MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville kicked off its Campaign for Morrisville in grand fashion, receiving a $100,000 pledge from college President David Rogers and his wife, Associate Professor Jan Rogers.
Their donation provides an important incentive to generate increased funds through the $15 million comprehensive campaign, the first in Morrisville’s history, to fund more than 40 initiatives in the four pillar areas of academic opportunities, student support, scholarships and operational improvements.
“Jan and I are honored to make this commitment to ensure a strong start for the Campaign for Morrisville during this public launch,” President Rogers said. “Each of these campaign initiatives will enhance the academic experience of our students. Jan and I are both grateful for the educational opportunities that we received from public higher education, with four SUNY degrees alone in our immediate family. This campaign will make it possible for more students to take advantage of a Morrisville education that will both help them discover future pathways and to realize their own potential.”
“We’re laying the foundation for the next 100 years of applied education,” said Theresa Kevorkian, vice president for Institutional Advancement. “This transformative campaign is going to change the future of our college.”
President Rogers and Jan have been involved with the college in various roles for nearly 25 years. President Rogers played an instrumental role in crafting the campaign initiatives, collaborating with faculty and staff who serve as project leaders for each initiative, donors who are investing in the projects and the Morrisville College Foundation board of directors who oversee the campaign.
“A Morrisville education is a driving force in our local and statewide economy and the college is training students to fill important, critical roles in our society,” Kevorkian said. “The campaign brings together all in the community who are invested in that future.”
It also will ensure that students are prepared to hit the ground running the day after they graduate and make an immediate impact in their industry and community, she added.
Among the campaign’s goals is to make SUNY Morrisville more affordable and accessible to attend, while also helping students remain enrolled and complete their degrees. Other initiatives involve providing academic opportunities that prepare students for the work force as well as operational improvements that strengthen the long-term efficiency of the college.
This will be achieved through the four pillars: academic opportunities, student support, scholarships and operational improvements.
“Each pillar represents an opportunity for SUNY Morrisville to positively impact our greater local, state and national communities,” Kevorkian said. “These initiatives will prepare students to lead their communities and address inequality in society.”
Each initiative has a faculty or staff champion who partners with the investing donor to carry out the project.
The Rogers’ gift will be designated for a specific initiative as the campaign progresses.
President Rogers worked in higher education for many years before coming to SUNY Morrisville in 1999. He has served as college president since 2015. During his tenure as president, he has directed more than $100 million in upgrades to campus facilities, including a new agricultural and clean energy technology center (ACET).
He also led the way in transitioning the college into a baccalaureate institution, introducing new academic programs, some which have earned the college national and international recognition, and recently introduced the college’s first master’s degree in Food and Agribusiness.
For nearly three decades, Jan has been a faculty member at Morrisville, teaching both foundational and specialized courses in the Biology Department. As an associate professor, Jan is both a published scholar and has served as editor of the newsletter for the Empire State Association of College Biologists.
Her expansive service to Morrisville includes onboarding, advising and mentoring students and faculty. She has served on the executive committee of College Senate, chaired the Curriculum Committee and was an early co-chair for her division in the School or Liberal Arts & Sciences.