Utah Chemistry Fundraising Priorities and Goals

The Thatcher Building for Biological and Biophysical Chemistry - $10 million goal

 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), recognizing the excellence of Utah Chemistry’s faculty and the importance of its advanced research to our nation’s health and economic prosperity, has awarded $8 million toward the cost of constructing a $20 million biological and biophysical chemistry research facility. The building will be constructed alongside the Henry Eyring Building.

The building is to be named in honor of the Lawrence E. and Helen Thatcher family in recognition of their leadership in providing a multimillion dollar gift to make this project a reality. The Thatchers and their four children, Diane T. Barlow, Craig N. Thatcher, Teri H. Flanders, and Thomas F. Thatcher, are all alumni of the U. For more information about the Thatchers and their generous gift, please, click here

The state-of-the-art facility, to be constructed alongside the Henry Eyring Building and finished no later than 2014, will elevate Utah Chemistry’s place among the nation’s elite chemistry departments. The new facility will provide:

• space for a first-rate mass spectrometry facility
• an entire floor for advanced undergraduate laboratories
• new organic and biochemical synthesis laboratories
• world-class imaging and spectroscopy facilities
• a new home for theoretical chemistry

These research and teaching laboratories will provide instrumentation and facilities at a level of sophistication necessary for today’s scientific inquiries. The building will bring together research teams, greatly enhancing collaboration and progress. The new laboratories will accommodate students at a time when the need for discoveries and innovation in biochemistry and medicine demand the education of more scientists and the preparation of more physicians.

The quality of this leading-edge facility will enhance faculty retention and recruitment, raising the level of research performed here and, in turn, the academic experience for undergraduates, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows.

We are currently within reach of our $10 million goal, and every gift is greatly appreciated. Naming opportunities exist for alumni and friends interested in helping construct this world-class facility. Floors of the building, laboratories, conference rooms, student study areas, and other building areas will be named in honor of donors making gifts between $1,000 and $2.5 million. For more details, or to discuss a giving opportunity, please contact the Associate Department Chair, Professor Greg Owens, at 801-581-6232 or email him at owens@chem.utah.edu.

Undergraduate Scholarships - $1 million goal

Funding for undergraduate scholarships is paramount to the Department of Chemistry’s goal of recruiting and retaining top students to our program. Utah Chemistry has had great success in attracting exceptional students, providing them with an unparalleled educational experience, and placing those students in top graduate programs, medical schools, law schools, and chemical industry careers.

Our alumni and friends have always been generous to Utah Chemistry’s scholarship campaigns, and a recent gift from Ron and Eileen Ragsdale provides a unique opportunity for matching funds from the University of Utah’s administration. The earnings on the scholarship endowment will be matched dollar for dollar by the university, doubling the impact of each gift. Money raised for these scholarships has one simple purpose: to attract the best students – from the state of Utah, from around the country, and from around the world – to Utah Chemistry.

Utah Chemistry needs your help to ensure that financial support is available for our outstanding undergraduate students. Your gifts to the Ron and Eileen Ragsdale Scholarship Endowment Fund are essential to providing our undergraduates with the financial support they need to begin successful careers in science, medicine, and technology. This is a remarkable opportunity for you to make a more indelible contribution to the future of Utah Chemistry. If you would like to discuss the scholarship campaign, or receive more information about how your gift can make a difference, please contact the Associate Department Chair, Professor Greg Owens, at 801-581-6232 or email him at owens@chem.utah.edu.

Other Department Fundraising Priorities and Goals

As the Department of Chemistry expands, its ability to offer students and faculty new opportunities depends more than ever on our alumni and friends. Facility improvement, endowed chairs, and other enhancements to the teaching and learning of chemistry are made possible by your generous gifts.

Giving to Utah Chemistry

Ranked among the top 5% of all U.S. college and university chemistry programs in the number of undergraduate degrees awarded each year, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Utah is a nationwide leader in chemistry education. At the leading edge of research in such diverse areas as DNA oxidation pathways, magnetic materials, and theoretical chemistry, the graduate program is ranked in the top ten nationally among state-funded universities. Despite the relatively small size of the Chemistry Department’s faculty, nearly 20% of all faculty at the University of Utah who have been honored with the rank of “Distinguished Professor” are in our department. With such a strong foundation of excellence, Utah Chemistry is poised to soar into the future, thanks in large part to our generous alumni and friends who have made possible some of the most amazing programs and opportunities on the U’s campus to date.

But we’re not done yet. As we expand our facilities and make scholarships and endowed positions available to more students and faculty than ever before, now is a great time to join us on our journey forward. To learn more about our incredible programs and ways in which you can become involved, or for more details on our building or scholarship campaigns, please contact the Associate Department Chair, Professor Greg Owens, at 801-581-6232 or email him at owens@chem.utah.edu. To make an online gift to the Department of Chemistry, please, click here