Learning & Discovery: Stories from the Called to Be campaign

Read about the many gifts that made it possible for Georgetown to invest in outstanding scholars, accelerate research and discovery, and build on the university’s leadership in educational innovation.

Topics

Deepening faculty expertise

Shaping critical fields

Accelerating scientific research

Enhancing the learning experience

Deepening faculty expertise

• $13.7M gift establishes endowed Computer Science chair focused on artificial intelligence (September 5, 2025)
• $3M gift establishes chair and fund for Business of Health Initiative at McDonough School of Business (June 25, 2025)
• Berkley family’s $25M gift commitment to transform, rename Georgetown’s School of Nursing (May 12, 2025)
• Marriott Foundation supports endowed professorship for Georgetown’s new Thrive Center (December 16, 2024)
• $5M gift to endow a faculty chair fuels growth of Earth Commons (December 4, 2023)
• Gift establishes Annette N. Shelby Endowed Chair in Business & Leadership Communication (March 21, 2023)
• $3.25M gift empowers entrepreneurship for social good (August 15, 2022)
• $10.5M gift supports efforts to prepare ethical technologists and policymakers for future challenges (January 10, 2022)
• Family of Henry J. Blommer (C’26) donates $3M to support sustainable business education at Georgetown McDonough (October 5, 2021)
• $100M investment in McCourt School advances aspiration to be world’s most inclusive public policy school (March 25, 2021)
• Two historic gifts for Georgetown Law (February 9, 2021)
• The Allan J. Goody, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Medical Education (April 13, 2020)
• Evan Medeiros named inaugural Penner Family Chair in Asian Studies (April 13, 2020)
• $5.4M gift to strengthen Tech & Society Initiative, Institute for Women, Peace, and Security (February 11, 2020)
• $12M from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation expands opportunities at Georgetown McDonough (October 16, 2019)
• Raffini Family Endowed Professorship at the McDonough School of Business (April 12, 2018)

Shaping critical fields

• Transformative philanthropic commitment establishes undergraduate sports business program at Georgetown McDonough School of Business (May 6, 2026)
• Leading the conversation on technology, ethics, and society (April 8, 2026)
• $10M gift elevates Steers Center with professorships, scholarships (November 3, 2025)
• Jesuit joins Georgetown to advance research, support for LGBTQ+ Catholics (October 29, 2025)
• $6M gift from NRF Foundation establishes the NRF Business of Retail Initiative at McDonough School of Business (September 30, 2025)
• Drawing on faith to strengthen democracy and civic life (May 5, 2025)
• Clark Foundation supports operations and Innovation Hub for Georgetown’s new Thrive Center (December 16, 2024)
• Georgetown opens new Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities (December 16, 2024)
• A joint degree program shaping the future of global business (December 2, 2024)
• Gift supports the growth, impact of the Center for Jewish Civilization (November 22, 2024)
• Georgetown, Knight Foundation commit $30M to new institute on tech policy for the common good (May 23, 2023)
• Multifaceted gift supports future leaders in global business (April 11, 2023)
• Alumnus gift establishes joint MSB-SFS degree program to prepare future global business leaders (July 13, 2022)
• Alumnus and mentor collaborate to build pre-eminent center on financial markets and policy at Georgetown McDonough (April 11, 2022)
• $3.2M gift to create Steers Center for Global Real Estate’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Solutions Group (January 27, 2021)
• Georgetown parents give $25M to create Americas Institute (August 7, 2020)
• Largest U.S. center on artificial intelligence, policy comes to Georgetown (February 28, 2019)

Accelerating scientific research

• Grant supports brain health research at GUMC (July 9, 2026)
• ‘Give so much that it hurts:’ Bequest from Paul and Chandler Tagliabue will provide funding for Georgetown programs, medical research (April 29, 2026)
• Bringing GI cancer research and therapies to the bedside (April 12, 2026)
• Enduring support for faculty, student research in human science (August 5, 2025)
• Fellowship fund helps shed light on a little-known autoimmune disorder (June 24, 2024)
• Leading by example: Planned gift supports Fund a Fellow for Parkinson’s Program (February 5, 2024)
• Jane Loeffler, Ph.D.: ‘We want to see this remarkable program grow in reach and impact’ (October 11, 2023)
• Donor-supported GUMC Gap Fund continues to advance innovative research (September 15, 2023)
• Bringing disability ethics into mainstream curriculum (November 9, 2021)
• Going with your gut: Grants enable research into microbiota’s role in colorectal cancer (March 26, 2019) 
• Partners in Research brings together donors and researchers to support early-stage studies (April 12, 2018)

Enhancing the learning experience

• Celebrating a revitalized Pierce Reading Room at Lauinger Library (May 4, 2026)
• Local philanthropist Ami Becker Aronson endows $100,000 gift to support research in Women’s and Gender Studies Program (March 31, 2026)
• Empowering students to explore careers in public service (March 5, 2026)
• $10M gift commitment from the Leonsis family supports entrepreneurship program, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital’s new pavilion (September 10, 2024)
• Nurturing creativity at the Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice (April 1, 2024)
• Dedicated donor helps expand Ethics Lab coursework (October 16, 2023)
• Baker Trust for Transformational Learning supports Georgetown’s ‘freedom to experiment’ (August 10, 2020)
• Sonneborn Innovation Fund advances educational innovation (August 3, 2020)
• New gift supports educational innovation with research, award, collaborative chairs (November 12, 2019)
• ’Love for our family, love for Georgetown, love for the people we met here’: Legacy gifts to support Georgetown Athletics and Lauinger Library (October 19, 2019) 
• Warner Bros. CEO gives to Georgetown McDonough, first-gen students, and aspiring entrepreneurs (August 7, 2019)
• $1M gift supports underserved students and Global Business Experience (July 8, 2019)
• $10M gift strengthens Georgetown’s commitment to access and affordability (May 28, 2019)
• Wright Family Fund for Education, Inquiry, and Justice (March 3, 2019)
• Maria & Alberto de la Cruz Art Gallery dedication: ‘A new beginning for the arts at Georgetown’ (December 5, 2018)
• Global experience enables students to tackle the science and politics of drought (April 28, 2018) 
• $1.5M gift to create entrepreneurial ‘Venture Lab’ near White House (March 14, 2018)
• Library receives in-kind gift of rare books (February 26, 2018)