Thomas More College announced this month that it has raised more than $1.6 million for its environmental sciences program, surpassing the $1.5 million goal originally set two years ago. In 2009, the College received a 2-1 challenge grant from the James Graham Brown Foundation, which offered a $500,000 incentive for raising $1 million by May 31, 2011.
Efforts to raise the money have been steady, with a recent surge in giving in the last two weeks, with donations from Citi, Bank of Kentucky, Fifth Third Foundation and the R.C. Durr Foundation that put the College $129,990 over the goal. Other major contributors to the campaign include Duke Energy Foundation, Toyota USA Foundation, The P&G Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr.,/U.S. Bank Foundation, and the George A. Renaker (M.D.) Charitable Foundation.
Thomas More College President Sister Margaret Stallmeyer commented on the achievement and the generosity of donors: "The College is thrilled and honored to receive so much support and participation by our community partners. The success of surpassing this goal is a testament to the significance of the goals of this project and a recognition by the corporate community of the necessity for a well-prepared STEM workforce in Greater Cincinnati."
Dr. Chris Lorentz, biology professor and director of Thomas More College's Biology Field Station (located along the Ohio River in Northern Kentucky), explained the importance of raising these funds. "With the money raised through this effort, Thomas More College has the ability to not only improve and expand facilities and research capabilities for our students, but we will be able to provide the community with a variety of science outreach programs including field trips, seminars, camps and workshops. A particular focus will be on improving STEM education throughout the region," he explained.
According to Lorentz, the money raised from the efforts will help the College build a new LEED-certified education conference center and residential facility at the Biology Field Station located on the Ohio River, renovate the environmental/evolutionary laboratory and genetics/microbiology laboratory for teaching and research projects at the main campus, expand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs for K-12 students and more.
The total raised for this project to date is $1,629,990. The College will continue to raise funds for two additional laboratory renovations on the main campus.
For more information about the environmental science program at Thomas More College, visit
thomasmore.edu.
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