Brown CS Officially Launches A $10M Fundraising Campaign For An Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Endowment
- Posted by Jesse Polhemus
- on Dec. 15, 2015
Brown University's Department of Computer Science has just announced the official launch of a fundraising campaign to build a $10,000,000 endowment for our Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) program. Using Kickstarter-like grassroots methods usually seen in the technology sector (donors are able to name UTAships and Head UTAships at the $50,000 and $100,000 level), the campaign is already halfway to its goal, with a recent total of $5.5M raised. More than 100 gifts have been received, including a $1M donation in honor of Professor Andy van Dam. The campaign's web site, featuring a video of testimonials from UTAs past and present, is at www.cs.brown.edu/giving/uta.
Originally announced by President Christina Paxson, Provost Vicki Leigh Colvin, and Department Chair Ugur Cetintemel, the endowment will be a landmark investment in a key element of the Brown CS educational mission. UTAs contribute to all aspects of instruction and play a mentoring role that's vital to the quality of coursework, the educational experience of their peers, and their own personal growth.
"We would like to continue to offer this opportunity for generations to come," says Ugur Cetintemel. "There's also a real need now for an expanded UTA program due to the exploding interest in CS courses. This endowment will be a permanent source to secure the health and future of this unique program. It's one of the best investments we can make in the education of our students, many of whom graduate to become leaders and innovators in information technology and other fields."
We're looking forward to an exciting campaign that will permanently benefit our students and any industries, disciplines, and communities where they contribute. Please send any questions to utaendowment@brown.edu.