Courtesy of Norfolk State University,
Norfolk State University receives the largest single-donor gift in its 85-year history! President Javaune Adams-Gaston is proud to accept this 40-million-dollar donation from MacKenzie Scott on behalf of the University and notes that this tremendous donation advances the mission of NSU in support of access, student achievement, and academic excellence. The President stated, “We are pleased to receive this level of support for transforming the curious thoughts of our students into the brightest minds of our world.”
Norfolk State was identified as an institution that has “…strong leadership teams and results, with special attention to those operating in communities facing high projected food insecurity, high measures of racial inequity, high local poverty rates, and low access to philanthropic capital…”
This 40-million-dollar gift boldly supports Norfolk State’s academic enterprise and operation as both faculty and staff endeavor to transform the lives of students with exemplary teaching, research, mentorship, and service. As we march further into this decade, this gift will bolster our commitment to educating the next generation of leaders and change agents.
The University is planning a major capital campaign to fortify our strategies for enhancing our endowment, increasing student scholarship opportunities, and pursuing workforce and economic development activities to enhance the lives of our future leaders, the City of Norfolk and the Hampton Roads region of Virginia.
Norfolk State is the largest HBCU in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a thought leader positioned to continue educating the current and future workforce for generations to come. The University is home to one of the highest rated “Clean Room” research facilities on the eastern seaboard and is strengthening its presence in the research and technological sectors as a place to go for 21st Century initiatives. The institution is highlighted by several superior academic colleges and schools including the College of Science, Engineering and Technology; the College of Liberal Arts; the School of Business; the School of Education; the Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work; the School of Graduate Studies and Research; and the Robert C. Nusbaum Honors College.
Recently, President Adams-Gaston and the university leadership team have initiated five new strategic priorities that will serve as guiding principles for the institution, including Student Success; External Engagement and Partnerships; Fundraising and Endowment Growth; Shared Governance and Professional Development; and Institutional Alignment, Operational Excellence, and Strategic Planning. This gift will impact each of five strategic areas, ensuring that the gift will have a transformational impact on the status of Norfolk State as one of the premier institutions in the nation.
