Podcast: Vision for a far better world 

In a bold demonstration of philanthropic leadership and long-standing commitment to Michigan State University, the MSU Research Foundation has designated $75 million over the next eight years to support the university’s comprehensive campaign, Uncommon Will, Far Better World.

The nonprofit foundation’s $75 million of financial support to MSU reinforces its decades-long partnership with Michigan State University, advancing research, innovation and student success through strategic funding over the next eight years.

Conversation Highlights

(0:39) - David Washburn is CEO of the MSU Research Foundation.

(1:52) - Randy Cowen is chair of the MSU Research Foundation board.

(2:32) - Dave, what motivated this support for MSU at this time?

(3:38) - Kevin Guskiewicz, president of Michigan State University, on the impact of this generosity.

(4:39) - Kevin sees the $75 million being used across all three campaign pillars (Talent Activated, Synergies Imagined and Futures Built).

(6:08) - What else should we know about the Uncommon Will, Far Better World campaign?

(7:00) - Randy Cowen is a graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters, College of Social Science, and Honors College. And he is a 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, which is among the highest awards MSU bestows on its alumni. He demonstrates a continued commitment to MSU by investing in the Physics and Astronomy Department through endowments. The Jerry Cowen Endowed Chair in Experimental Physics honors the memory of Cowen’s father, Professor Jerry Cowen, who was a distinguished researcher in the MSU Physics and Astronomy Department for more than five decades.

Michigan State University formally launched the Uncommon Will, Far Better World campaign on March 9, 2025. With a $4 billion goal, it is the largest campaign in the university’s history and aims to accelerate discoveries, expand access to education, and create the infrastructure needed to empower Spartans to lead in every field.

For more, visit president dot msu dot edu and/or msu foundation dot org.

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