Office of Annual Giving’s end-of-year video, available above or on our website.
The “My Virginia Tech” video series offers an inside look at the university through the words and experiences of students, faculty, and staff.
In this video, meet Sandy Bass, a highly-involved senior who’s double-majoring in marketing management and theatre arts and cinema. Sandy, who has received several donor-created scholarships, spends a lot of time in Theatre 101.
He also upholds the spirit of Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), through philanthropy with his fraternity — and by serving as president of the Class of 2012.
In the near future, students like Sandy, who are passionate about the arts, will benefit greatly from Virginia Tech’s new Center for the Arts, scheduled to be completed in 2013.
The Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, home of the Virginia Tech golf team, was ranked ninth in the 2011 Golfweek’s Best Campus Courses list.
The course was rebuilt in 2003 after Bill and Alice Goodwin provided the financial support to cover the cost of the design and construction. Pete Dye, considered by many to be one of the best golf-course architects in the world, was commissioned to renovate the course. A new clubhouse overlooking the course and New River was completed in 2009.
Beginning next week at our Alphin-Stuart Livestock Teaching arena (pictured), we will host the final session of the Virginia Tech Riding Series. These horseback riding classes, presented by the Office of Continuing and Professional Education, strengthen the riding and jumping skills of the equestrian enthusiasts the program draws to our beautiful campus each year.
This series is one of many examples of Virginia Tech’s close ties to the equestrian community.
As a land-grant institution, agriculture has always been at the core of this university’s curriculum, with programs developing far beyond our campus borders. For example, programs offered by two equine centers, the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center and the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center (commonly called the MARE Center), have been at the forefront of industry research since their inceptions. In addition, both were established, in part, by private donations.
The Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, located in Leesburg, Va., was founded in 1983 through a generous estate gift from the late Marion duPont Scott, a noted horsewoman. Operating in conjunction with the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, this extraordinary facility provides first-rate health services for horses and an unparalleled educational experience for our students.
Similarly, the MARE Center, located in Middleburg, Va., offers valuable educational and research opportunities for students majoring in Equine Science. The center, which serves as an extension of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was established in 1949 after legendary thoroughbred breeder and philanthropist Paul Mellon donated a 420-acre farm to Virginia Tech for the purpose of developing agricultural research programs.
For more information about Virginia Tech’s equine programs, please contact the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences or the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.
(Post by Sarah Rhodes)
Donors made it possible for students in Virginia Tech’s University Honors program to develop a public health project in La Ceiba, Honduras.
Philanthrocapitalism?
I read an interesting article this morning in a back issue of The Atlantic about the rise of the new global elite, and while much of the piece detailed the growing gulf between the haves and the have nots — alarming, to say the least — I was particularly struck by the mention of the concept of “philanthrocapitalism,” a term coined by journalists Matthew Bishop and Michael Green, authors of a book by the same name.
Increasingly, some of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful citizens are using their resources to tackle big societal problems. Witness the broad portfolio of causes supported by the Gates Foundation, for example, or Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million commitment to improve public schools in Newark, N.J.
But what strikes me most about this notion is that while such initiatives differ in many ways from philanthropy in support of Virginia Tech — most notably in scale — they’re alike in many ways too.
Our donors also are looking for ways to tackle big problems, but rather than address these stubborn issues on their own, they are partnering with the university to exercise their philanthropic will — tapping into our innovative thinking, our global reach, and our research capacity. And if you ask me, that’s a win-win proposition, and a smart business decision to boot.
Post by Michael Kiser, director, Virginia Tech Office of Development Communications
You’ve probably never heard of Katherine Fulton. I hadn’t either until recently. But she’s a true thought leader on the future of philanthropy and how today’s interconnected landscape is shaping and reshaping that future in surprising ways. In this TED talk, Fulton gives a very succinct explanation, along with some solid examples, of what this shift may mean.
How do you imagine these changes might affect your philanthropic efforts, or have they already?
(Post by Michael Kiser)
In March, Greenberry’s Coffee Co. opened the Study Café in the lobby of Newman Library on the Virginia Tech campus. The new café provides Hokies with artisan coffees, espresso drinks, loose leaf teas and healthy food options.
Did you know that the new café was made possible through private donations made by fellow Hokies?
Tom and Ann Clark of Las Cruces, N.M., parents of Erin Clark Henry (biochemistry ‘01) and Lisa Ann Clark (communication ‘04), made a generous donation that helped get the renovation project off the ground, and money from several class gifts and the Hokie Parents Fund also helped.
Tom Clark said in a VT Magazine article that he and his wife wanted to support a “central academic institution” at the university. He believes that the café will help the library be even more appealing to students who have grown up in an era where bookstores typically have cafés and cafés routinely offer Internet access.
Learn more about how the generosity of fellow Hokies is benefiting Virginia Tech.
(Post by Gary Cope)
