Associate Alumnae of Douglass College Launch $35 Million Capital Campaign
"Innovative Education. Women's Leadership. The Campaign for Douglass" kicks off with October 24 event at NYC's University Club.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ, October 21, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Associate Alumnae of Douglass College (AADC) today announced the public launch of a five-year, $35 million capital campaign to benefit Douglass Residential College at Rutgers University -- the country's only women's college within a public research university. A special event for key alumnae, at the University Club in New York City on Sunday, October 24, will celebrate the campaign's inauguration and introduce the College's new Dean, Dr. Jacquelyn Litt.

The campaign is off to a great start, according to Tina Gordon, a member of the Class of 1972 and AADC President. "Through the generosity of early supporters during its 'quiet phase,' begun in 2008, we have already raised $17.8 million - just over half our target," she said. Gordon cited two donors whose gifts will go a long way to meeting two of the campaign's six key goals:

- Regina Heldrich, Class of 1942, made a gift of $1.5 million to bolster the award-winning Douglass Project for Women in Math, Science and Engineering (goal--$4.6 million). Established in 1986, the Project provides students with academic support and leadership opportunities. Campaign funds will endow Project SUPER (Science for Undergraduates - a Program for Excellence in Research), through which students connect with mentors, attend professional development programs, develop their research skills and participate in paid internships. Funds will also support the establishment of further educational opportunities and student stipends and support the Bunting-Cobb Math, Science and Engineering Residence Hall, the first living-learning community in the nation for undergraduate women majoring in the sciences and engineering.
- Kathy Ludwig, Class of 1975, pledged a gift of $1 million to help build a state-of-the-art living-learning residence in the College's unique Global Village (goal $10 million), which houses learning communities focused on language, culture, social and business issues. The Campaign will also endow the coursework, lectures, conferences and travel undertaken by students in the 10 houses: the Human Rights House, Middle East Coexistence House, Social Justice House, LEAD House, Africana House, East Asian House, Spanish House, French House, Women and Creativity House and Women in Entrepreneurial Business House. ($4.5 million)

Running in tandem with Rutgers University's recently announced $ 1 billion capital campaign, the Douglass campaign is also focused on:
- sustaining the recruitment of the best and brightest women to the College ($1.5 million) through increased scholarship support;
- expanding its core leadership initiatives ($3.3 million) with increased funding for its Peer Academic Leaders (PALs) program providing students as mentors and leaders-in-residence; and endowing the Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN), a lecture series that brings high-achieving women to campus, and provides internship opportunities at both the state and federal level. Funds will also support the many other on-campus leadership programs the College offers;
- strengthening its experiential learning programs, ($6.6 million) for future generations of women, including its signature mission course, "Knowledge and Power - Issues in Women's Leadership" required of all Douglass first-year students, and endowing the expansion of the Mary I. Bunting Program for non-traditional-aged women entering college;
- enriching its unrestricted endowment ($4.5 million) to ensure the financial, academic and programmatic stability of Douglass Residential College.

Press Release Contact Information:

Eileen Cotter
Associate Alumnae of Douglass C.
Interim Executive Director
181 Ryders Lane
New Brunswick, NJ
USA 08901
Voice: 732-932-2880 ext. 23
Website: Visit Our Website