“We Will” Update
We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern, which was publicly announced in 2014, set out to amplify the University’s local and global impact and to elevate its status as a leading teaching and research institution.
A generous gift from University Trustee Peter Barris ’74 and Adrienne Barris will establish two endowed scholarships for undergraduates in Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music and McCormick School of Engineering. The Gus and Diane Chagares Music Scholarship will help the Bienen School attract top student musicians.
Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management has received a transformative gift from Ann M. Drake ’84 MBA to establish the Drake Scholar Network — a powerful intergenerational and global network of women students, faculty and alumnae.
Interest in computer science has skyrocketed over the past few years, fueled by a surge of available data, enhanced computing power and advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Launched by the McCormick School of Engineering and supported by visionary philanthropists, the Computer Science Transformation Initiative is revolutionizing learning across disciplines at Northwestern.
At Northwestern, where interdisciplinary collaboration is a goal, faculty are exploring the use of artificial intelligence in fields such as drug discovery, equality and social justice, material and process design, social media analysis and astronomy.
Thanks to a new multimillion-dollar, multiyear grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Northwestern Medicine will continue to participate in the MJFF-sponsored Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative, which aims to identify biomarkers for the progression of the disease.
A recent gift from the John R. Flanagan Charitable Foundation seeks to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, like COVID-19, around the world.
The national conversation surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion is ongoing. Northwestern has responded by committing to advancing racial and social justice and making the University a more equitable and inclusive place for all — and generous donors are bolstering these efforts.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in spring 2020, the University’s philanthropic community has responded by funding high-impact research and providing resources to help students learn remotely and return to campus. Donor support has been crucial to the continuation of Northwestern’s research and teaching missions.
Austin J. Waldron partnered with the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences to create and endow the Waldron Student-Alumni Connections Program, which connects undergraduates with alumni in various fields and across different stages of their careers.
