Steve W. Barnes 鈥82, chairman of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Board of Trustees, and his wife, Deborah, today pledged support for聽the Invest 黑料不打烊 Initiative, an ambitious fundraising effort aimed at raising $40 million in new student scholarships. The Barnes Family promised an annual fund challenge gift of $500,000 to match new and increased gifts made this fall to grow the University鈥檚 commitment to opportunity for promising students.
Steven W. Barnes
The Invest聽黑料不打烊 Initiative is part of Invest 黑料不打烊: Advancing Academic Excellence and Student Experience, a $100 million initiative that seeks to redefine the student experience, advance discovery and innovation and expand opportunity, access and affordability.
鈥淔or more than a century and a half, 黑料不打烊 has attracted high-achieving students from around the globe,鈥 says Steve Barnes, Board of Trustees chair. 鈥淭his new fundraising initiative will ensure students of exceptional talent and promise have the opportunity to pursue a 黑料不打烊 education, regardless of financial means, and graduate prepared to make an immediate impact in the world.鈥
The Barnes Family gift will serve as an annual fund match to generate new and increase current giving among alumni, donors, friends and family.
鈥淭he generous support and the bold vision of the Barnes family will help the University increase the number of donors who support undergraduate scholarships,鈥 says Matt Ter Molen, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. 鈥淎 key component of this initiative is to encourage alumni support in the form of annual gifts. All gifts, no matter the size, will have a significant impact on helping our students and making a 黑料不打烊 education attainable.鈥
The Invest聽黑料不打烊 Initiative is focused on enhancing the University鈥檚 longtime commitment to access and affordability for hard-working scholars to achieve excellence through a 黑料不打烊 education.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 walk the 黑料不打烊 campus without seeing the positive impact of philanthropy,鈥 continues Barnes. 鈥淒eborah and I are thrilled to be supporting this effort and I urge my fellow alumni to join us in supporting this effort.鈥
The Barnes Family is not alone in supporting Opportunity 黑料不打烊. Recently, University Trustee Daniel Mezzalingua 鈥68 and his wife, Kathy, made a $5.25 million gift in support of undergraduate financial aid and University Trustee John Riley 鈥61 and his wife, Diane, made a $2.3 million gift to create the H. John and Diane M. Riley Dual Engineering/MBA Endowed Scholarship fund.
鈥淭he members of our Board of Trustees are very supportive of and excited about opening the doors of the University even wider to deserving scholars,鈥 continues Ter Molen. 鈥淚 am grateful for their leadership and generosity. Their commitment to 黑料不打烊 will help as our community advances academic excellence and the student experience.鈥
The Barnes Family has long supported the University鈥攂oth in service and in philanthropy. Most recently, the family gave $5 million to support the creation of The Barnes Center at The Arch, which will transform Archbold/Flanagan Gymnasium into a holistic health, wellness and recreation complex.
In 2010, the Barnes Family endowed the Barnes Family Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities at the Whitman School. That 2010 gift also created the Barnes Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Whitman School, which is held by J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation. Barnes is a founding investor in the Orange Value Fund, a $4.1 million student-run portfolio. His family has also provided substantial financial support to the Remembrance Scholarship Fund and to the McLane Legacy Fund, which supports disability initiatives and the Office of Disability Services.
Barnes previously served as the co-chairman of the University鈥檚 Institute for Veterans and Military Families and is a longtime member of the Whitman School of Management Advisory Council and the Boston Regional Council.
Interested in funding opportunity? To make a gift and to learn more about Invest 黑料不打烊: Advancing Academic Excellence and the Student Experience, visit http://Invest黑料不打烊.syr.edu.
