March 10, 2022
By Logan Sweet ’15
Susquehanna surpassed its donor goal during OneSU, the university’s annual Day of Giving, on March 3.
Alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends of Susquehanna made gifts to the areas of campus most meaningful to them, from academics and athletics to scholarships, campus initiatives and university priorities. In total, 1,681 donors raised more than $283,000 to support the student experience at Susquehanna.
“Every gift made to the university, regardless of the amount or area of designation, is meaningful and has a tangible impact,” said Lauren Lachocki ’11 Redfern, director of the Susquehanna University Fund. “Each year, OneSU proves that when our community comes together, we can do great things for Susquehanna students.”
Gifts Support Academics, Athletics, Scholarships
OneSU donors supported 76 different university designations. Each of Susquehanna’s 19 academic departments received gifts, with cumulative support totaling more than $47,500. This support will allow faculty to implement robust academic programming, make necessary technology and equipment upgrades, help students attend conferences and more.
“We are so grateful for the incredible support of our alumni, families and friends,” said David Steinau, chair of the Department of Music, which received gifts from 79 donors. “We’ve navigated Covid-19 as well as we have because we know that so many people are always rooting for us. We can always count on our musical family at Susquehanna.”
Each of Susquehanna’s 23 NCAA teams also received donations, with $44,530 raised to support student-athletes and to continue fostering their leadership development, team-building skills, and academic and competitive success. Additional funds were raised for SU’s club sports.
Student scholarships received significant support, with 230 donors contributing $35,000 to the university’s general scholarship fund, as well as named scholarships like the Andrew Jarzyk ’09 Memorial Scholarship and The Mark Fertig Memorial Prize.
Other areas of campus that received significant support from OneSU donors were the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Global Opportunities program, the Blough-Weis Library, WQSU, the Student Care Fund and the newly created Instrumental Tour Fund – which received over $7,500 to help facilitate special instrumental performances to occur in various off-campus locations.
Gifts were made by Susquehannans living in 38 states, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, highlighting Susquehanna’s global footprint. Donors’ class years spanned more than 65 years, with gifts being made by alumni who graduated from 1955 to 2021.
Current students were also able to support areas of campus meaningful to them. Thanks to a donation by Lisa Ryan ’78 Burke, a member of the university’s Board of Trustees, the first 25 students who participated in a special cash cab challenge each designated $200 to their favorite academic department, team or campus initiative. As part of the engaging sponsored activity, students designated a total of $5,000 to 16 different campus programs.
Because the university surpassed its goal of 1,650 donors, a $50,000 challenge gift was made by members of the SU alumni board.
“I am so proud of how our community came together in support of our students,” Redfern added.