The Impact of Endowed Giving

Endowed Gifts in Action

Endowed giving helps fuel innovation and discovery in perpetuity, providing an ongoing source of funding for financial aid, faculty support, and transformative research. The endowment supports our mission of educating future generations and ensuring their success in academia and beyond.

Vagelos Biomedical Science
Research and Education

With their most recent gift, Roy Vagelos ’54VP&S and Diana Vagelos ’55BC are the most generous donors in the history of the University. Their gift will expand the Roy and Diana Vagelos Institute for Basic Biomedical Science, uniting the cutting-edge research taking place in basic science departments, medical and graduate education programs, and research initiatives. It will also support the building of the Vagelos Innovation Laboratories and advance cell engineering and gene therapy research.

It is truly awe-inspiring to envision the discoveries and new knowledge this gift will enable, in world-class laboratories bolstered by the resources and innovative structure of the Vagelos Institute.

Katrina A. Armstrong, MD
Interim President, Columbia University

Columbia Entrepreneurship

Columbia Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Design will be renamed the William V. Campbell Center for Entrepreneurship thanks to the generosity of Richard E. Witten ’75CC and Elizabeth Witten ’97TC. With this new funding along with support from the Campbell Family, the Center will advance and expand the vibrant ecosystem of innovation around Columbia, supporting startup labs, curricular and programmatic initiatives, events, awards, lectures, and symposiums.

Lulu C. Wang Business School Professorship

Established by Lulu C. Wang ’83BUS, the Lulu Chow Wang Professorship of Business will recruit or retain outstanding faculty at Columbia Business School. The professorship will support faculty at the forefront of emerging or transformative cross-disciplinary programs, focusing on businesses experiencing profound change.

Ann Kaplan’s Lifelong Impact on Columbia

Columbia University honors the legacy of alumna and Trustee Emerita Ann Kaplan ’72SW, ’77BUS, whose leadership and philanthropy touched several of Columbia’s schools and focused on elevating women.

The Ann Kaplan Fund in Gynecologic Oncology

Supporting innovative research at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons to advance the treatment, detection, and prevention of gynecologic cancer.

The Institute of Global Politics Women’s Initiative

An influential comparative policy initiative at the School of International and Public Affairs that seeks to produce quality, actionable research and policy reports to drive progress toward equality for women.

Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering
and Therapy

Dr. Michel Sadelain has been appointed as the inaugural Director of the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET) as well as the Director of the Medical Center’s Cancer Cell Therapy Initiative in the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. This new University-wide initiative will drive greater progress in fundamental and translational science at Columbia.