University of Texas at Dallas supporters contributed more than $2.2 million to over 80 campus causes during Comets Giving Days on April 6-7. Nearly 2,500 individual donations combined to set a record-breaking total for the University during the sixth annual two-day fundraising event.
Leading the way were two major gifts to the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies. The Edward and Wilhelmina Ackerman Foundation announced a gift of $1.1 million, and a $100,000 gift from the Gundy family will establish the Richard Gundy and Family Endowment, which will be used to enhance and maintain the center’s collections related to the Holocaust, genocide and human rights. If you missed the Ackerman Center’s State of the Center on April 6, you may view the recording here.
Significant challenges boosted faculty and staff giving and inspired support for several campus groups. A $50,000 gift from retired dean of libraries Dr. Larry Sall and his wife, Judy, was unlocked after 300 gifts were received from UT Dallas’ faculty and staff. The couple also gave an additional $5,000 to the Eugene McDermott Library when the library reached 15 donors during giving days.
The return of in-person events for the first time since 2019 aided grassroots fundraising efforts from UT Dallas’ Digital Ambassadors, who raised over 600 gifts and more than $22,500 this year.
The School of Arts and Humanities and its centers did well on Comets Giving Days thanks to its generous supporters. If you missed the A&H Town Hall from April 7, 10 a.m., you may watch the recording here. One of the School’s many achievements, thanks to its donors and efforts by Digital Ambassadors, was coming in first place on the Small School Leaderboard with a total of 176 gifts. Other results are viewable on the Comets Giving Days website.
Ambassadors who raised at least 20 gifts this year joined President Richard C. Benson for coffee on April 22. Of the six ambassadors who achieved this goal, Hannah Hudgins, Assistant Media Coordinator for the Department of Bioengineering; Brandon Brown, Web Developer for the School of Arts and Humanities and current MS in Management Science student; and Erica Murray, Business Director for UTD’s Dallas Formula Racing and current MBA and MS in IT Management student; were present.
The Digital Ambassadors with UTD’s highest number of referrals this year were Hannah with 79 and Brandon with 67.
In total, two School of Arts and Humanities staff members qualified for the top prize of having coffee with President Benson: Cindy Seton-Rogers, Academic and Outreach Events Manager for the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, and Brandon Brown. In addition, Erica Murray collected in-person donations for A&H, as a student worker for Holly Hull Miori, Senior Director of Development for the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication, and School of Arts and Humanities.