Trustees Approve 'Creating Our Future: The Campaign for Skidmore'

The

the first to sign the trustees'
resolution of support for the campaign. - See more at: http://www.omniupdate.com/servlet/OX/previewedit?site=dev&path=%2Fnews%2F2013%2F110713-campaignkickoff.pcf&local=false#sthash.2R5hEggk.dpuf

 first to sign the trustees' resolution
of support for the campaign were
National Campaign Co-Chairs W. Scott
McGraw P'12 and Nancy W. Hamilton '77.

Leading the College into a new era, the Skidmore Board of Trustees agreed at their fall meeting to launch a six-year campaign to build a new Center for Integrated Sciences, expand student internships and collaborative research, support new programs at the Tang Museum, and increase the College’s budget for financial aid, among other priorities.

With the trustees’ unanimous vote, the College entered a two-year “nucleus phase” for Creating Our Future: The Campaign for Skidmore. During this period, the board will determine a specific goal between $220 million and $240 million. Just over $50 million already has been given or pledged. Strengthening the Annual Fund will be a key part of the effort. 

Nancy W. Hamilton ’77 and W. Scott McGraw ‘P12 are serving as national campaign co-chairs.

Gathering almost exactly ten years after the inauguration of Philip A. Glotzbach as Skidmore’s seventh president on October 18, 2003, trustees and friends participated in a series of events on October 25 and 26 that included the dedication of Sussman Village, a celebration of the next phase of the Valentine Boathouse project, science-oriented presentations by alumni and faculty and a keynote address by noted string theorist and author Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University.

Board chair Linda Toohey called the weekend “a pivotal moment – an opportunity to reflect on Skidmore’s past, consider our present, and announce exciting new plans for our future.”

The Trustees also approved the next phase of design development for the new Center for Integrated Sciences (CIS).  Home to nine departments and more than 40 percent of the College’s faculty, the CIS willencompass nearly 200,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms, instrumentation centers, offices, and independent student workspaces. In his remarks at the evening launch event, Glotzbach called it “the most critical initiative on our agenda at this moment in our history.” 

“We believe deeply in the notion that a liberally educated human being is one who can enter fully into the central debates of our time,” he said. “Given the wealth of science-based issues facing us -- from global warming to genetically modified foods, it is clear that one cannot fully participate in the these debates without a high level of scientific literacy.”

“I also believe that Skidmore has something quite important to add to our national conversation on these issues,” he continued. “In particular, I believe that our intensely interdisciplinary, relentlessly creative approach to science teaching, learning, and research is not simply a welcome but rather a necessary contribution to this work.” 

All trustees signed a resolution expressing their support for the Campaign for Skidmore.

At the dedication of Sussman Village, President Philip A. Glotzbach offered a toast to Trustee Emeritus Donald Sussman and his family for 'their willingness to step forward when the need is greatest.'

The ceremonial launch of the Valentine Boat House took place adjacent to the College's existing boat house.

The Valentine Boat House launch was held on the same day as the Head of the Fish. The Skidmore men's eight prepared for their race.

In his remarks at the Valentine Boat House event, Jim Tucci described the long history of rowing at Skidmore.

Marie Glotzbach joined Mike, Peg and Martha Valentine in a toast to the new boat house and to the future of Skidmore rowing.

Martha Valentine '09, who rowed at Skidmore and is now assistant crew coach at the University of Cincinnati, posed with a miniature Skidmore oar presented as a memento of the event.

At SkidThoughts, an afternoon program focused on science, Flip Phillips, professor of psychology, showed a model of a student's brain that he created on a 3-D printer.

Courtney Mattison '08 shared her love of coral reefs, models of which she has created in massive sculptures that have been displayed at the headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Denise Smith, professor of Health and Exercise Sciences, discussed how her research on the physiology of firefighters is being applied in the design of firefighting gear.

Jonathan Brestoff Parker discussed the epidemic of obesity in the United States and his own work, starting with his sophomore year at Skidmore, in finding treatments.

The new Center for Integrated Sciences will be home to nine departments. This is a conceptual drawing of its atrium.

The second-floor of the Center for Integrated Sciences might look something like this.

This is a street-level conceptual drawing of the Center for Integrated Sciences.

In the Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, Board Chair Linda Toohey welcomed guests to the launch of the 'nucleus phase' of 'Creating Our Future: The Campaign for Skidmore'.

Columbia University physicist and PBS documentary host Brian Greene gave a challenging talk on the importance of science.

Nancy Hamilton '77 and Scott McGraw P'12 were introduced as national campaign co-chairs.

Students joined President Glotzbach in closing the evening event. 'These are the faces of Skidmore and our future,' he said.