William & Mary Foundation

News Flash: William & Mary's OTOD XII is coming soon on April 2nd....

As one of the nation's top research universities (now designated an R1, the top category), William & Mary faculty both create new knowledge (research) and then share that knowledge with our students (teach). It sounds simple, but we've been at this since 1693, and doing it well requires exceptional faculty committed both to their students and to expanding our knowledge of the world.

Meet this year’s recipients of the Alumni Medallion, the highest and most prestigious award given by the Alumni Association.

Reflecting William & Mary’s dedication to advancing knowledge through cutting-edge research, the university has been designated an “R1” research institution by the Carnegie Classification system. ? Announced today by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation, this classification represents the highest level available to doctorate-granting universities. The R1 status enhances William & Mary’s reputation for research and scholarship, opening doors to expanded publication and grant opportunities.

Professional Development Week kicks off?Monday, Feb. 24! ?? Join us for a series of virtual panels and workshops designed to help you explore your career path, discover strategies to inspire your team and unlock the power of meaningful partnerships. Register for free on our website. All are welcome!

The?William & Mary Foundation?(WMF) Board of Trustees held its winter meeting last week that coincided with several important university events around?William & Mary’s Charter Day Weekend (332 years!). W&M is beyond blessed to have another transformational gift that was celebrated during our meetings – this time, a $50 million gift from Dr. R. Todd Stravitz ’82 –for the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS (Virginia Institute of Marine Science). This is the largest scholarship gift in the university’s history and will fully fund tuition for students pursuing the new bachelor’s degree in coastal & marine sciences at the Batten School. The 1693 Management Company (a subsidiary of William & Mary Foundation) met in conjunction with the WMF board meetings and focused on a review of the portfolio, performance, and a deep dive on #AI. Additionally, the Board attended the dedication of the expanded Muscarelle Museum Of Art in the new Martha Wren Briggs Center for the Visual Arts last Thursday evening and the topping off ceremony for the Mackesy Sports Performance Center (the Mack) on Friday afternoon. Both of these capital projects were fully funded by private philanthropy. The W&M community had much to celebrate! During the meetings, the Board continued to discuss funding proposals from university colleagues for financial support for various university initiatives. The Board has zeroed in on several initiatives and will finalize the amounts to be distributed at the spring meeting. The Board was thrilled to spend time with Douglas Schmidt ’84, M.A. ’86, the inaugural dean of W&M’s School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics. Dean Schmidt will work closely with the Foundation’s Academic Initiatives Sub-Committee on funding priorities and initiatives for the new school. We are profoundly grateful for the time and valuable counsel the WMF Trustees, led by our outstanding Chair,?Janet Atwater?’84, P ’17, P ’20, and Vice Chair, Darpan Kapadia ’95, provide to us throughout the year. Lastly, our WMF leadership team--Bruce Aird, Julie Leach, and Caroline Letourneau--are truly the dream team, and I'm fortunate to work with such outstanding colleagues. The Board will gather again in May for our virtual spring meeting. Photo credit to Stephen Tang from the Charter Day Dinner!

Thank you to Dr. Stravitz for this transformational gift to support our students at William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS!

We had a great opening keynote to kick off AGB (Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges)'s Foundation Leadership Forum in a conversation about the importance of higher education in creating, strengthening, and sustaining our democracy. To paraphrase Michael, philanthropy can be both a diagnostic tool and the cure to many ills in our nation. The William & Mary Foundation and William & Mary are well represented and leading the way! Julie Leach, Caroline Letourneau, Bruce Aird, Janet Atwater, Darpan Kapadia, Katey Howerton, Evan Lichtenstein, Kimberly Sperling, A. Benjamin Spencer, Morgan Hutter, and Susan Rucker

Next week William & Mary will celebrate 332 years since our Royal Charter was signed by King William & Queen Mary. Our longevity inspires us to continue to innovate and solve global challenges. President Katherine Rowe announced that 2025 will be the "Year of the Environment" as we continue to highlight the great work from across campus and around the globe--from our Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS (Virginia Institute of Marine Science), to our Institute for Integrative Conservation, to our sustainability initiatives and so much more. One of the highlights at Charter Day will be the conferral of the Honorary Degree on my friend, colleague, and extraordinary human being, Todd Stottlemyer '85, P'16, P'21. As a former Rector and current Trustee on the William & Mary Foundation, Todd has done enormous good for his alma mater, his Commonwealth, and his nation and we are thrilled to be able to add him to the list of notable recipients, which began with Benjamin Franklin in 1756. Congratulations, Todd!

William & Mary President Katherine Rowe, who also serves as an ex-officio trustee on the William & Mary Foundation Board, shares many of the great things happening at the Alma Mater of the Nation in this podcast. Give it a listen!