The announcement of the $22.5 million grant for the GEN*NY*SIS Center for Bioengineering and Medicine on Thursday was the latest in publicly announced contributions to the Rensselaer Capital Campaign. New York State Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno and President Shirley Ann Jackson spoke at the press conference stressing the importance of Rensselaer’s role and impact on research in NY State.
“Rensselaer is truly at the forefront of groundbreaking biomedical research,” said Bruno. The GEN*NY*SIS research center is going to be part of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies.
“This represents a vote of confidence in the Rensselaer community and in The Rensselaer Plan,” said Eddie Knowles, vice president of student life. This grant, other donations, and gifts will all go towards improving buildings, creating research opportunities, hiring more faculty, and attracting excellent students.
Grand Marshal Chris Mather, said that these donations and gifts are good for everyone, “students five years from now will have buildings. Meanwhile everyone, including alumni will benefit when Rensselaer’s name becomes more prominent,” he added.
The Capital Campaign, a fundraising endeavor which is gradually being defined, most recently gained more focus through the appointment of co-chairs of the Campaign Steering Committee. Paul Severino ’69, David M. Hirsh, Tom Baruch ’60, and Gary DiCamillo ’73 are now the co-chairs of the committee of trustees, alumni, and friends who will lend their expertise to the process.
The height of the Capital Campaign came with the March 2001 gift of $360 million, the largest ever no-strings-attached gift to a private institution. However, the campaign itself or its goals have yet to be made public.
“At this time, we are building a nucleus for the campaign, some donations were made public and some were not,” said David Haviland, vice president for institute advancement. “Typically, capital campaigns take 7 years, meaning that by 2005, Rensselaer’s Capital Campaign should realize its goal.”
Director of the Union Rick Hartt has already gone through a micro-version of the capital campaign when funds were being raised for the Union renovation. He said that the Institute has everything positioned to assure success in its fundraising campaign. “The leadership has a vision for excellence, and our students continue to do amazing things. That’s all we need,” he said.
All aspects of student life will be affected by this campaign, from labs, to athletic facilities and from parking to dorms; it is the donations, the gifts, the constellations, and the grants that will make The Rensselaer Plan a reality. “Whether they give $100 or a million, donors do it because they want RPI to be better,” said Hartt.
Although the economy has had some downturns this year, Haviland said that the rate of giving has not changed greatly. “People are cautious about the economy, but very giving when it comes to the future of Rensselaer,” said Haviland.
