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ӣ����Ƶ Spirit has undertaken a renewal, elevating the presence and performance on the sidelines and in students’ lives. For the program’s director, Carrie Teller ’02, ’21, ’25, leading the ӣ����Ƶ Spirit Program is more than a role, it is a mission shaped by faith, resilience and a deep commitment to transformation.

On March 5, ӣ����Ƶ celebrated donors who have given more than $42 million during ӣ����Ƶ Ignited to the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development. Their commitments fuel bold research, innovative teaching and powerful community outreach that impact the lives of people – many of them children – in North Texas and beyond.

The Baptist House of Studies at ӣ����Ƶ Perkins School of Theology has been awarded its fourth grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation – a $1.8 million, three-year commitment. The latest contribution will fund a scholarship endowment for select students and operational funding for the Baptist House during years 2025–2027.

Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded ӣ����Ƶ a $2.5 million grant to enhance exhibitions, accessibility and academic offerings related to religion and culture at Bridwell Library. Funding will support exhibition spaces and upgraded technology to give patrons better access to interactive opportunities, special events and an expansive collection.

The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, a forum for important civic conversations that have shaped its namesake city for more than 40 years, has joined the ӣ����Ƶ Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. The gift guarantees that the institute’s vital work will continue in perpetuity.

A $1 million gift from Gayle Stoffel ’66 expands the student scholarship fund she and her late husband, Paul Stoffel, III, established to assist ӣ����Ƶ Meadows Scholars. Stoffel’s gift enhances the ability of Meadows School of the Arts to attract top-tier students nationwide.

A $3.5 million gift from The Addy Foundation to the ӣ����Ƶ Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development will ensure the long-term success of the Center on Research and Evaluation, a vital community partner for education-related organizations across Dallas and Texas.

ӣ����Ƶ Trustee David S. Huntley ’80 and Tracey M. Nash-Huntley have made a $1 million gift to support ӣ����Ƶ students through the Connect Mentorship Program and scholarships in the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences and the Dedman School of Law.

Linda Wertheimer Hart ’65 and Milledge (Mitch) A. Hart III gift $1 million to ӣ����Ƶ. Honoring the achievements of renowned public servant and presidential history enthusiast David Gergen, the Harts’ gift will further the educational, archival and collaborative efforts of the ӣ����Ƶ Center for Presidential History, enhancing the study of U.S. presidential history at ӣ����Ƶ.

ӣ����Ƶ dedicated the David B. Miller Business Quadrangle, the new home of the Cox School of Business. Thanks to our community of donors, the new and renovated facilities increase the school‘s footprint 32% and create optimal spaces to prepare students for an ever-more connected and technologically integrated world, foster industry partnerships and research, and enhance collaboration and community.

To strengthen support for recruiting the most outstanding law students across the nation, ӣ����Ƶ Dedman School of Law has launched a new scholarship challenge.

The Spaht Family Foundation has announced a $2 million gift to enhance the ӣ����Ƶ Meadows School of the Arts. The gift will endow the Claire Morris Spaht Chair of the Division of Art as well as establish the Spaht Family Student Immersion Fund to finance opportunities for exceptional students to focus on intensive creation and study of their craft.

ӣ����Ƶ celebrates the future of Mustang swimming and diving with the dedication of the Holt Hickman Outdoor Pool. With the new pool, ӣ����Ƶ becomes one of the few prestigious collegiate institutions with both indoor and outdoor 50-meter long-course pools in the same complex.

ӣ����Ƶ dedicated Frances Anne Moody Hall, the new home of the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. The facility made possible by a landmark gift from the Moody Foundation provides valuable resources for ӣ����Ƶ graduate students, who comprise more than 40% of the student body.

The O’Donnell Foundation advances ӣ����Ƶ’s digital future with a $30 million gift to name and endow ӣ����Ƶ’s data science institute and support engineering excellence.

Phillips Foundation has announced a $1.7 million multiyear grant to establish the ӣ����Ƶ Impact Lab, a student-focused initiative to invest in commercial opportunities that produce substantial financial and social returns.

Jan and Trevor D. Rees-Jones ’78 will strengthen the University’s reputation as a vital place for education and research related to the American West. Their commitment includes a significant portion of the illustrious Rees-Jones Collection of rare books, manuscripts, maps, photographs and ephemera, plus $30 million to create the Rees-Jones Library of the American West.

Philanthropist and Broadway producer to create a specialization in musical theatre that will prepare graduates for successful performing arts careers. The new will offer one of the few comprehensive training programs for performers and technicians available in a vibrant United States city.

The new Brookshire Scholarship expands the many options ӣ����Ƶ offers to enable outstanding students to cost-effectively earn a prestigious bachelor’s degree. The scholarship, an endowment gift by Ann Warmack Brookshire ’77 and Bradley W. Brookshire ’76, establishes a new transfer scholarship for students who complete an associate degree at Tyler Junior College.

A $1 million commitment from an anonymous ӣ����Ƶ donor will empower students studying to become spiritual leaders and scholars. Providing funds to the Perkins School of Theology for both endowed and current-use scholarships, the gift will help prepare students for faithful leadership in an ever-changing world and to instill a deeper understanding of the Christian faith.

A $250,000 gift has established the largest ever endowed fund to support ӣ����Ƶ spirit programs, in honor of the late Paul Layne ’76, Mustang football superfan and beloved ӣ����Ƶ alumnus. Established by Layne’s longtime friend Tom Nelson, the Paul Layne 542 Endowed Excellence Fund for Spirit supports the Peruna program, the Mustang Band and cheer squads.

A $2.5 million gift to support engineering and cyber security research and development has been made by both the Deason Foundation, established by ӣ����Ƶ supporter Darwin A. Deason, and his son Doug Deason. The gift builds on the Deasons’ visionary support for ӣ����Ƶ Lyle School of Engineering research that addresses the critical needs of businesses around the world.

A landmark $20 million gift from recognized leaders in Dallas philanthropy and technology Mary and Richard Templeton will strengthen the future of education and leadership at the ӣ����Ƶ Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering by funding and by .

Amber Bormann ’23, Myles Boateng ’22 (both pictured) and Julie Tran ’23 were profiled in The Dallas Morning News as outstanding students who benefit from ӣ����Ƶ efforts to make a college education accessible to people from all backgrounds. ӣ����Ƶ expects to expand the program in future years to help more students, thanks in part to ӣ����Ƶ Ignited donors.

Stuvyie Coleman ’21 seeks to bring hope and healing to students struggling with addiction and mental health. His personal quest is changing hearts and opening wallets – while saving lives.

The investments in athletics facilities since 2013 help the University attract the best student-athletes and outstanding students looking for a complete university experience. Generous donors and dedicated staff and student-athletes have created a period of unprecedented growth and success with numerous trips to the postseason and conference championships.

On December 2, ӣ����Ƶ celebrated the groundbreaking of the Garry Weber End Zone Complex, the expansion and renovation project for Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Part of ӣ����Ƶ Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow, the University’s multiyear $1.5 billion campaign for impact, the new complex will enhance ӣ����Ƶ’s campus and community by supporting competitive athletics and diverse programming that build civic pride.

A $5 million gift from ӣ����Ƶ alumni Jennifer Gelety Flanagan ’82 and Martin (Marty) L. Flanagan ’82 will strengthen ӣ����Ƶ Athletics by supporting the Garry Weber End Zone Complex to expand and improve Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The University is scheduled to break ground on the new complex on December 2, 2022.

NBC5’s Texas Today visited ӣ����Ƶ to get an inside look at its renovated visual arts facilities with Meadows School dean Sam Holland and Sophie Kim ’25. They also discuss the role the school plays in the Dallas arts community, how faculty and scholarships attract great students, and offering students both a conservancy-level training the arts and a top-notch science education that can prepare them for medical school.

A $5 million gift from entrepreneurs Elisabeth Martin Armstrong ’82 and William D. Armstrong ’82 will further the academic and research excellence of the ӣ����Ƶ Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences by endowing the school’s dean position, renaming it the Elisabeth Martin Armstrong Dean. Through their gift, the Armstrongs will support Dedman College’s future-focused leadership and strategic vision in perpetuity.

Bill Armstrong ’82 and Liz Martin Armstrong ’82 have made a $15 million commitment that will enable ӣ����Ƶ to break ground in early December for the Garry Weber End Zone Complex, the expansion and improvement project at ӣ����Ƶ’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium, home to Mustang football. The groundbreaking is currently scheduled for December 2, 2022.

New gifts from the Deason Foundation and the Charles Koch Foundation will further the mission of ӣ����Ƶ’s Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center within the Dedman School of Law. The foundations previously contributed the initial funds to establish the center in 2016.

ӣ����Ƶ Meadows School of the Arts celebrated the dedication of its enhanced visual arts facilities on September 16, 2022. Donors led by The Meadows Foundation, Gene and Jerry Jones, Nancy C. and Richard R. Rogers, and G. Marlyne Sexton and family will fuel creative discovery by future generations of artists, visionaries and scholars from across the world.

The Folsom Institute for Real Estate in the Cox School of Business has launched a dynamic new fund to spur innovative investment, offer hands-on investing opportunities and make a positive impact in underserved communities throughout the state of Texas. The Cox Real Estate Impact Investment Fund is made possible by several ӣ����Ƶ donors, including a $1 million lead gift from Mimi B. and William “Bill” H. Vanderstraaten ’82.

The grant will advance research that serves arts organizations, grant-makers, policymakers and the national arts and culture field. In particular, the grant will support three areas: research and insight generation; strategic and business planning; and technology for data collection and integration.

NBC5’s Texas Today discussed the future of one of the best business schools in the country with dean Matt Myers and BBA graduate Greta Felten ’22. They talked about how ӣ����Ƶ Cox attracts intellectual capital to North Texas and prepares graduates for the business world of tomorrow. Investments in renovating and expanding the facilities, and in scholarships make the school accessible for people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Ushering in an exciting new addition to the Hilltop and Mustang Athletics, ӣ����Ƶ celebrated the dedication of the new Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium on April 8, 2022. Led by a principal gift from Ray W. Washburne ’84 and Heather H. Washburne, the stadium was made possible by the University’s Mustang fans, generous donors and spirited alumni.

ӣ����Ƶ Distinguished Professor Emerita of Art History Alessandra Comini made a $2 million planned gift to ӣ����Ƶ’s Meadows School of the Arts, setting the stage for a new generation of the bold, curious and creative to make their own discoveries.

To support students who are the first in their families to complete a college degree in the United States, ӣ����Ƶ donors invest in resources like the Academic Center for Excellence, Rotunda Scholars and the First-Generation Initiative, as well as the student-led First-Generation Association. Experience the stories of those who have benefitted from these programs.

The Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation awarded a $2.7 million, three-year grant to the Baptist House of Studies at the ӣ����Ƶ Perkins School of Theology. The contribution will support approximately 10 full-time Baugh Scholars enrolled in Perkins master’s, Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Pastoral Music degree programs.

A $2 million gift from the O’Donnell Foundation will name and endow the Peter O’Donnell, Jr. Director of the Data Science Institute at ӣ����Ƶ. The gift will support the University’s strategic vision to expand research in this rapidly growing discipline by building on previous ӣ����Ƶ investments in data science.

NBC5’s Texas Today explored the impact of the University’s commitment to competing at the highest levels. ӣ����Ƶ president R. Gerald Turner talked about why ӣ����Ƶ invests in athletic excellence and women’s head basketball coach Toyelle Wilson discussed what drew her to ӣ����Ƶ and the impact the University makes on the lives of student-athletes.

Elizabeth G. Loboa, ӣ����Ƶ’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, and Zhong Lu, the Shuler-Foscue Chair in ӣ����Ƶ’s Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Election is an honor bestowed by the group’s members for scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

NBC5’s Texas Today learns about the ӣ����Ƶ Ignited campaign and what it will mean for students, teaching and research, and the campus and larger community. ӣ����Ƶ president R. Gerald Turner and ӣ����Ƶ Board of Trustees chair Robert H. Dedman, Jr. ’80, ’84 share the impact it will have on academics and athletics – and why the support of donors is vital to achieving the University’s mission.

In a Facebook live event, entrepreneurs Liz Martin Armstrong ’82 and Bill Armstrong ’82 and ӣ����Ƶ vice president for development and external affairs Brad Cheves discuss the goals of the ӣ����Ƶ Ignited campaign and the impact ӣ����Ƶ has on Dallas with FWD>DFW. The forum for the North Texas community created by The Dallas Morning News addresses issues that impact the region’s advancement.

A $15 million gift from Gina L. and Tucker S. Bridwell ’73,’74 to ӣ����Ƶ’s Cox School of Business will generate transformational economic research and cutting-edge business education for generations to come, through the creation of the new Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom. The Institute is a research institute in ӣ����Ƶ Cox School of Business that will examine and promote free enterprise in markets around the globe.

An anonymous Dedman Law alumnus gifts $2 million to the Tsai Center for Law, Science and Innovation to support its endowment and current operational funding and provide additional resources for research grants, programs and curricula. The gift amplifies the center’s profile as a leader in multidisciplinary research and scholarly debate surrounding new technologies.

A $5 million gift from Hal and Diane Brierley supports the Brierley Institute for Customer Engagement. The gift enhances the institute’s M.B.A. curricula and scholarships, funds early-career faculty research and connects customer engagement professionals with businesses in Dallas and beyond.

Prominent Dallas business leaders and major ӣ����Ƶ supporters Linda Wertheimer Hart ’65 and Milledge (Mitch) A. Hart, III boost ӣ����Ƶ’s ability to cultivate and launch entrepreneurs with a significant gift. The Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at ӣ����Ƶ will combine the innovative forces of ӣ����Ƶ’s Cox School of Business and Lyle School of Engineering.

Rich and Mary Templeton commit $5 million to create the Templeton Endowed Research Excellence Fund for pressing research at Lyle School, funding new opportunities for bold change and ground-breaking research.

A $3 million gift from an anonymous donor and $1 million from The Meadows Foundation creates the new Robert B. Rowling Center for Business Law and Leadership in ӣ����Ƶ’s Dedman School of Law. The new center is named in honor of the owner and chairman of TRT Holdings Inc., the holding company for Omni Hotels and Resorts and Gold’s Gym International, as a reflection of the business leader’s excellent example of business achievement, community engagement and civic contribution. The center will train the next generation of prominent legal and business leaders and influence national conversations surrounding business and corporate law. 

A $2 million gift from retired ӣ����Ƶ faculty member Andrew H. Chen and his wife, Elaine T. Chen, establishes The Andrew H. Chen Endowed Chair in Financial Investments Fund in Cox School of Business. Andrew, who retired as professor emeritus of finance in 2012, said he and his wife wanted to ensure that Cox School will continue to attract outstanding finance faculty. The gift includes $1.5 million for the endowment of the faculty chair and $500,000 for operational support available for immediate use.

A $2 million gift from ӣ����Ƶ trustee emeritus and longtime benefactor Cary M. Maguire endows the directorship of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility in honor of the center’s founding director, ethicist William F. May.

A $2.5 million gift from AT&T endows the new AT&T Center for Virtualization and funds research to support the fast, reliable, cloud-based telecommunications necessary for global connectivity.

A $10 million gift from Diane and Hal Brierley creates the Brierley Institute for Customer Engagement at ӣ����Ƶ’s Edwin L. Cox School of Business, the first U.S. academic institute for educating customer engagement leaders.

GRUMA-Mission Foods gives $3 million (in addition to a previous $1 million) to create the Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center in ӣ����Ƶ’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, which expands ӣ����Ƶ’s study of the important relationship between Texas and Mexico.