Associate Alumnae of Douglass College Launch $35 Million Capital Campaign

    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.

About The Associate Alumnae of Douglass College (AADC)
Established by the Class of 1922, the college's first graduating class, the AADC today represents the interests of more than 36,000 graduates of Douglass College and the former New Jersey College for Women. With support from alumnae and friends, the Associate Alumnae provides exciting educational opportunities for Douglass students, as well as programs and outreach opportunities that foster connections between Douglass alumnae, students, faculty, staff and friends. For additional information, please visit www.douglassdifference.org.

About Douglass Residential College
Douglass Residential College boasts 1,816 students from more than 24 states and 14 countries; it recently welcomed Jacquelyn Litt, Ph.D. as its tenth dean. Founded in 1918 as the New Jersey College for Women (NJC), and later named Douglass College in honor of its founder Mabel Smith Douglass, the College was renamed Douglass Residential College following the reorganization of undergraduate education at Rutgers in 2006. Throughout its history Douglass has been at the forefront of education for women, and continues to support women's development in all arenas, including research, education, business, public policy, communication and community service. For further information, visit http://douglass.rutgers.edu.

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