Generosity has a ripple effect. Our cover story shares how one LAS alumna was so inspired by the scholarship she received as a student that she now funds her own scholarships for today’s students. Her memories as an Iowa State Cyclone opened the door for change, opportunity and transformation for future Cyclones.
Some LAS donors identify as Gen Z. Others were born into a world shaped by the First World War and the 1918 flu pandemic. Some are motivated by research or an experience abroad; some by an advisor or professor who took the extra time to help them succeed. But what all our donors have in common is a passion for the learning, research and innovation in LAS. Their gifts vary in size and focus, from a one-time contribution that helps build a scholarship fund to an entire endowment fund that will transform generations to come.
In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, our alumni and friends are fueling an extraordinary response to Iowa State University’s Forever True, For Iowa State campaign.
To kick off the campaign, LAS set four clear campaign priorities to weave the passions of our donors into the evolving needs of students, learning and research:
- Putting students first
- Empowering our educators and leaders
- Driving discovery, engagement and innovation
- Enriching modern learning environments. These priorities remain true, and so, too, has the unwavering support of LAS alumni and friends.
Thanks to this support, LAS students don’t have to choose between maintaining a job or engaging in experiences that enhance their education and jump-start their careers. Students can now receive funds to offset their everyday expenses so they can gain real-world experience at an unpaid internship, participate in undergraduate research, study abroad or fulfill required student teaching hours.
Support from the Forever True campaign enabled the college to nearly triple the dollar amount of scholarships offered to students. This helps students manage the cost of a high-quality Cyclone education and helps the college recruit new students. The investment in scholarships is crucial: It lowers the debt burden for students and allows us to attract more students in an increasingly competitive recruitment environment.
LAS faculty are among the world’s leading scientists and scholars. Support garnered during this campaign has helped advance research and other work that addresses today’s and tomorrow’s most pressing global challenges. Our donors created new faculty support to recognize the best and the brightest in many diverse fields, from computational chemistry to spatial statistics to 19th century literature. These new, prestigious opportunities provide faculty an opportunity to elevate their work on a global stage, bolstering learning for students and giving the university a competitive edge.
As Iowa State nurtures its reputation as a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, LAS remains the heart of learning and discovery. Support from the campaign was invested to create the new Innovation + Entrepreneurship Academy for students—a chance for them to explore the mindset, skills and opportunities they can leverage for success in their personal lives and careers. And we are investing in better physical spaces for learning and engagement. Students also received a boost in career services and support, thanks to funds raised to date.
The campaign will close in June after opening so many new doors for LAS. More than 3,000 friends of the college donated for the first time, and as you’ll learn in this issue, which focuses on the impact of philanthropy in LAS, the results are extraordinary.