To our alumni, donors and friends,
Artwork by Vivienne Song, an undergraduate Visual Arts student at York
With the holiday season upon us and yet another incredible year under our belts, we at York University take this time to reflect on the many things we have to be thankful for in 2015 – including you, our alumni, donors and friends, whose participation and support has continued to propel our University to new heights with each passing day.
We have many fond memories from this past year. Our new state-of-the-art Athletics Stadium hosted visitors from around the globe as we celebrated the Toronto 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, while our recently completed Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence became the vibrant new home for our Lassonde School of Engineering and the next generation of innovators.
However, the biggest reason to celebrate this year was the announcement that a third York University campus in Markham Centre was approved by the provincial government. The new campus will provide students in the area with access to innovative experiential programs that will prepare them for careers and to contribute to the social and economic development of the Region and the province.
Throughout 2015, many of you also showcased an inspirational level of generosity, with more than 5,800 donors – 4,560 of whom were York graduates themselves – contributing more than $35,760,600. Knowing that you, as our most important ambassadors, continue to show your support tells us that our alumni understand what York needs to succeed and are more than willing to help make it happen.
This outstanding support now also includes a transformational gift of $20 million made by York alumnus Victor Phillip Dahdaleh. This significant investment, which is the largest ever to the University by an alumnus, is a leading example of the power of alumni giving and will enable York to expand our global health teaching and research activities to the benefit our students, faculty, researchers and global community.
However, support for York can come in many forms. On top of the philanthropic support of our alumni, donors and friends, we have also seen an exciting level of participation throughout the growing University community. Whether you served as a mentor giving advice to one of our current students, a participant in one of our many annual events, a donor committing to a financial gift, a volunteer devoting countless hours and valuable guidance to the University or simply as a proud member of York’s alumni community, you were incredibly important in realizing our vision for York.
And while we look back on 2015, this is also our time to look ahead to what’s next for York. With many monumental opportunities at our doorstop, including the new Markham campus, we need your help to lead us through the next step in this journey. The University is currently preparing for the public launch of our next major fundraising campaign — a campaign that will push the limits of possibility at York and will set us up with the necessary resources to bring our University to the forefront of higher education and research in Canada.
With your continued support and participation over the next year and beyond, we will go on building the best York imaginable, together.
Wishing all of you a festive holiday season – here’s to a fantastic 2016!
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| Mamdouh Shoukri President and Vice-Chancellor |
Jeff O'Hagan Vice-President Advancement |