The success of UC Riverside’s first-ever comprehensive campaign will be celebrated with a weekend of events Feb. 18-20. For a full list of events during the Feb. 18-20 UCR Campaign Celebration Weekend and to register, click here.
“Completing a first comprehensive fundraising campaign is a rite of passage for top-tier colleges and universities,” said Peter Hayashida, UCR’s vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement, who oversees university fundraising. “We’ve lined up a series of celebratory activities designed to both highlight the impact of philanthropy and express gratitude to the tens of thousands of generous donors who pushed the effort beyond expectations.”
Living the Promise: The Campaign for UC Riverside was launched in October 2016 and concluded Dec. 31, 2020. On Sept. 10, several months before the close of the campaign, the university surpassed the $300 million goal. In the final year of the campaign, even as higher education giving nationally dropped, UCR saw a 21% increase.
More than 66,000 donors made gifts during the campaign, and the total amount raised will be announced at a live virtual event on Feb 20.
“Surpassing our goal early despite the pandemic is a remarkable accomplishment,” said Associate Vice Chancellor for Development Marie Schultz ’98. “Our alumni, friends, and campus community have made this effort a success. The unwavering support of our donors during the final months of the campaign is a testament to their commitment to our campus and this historic effort.”
Among the celebration events will be an interview with actor LeVar Burton at 6 p.m. on Feb. 18, hosted by UCR creative writing professor and author Nalo Hopkinson. The two will discuss the power of imagination and creating a better educated and more inclusive world.
Feb. 19 features the Seeds of Promise Panel, a series of fast-paced talks on the future of health, sustainability, medicine, and more. The discussion will highlight how philanthropy impacts higher education and enables discovery.
The Seeds of Promise Panel features faculty members Will Grover, Hollis Woodard, Katherine Stavropoulos, and Byron Ford. Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Thomas Smith will emcee the event.
At 3 p.m. on Feb. 19, three former UCR chancellors will join UCR Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox for “Beyond Brilliant: UCR and the Future of Higher Education.” The panel features former chancellors Timothy White, France Córdova, and Raymond Orbach.
The Feb. 19 events close with a “socially distanced social,” named “Sunshine in a Glass! A Citrus Mixology Happy Hour.” Members of the UCR Alumni Association will join hosts and faculty members Rickerby Hinds and Tracy Kahn for cocktail demonstrations, alumni trivia, and facts about UCR’s citrus research. Hinds, a professor of playwriting, is the host of UCR’s podcast “The Creator State.” Kahn is curator and endowed chair of the Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection.
Events on Feb. 20 include “Celebrating Excellence: A Toast to UCR,” at 6 p.m., and “Winter Soulstice: A Virtual R&B Concert” at 7 p.m. The toast event is a multimedia celebration of the Living the Promise campaign led by the chancellor. The concert hosted by the Associated Students Program Board is a remote dance party.
