Thank you for your interest in supporting the College of Natural Sciences (CNS). Your gift contributes to education, research, and outreach in the sciences and the mathematics today and in the future. To make a secure online gift to the unit, program, department, or fund of your choice, click Areas to Support here. 

Areas to Support

The areas available to support within CNS are as diverse as the College itself. Below are a few of the common areas where alumni, parents and friends give back to CNS. If you want to learn more, please contact us.

Dean’s Opportunity Fund: The Dean’s Opportunity Fund expands and enriches opportunities for some of our most motivated students. The fund is an investment in our students’ potential. Every year the fund sends our young science leaders to conferences and competitions, supports workshops and symposia for student training and presentations, and adds to scholarship awards to encourage student research and the development of new applications. Every dollar donated, no matter how large or small, makes an immediate difference in the lives of our students.

Students : The College’s students are high achievers in and out of the classroom. But a significant number of them might only get that chance to excel with a little help from you. More than half of our graduating seniors achieve their degree goals thanks to scholarships and fellowships. And our students make the most of that support: more than a third graduate with honors. Scholarships not only help students pay for the basic costs of attending college, they  also enable students’ creative participation in research, internships, independent projects, and scientific conferences.

Faculty: CNS is known for the quality and effectiveness of our faculty in teaching and research. Winning 50 percent of the university’s distinguished teaching awards, our professors are tenacious mentors, focusing on student success. Faculty labs conduct world-class research and provide students with invaluable hands-on investigative experience. Donor-supported endowed chairs and professorships ensure our ability to deliver outstanding teaching, research, and outreach. This support also enables CNS to be competitive in attracting and retaining excellent faculty, keeping the College at the forefront of science education and discovery.

Research and Programs: We’re proud that CNS stands out for cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research in the sciences and mathematics. From our work across the globe and in our own backyard, our faculty and students make innovative discoveries that improve the world we live in.

Facilities: Research and education are dynamic fields, unpredictably shaped by rapidly evolving technology, expanding knowledge, and changing standards. To keep pace, today’s scientific facilities must be flexible, designed to adapt to growth and change while integrating state-of-the-art technology, equipment, and sustainability. Over the past decade our donors have helped build exciting new facilities—from the comprehensive, modern life sciences complex to the college’s Research and Education Greenhouse.

Annual Giving: Continuing support through the Annual Fund is essential to maintaining and building upon our across-the-board standards of excellence in the College of Natural Sciences. Your annual gift has a direct impact in the area that is most important to you—in the classroom or lab, for scholarships, internships or independent studies. By strengthening the college for current and future students and faculty, you enhance the value of a CNS degree.

Reasons to Give

For every way we change lives, there’s a reason to give to the College of Natural Sciences.

Do you trace your career path back to an inspiring faculty mentor or a scholarship that gave you options you never dreamed you’d have?  Do you believe, like we do, that our global future depends on a new generation of leaders who, through integrated learning approaches and real research, can bring outside-the-box thinking to complex, ever-changing challenges?

Whatever your reason to give, your giving has an impact on the lives of our students and faculty—and many others. Your generosity enables our faculty and students to pioneer innovative solutions to real-world problems with global implications.

Contact Us

The CNS Development Office is here to help. Whether you are interested in reconnecting with CNS, providing an internship opportunity, or considering the best way to support our students and faculty, we welcome the chance to touch base with you! Feel free to call or email one of our staff members directly.

Diane Barstow

Chief Development Officer