Spring 2022 Issue
Holding Thank a Donor Day on campus was a joy this year. Students gathered to show appreciation for donors like you and learn more about how private support and gifts make much of their university experience possible. Please enjoy the following video, packed with thankfulness from our students!
Rufus Payne, who played a key role in fighting tuberculosis in Georgia.
Patricia Payne-White’s (AB ’57) remarkable family of healers and health care professionals has saved lives and reduced suffering in Georgia and beyond for three generations. Their legacy is deeply intertwined with UGA.
Will Ferrand knows his many experiences at UGA, represented in this slideshow, were made possible by private giving.
When Will Ferrand (BBA ’15) graduated, he knew how much private support had enhanced his college experience. Giving back at a leadership level to the programs from which he benefitted – like the Terry College Excellence Fund and the Jazz Studies Support fund – is a priority for this alumnus.
“My time at UGA fundamentally shaped who I am today, and I know that so many of the amazing experiences I had there were possible only because of direct alumni support,” said Will. “I want to be part of that culture of giving back so that current students can have the same opportunities I had.”
Students at a Fontaine Center retreat.
Founded for prevention of alcohol and substance misuse in 2006, the John Fontaine, Jr. Center at the UGA Health Center is a lifeline for students. The Fontaine family established a generous endowment to make the Center possible, and the positive impact on students over the years has been immense. In 2012, the Center expanded to include a Collegiate Recovery Community to provide for students in recovery from mood-altering substance use and eating disorders.
While quantitative program outcomes are measured, many successes at the Center are communicated through notes of appreciation and phone calls from students who received help. Private support from donors allows staff to provide support when other resources may not be available, like covering costs and finding logistical solutions to challenges encountered by students.
Students study in the Hembree-Crow Family Huddle Room, which derives its name from the eponymous family, who gifted UGA $25,000.
Renovating 1960s-era classrooms, labs and offices in the Driftmier Engineering Center is a multi-year undertaking that is already enhancing student experiences.
In 2011, the year before the College of Engineering was established, enrollment in engineering totaled approximately 600 students. By fall 2019, nearly 2,500 were studying in the college, and engineering is now a high-demand major which requires students to apply. Donor support of the college, through efforts like the Driftmier renovation, helps the college establish a long-lasting reputation for Bulldog excellence in the field.
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