From the President

Fueled by the generosity of its donors, SMU Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow is continuing to shape the future of SMU. As we look forward to the upcoming holiday season and new year, I’m pleased to report that our campaign for impact has raised over $938 million toward our ambitious $1.5 billion goal. In this issue, you’ll learn about the impact our donors are having across the Hilltop, supporting student success and innovation, creating new avenues for opportunity and investing in groundbreaking research.

Building on its history of athletic excellence, the University broke ground on the Garry Weber End Zone Complex at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on December 2, 2022. Powered by donor contributions, including a recently announced gift from Jennifer Gelety Flanagan ’82 and Martin L. Flanagan ’82, this improvement and expansion project marks a new era in SMU Athletics that will provide top-tier facilities for all our student-athletes – and for our avid football fans.

To support innovative teaching and research, Bill Armstrong ’82 and Liz Martin Armstrong ’82 have established the Elisabeth Martin Armstrong Dean of Dedman College for Humanities and Sciences. The Armstrongs’ gift highlights the vital role that academic leadership plays in the development of our educational offerings and our strategic development.

A generous gift from Belle Stumberg Berg ’71 and Donald A. Berg ’70, ’77 will create the Belle and Donald Berg Endowed Research Excellence Fund within the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering. In addition, a commitment from the Cain Foundation will rename and support the interdisciplinary Cain Denius Business Law Boot Camp. Donors are also preserving the legacies of their fellow Mustangs with a posthumous endowment made in honor of Chester John “Don” Donnally, Jr. ’67, ’68.

Across campus, our donors are fostering innovation, curiosity and compassion. This semester, SMU researchers and students worked together on trailblazing initiatives reducing artificial intelligence system bias, improving mental health and recovery services for students, and developing tools to assist those living with neurologic diseases.

In reading these latest campaign updates, you’ll see the widespread impact made possible by the dedication of our donors, the ingenuity of our community and the incredible capabilities of our student body. I invite you to join us as we work together to forge a brighter tomorrow for Dallas, North Texas and beyond.

Pony Up! 

R. Gerald Turner
SMU President