2011-2012

News Release

REF NO.: 233

SUBJECT: Memorial University raises over $62.8 million in private sector fundraising campaign

DATE: August 13, 2012

         Memorial University of Newfoundland today announced an update on the progress of Dare To: The Campaign for Memorial University.
To-date, over $62.8 million has been committed to the university in support of this campaign from alumni, friends, corporations and foundations, exceeding the campaign’s initial $50-million goal.
         The overwhelming response to the Dare To campaign will enable Memorial to create substantially higher numbers of student scholarships, bursaries and awards now, and into the future. Thus far, 1,173 students have received new scholarships, bursaries and awards as a result of this campaign, with thousands more to receive funding support in future years.
        In addition to support for students, Dare To has enabled Memorial to establish eight new research chairs and two new postdoctoral fellowships, as well as significant funding for research in a variety of key areas.
The university has also received support for various key infrastructure projects, including labs and research centres in various disciplines and across all three campuses in Newfoundland and Labrador. 
        “This campaign will have a positive impact on the lives of countless students and faculty for many years to come,” said Dr. Gary Kachanoski, Memorial’s president and vice-chancellor. “These gifts are making – and will continue to make – a difference in the quality of our students’ experiences and the breadth of the research we undertake at Memorial.”
         “Many individuals and foundations, as well as a broad spectrum of industries, have confirmed their belief in the importance of Memorial University by committing financial support to the Dare To campaign,” said General Rick Hillier (Ret’d), Memorial’s chancellor and campaign chair. “Their support will enable us to continue to attract talented students, faculty and staff to our university.”
         The Dare To fundraising campaign is part of an overall redevelopment initiative at Memorial University totaling over $250 million. Campaign activity will continue into the fall of 2012, with a final update to be announced that time.

About Dare To: The Campaign for Memorial University
Memorial University of Newfoundland is undertaking an ambitious private sector campaign as part of an overall redevelopment program. Dare To focuses on student financial support, academic excellence, and physical Infrastructure, in order to enable the university to continue to build a first-rate, world-class learning and research environment. In combination, investment in these three key areas will position Memorial as a destination of choice for academics, students, and staff from around the world. For more information on the campaign, please visit www.dareto.ca.  

About Memorial University of Newfoundland
Founded in 1925 as a memorial to Newfoundland’s war dead, Memorial University College was elevated to degree-granting status in 1949 as Memorial University of Newfoundland. Today, the university is the largest in Atlantic Canada, with about 18,000 students. Memorial provides excellent undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in virtually all disciplines. With locations in St. John’s and Corner
Brook in Newfoundland, Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Labrador, the French-owned island of Saint-Pierre, and Harlow in England, Memorial is committed to experiential learning.
The university's many interdisciplinary programs abound with opportunities for experiential learning, ranging from on-campus employment to work terms around the world.
Outstanding research and scholarship, extraordinary teaching and a focus on community service are the university's hallmarks. Many teaching and research activities reflect our mid-North Atlantic locations; these unique settings and our cultural heritage have led to the creation of highly-regarded academic programs and specialized facilities in areas such as music, linguistics, folklore and human genetics, as well as earth sciences, cold-ocean engineering, rural health care and archaeology. For more information about Memorial University of Newfoundland, please visit www.mun.ca.

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