From academic and career-development initiatives to facilities upgrades and successes in the classroom and on the playing fields, there is much to celebrate at Dickinson.
As we enter the second half of the 2025-26 fiscal year (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026), here’s an overview of the ways we are moving Dickinson forward together.
"The remarkable success of the Campaign for Scholarships proved the incredible generosity of the Dickinson community, but we also heard a clear message that our community wants us to be even bolder in our commitment to affordability. In recognition of the difficult financial climate and the deep confidence we have in our loyal donors, we are taking this momentous step to ensure that finances don’t prevent worthy students from accessing this life-changing education.”
—John E. Jones III '77, P'11
Academic Innovation
Continued robust donor support for academics has allowed faculty and staff to innovate across the curriculum this year. New initiatives continue to move the Dickinson education forward, enhancing resources for Indigenous studies, global engagement, discourse and research.
Dickinson’s $100 Million Man
With his latest gift to establish the Jim Thorpe Center for the Futures of Native Peoples, Sam Rose ’58 has crossed a monumental threshold as a Dickinson donor, exceeding $100 million in lifetime giving to the college. Through his gifts, which span scholarships, facilities upgrades and sustainability initiatives, Rose has now made a Dickinson education possible for more than 200 students. At the same time, he has brought to campus numerous environmental luminaries to help students prepare to fight global challenges like climate change, and he has greatly enhanced the training resources for Red Devil student-athletes.
As the most significant donor in the college’s history, Rose has literally enhanced every aspect of the college. His leadership giving shows how one individual can truly change lives and change the world though Dickinson.
“I can’t thank Sam enough for all he has done for the college,” says President John E. Jones III ’77, P’11. “Through his shrewd ability to address challenges and identify opportunities, his commitment to justice and his life-changing generosity, Sam is a true Dickinsonian. Speaking on behalf of all of the members of the Dickinson community today and well into the future, I can say we will be forever grateful for his unwavering devotion to our mission.”
Career Preparation
Dickinson continues to prioritize practical skills and experiences to ensure students are well-prepared for careers, evidenced by the fact that 92% of Dickinsonians complete an internship, research, service learning or field experience course before graduation. This engagement contributes to the statistic that 96% of Dickinsonians are employed, in grad school or engaged in service/fellowships within one year of graduation.
To support and enhance these outcomes, the college facilitated several high-impact career trips to connect students with professionals in a variety of fields. In the fall, 11 students traveled to Philadelphia for the 2025 National Association of Black Accountants Regional Conference, an excursion that included networking, resume reviews and keynotes from industry representatives. Additionally, dozens of students took part in Winter Break Career Treks, connecting with alumni and other professionals at RBC Capital Markets, Kudu Investment Management, JPMorgan Chase, Lazard and the Rockefeller Foundation in New York, as well as the Associated Press and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Along with connecting students with alums off campus, the college also brought industry leaders here, creating career pipelines for students through boutique career fairs and internship recruiting sessions with alumni-helmed companies like Lazard and the high-end beauty company Turnkey. Dickinson also continued to roll out its new Career Communities model, which was launched last year to provide students with industry-specific advisors and opportunities to explore various sectors and gain specialized skills demanded by employers.
“I’m committed to Lazard, but I’m also committed to getting as many Dickinson students jobs on Wall Street as possible.”
—Holcombe Green ’92, global head of private capital at Lazard
“As a student considering a career in law and possibly attending law school after Dickinson, this experience helped me get a better picture of what pursuing that path would look like. I also saw firsthand how the legal system and justice system work together.”
—Marley Kurey ’27, who helped a judge prepare for a daily docket as an intern at the Superior Court of D.C.
Enhancing the Student Experience
Dickinson invested in significant infrastructure improvements this year to support the student experience. The college reached a major milestone in the Holland Union Building (HUB) renovation, opening the reimagined central staircase and new restrooms along the College Street hallway as well as the College Street entrance. These updates have created a more open floor plan on the upper level, and, while finishing work inside and on Britton Plaza continues, the east and center portions of the Social Hall are now open.
To move forward on planning for Phase 2 of the HUB renovation project, the college has contracted with the New York City-based firm Architecture Research Office. This next phase promises to bring further enhancements to the student dining experience, including microrestaurants. Work on the HUB builds on other recent campus enhancements such as the Hare Family Sports Performance & Training Center, new world-class surfaces at the Phyllis Joan Miller Memorial Field and the renovated Popel Shaw Center for Race & Ethnicity, all of which
were celebrated with ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
In athletics, Dickinson earned Centennial Conference (CC) Coaching Staff of the Year honors in men’s soccer and field hockey during a historic fall season. The men’s soccer team achieved an undefeated regular season, captured its first CC title since 2011, and reached the NCAA Elite 8. Simultaneously, the field hockey team orchestrated a massive turnaround, finishing with an 18-3 record and hosting an NCAA tournament game after a challenging prior year. Not to be outdone, the Red Devil men’s and women’s cross country teams enjoyed postseason success as well, with two men qualifying for nationals and seven women qualifying for regionals, while football and volleyball also advanced to the CC postseason. All in all, Dickinson student-athletes excelled with a 70.35% win percentage and an average GPA of 3.46.
“All of the opportunities I’ve had this year were made possible because of donors like you. Your generosity strengthens the entire Dickinson community. It means scholarships, internships, leadership programs and experiences that prepare us for life after graduation. Thank you for investing in our future.”
—Noelle Artinian ’28
“I feel that it’s important to give back to Dickinson to sustain the college and student life programs. Each time I donate, I feel more connected to the current Dickinson community and the future of the college.”
—Caroline Smiegal ’18
Engaging Alumni & Parents
Dickinson continues to reach out to alumni and parents, offering ways to engage in and stay connected to the college’s mission through events, volunteer opportunities and lifelong learning programs. Through these efforts thus far this fiscal year, the alumni engagement rate has already reached 32.8%.
Key events from the fall included the celebration of the 60th anniversary of global education at Dickinson. More than 300 Dickinsonians and their guests celebrated this major milestone at a stunning gala in the Palazzo Re Enzo in Bologna, Italy, following a week of festivities ranging from pasta-making workshops to tours of Renaissance sculptures. The event also kicked off a $10 million fundraising campaign to enhance Dickinson’s global initiatives.
In addition, dozens of alumni and parents visited campus to share their expertise with students through the Burgess Institute, as well as through Center for Career Development events and classroom visits. In November, 1,363 members of the wider Dickinson community flocked to campus for Homecoming & Family Weekend, which was highlighted by the ground-blessing ceremony for the Jim Thorpe Center for the Futures of Native Peoples, a 20th-anniversary open house for Dickinson’s House Divided Project and the Red Devil football team’s 47-22 win over Ursinus College.
And through it all, the John M. Paz ’78 Alumni & Family Center made alumni and parents feel right at home when they visited campus. So far this fiscal year, 126 alumni and parents have stayed at the Paz Center, and 222 have attended an event there—including the center’s first alumni wedding.
Save the Date: Day of Giving—Tuesday, April 7
Join in the momentum, help Dickinson reach its important goals for the year and enhance the experience of every Dickinson student by being a part of the Day of Giving. Plan to make your gift Tuesday, April 7, and show the world that great things happen when Dickinsonians come together.
Want to make an even bigger impact? Become a Day of Giving volunteer and help inspire your friends and classmates to make a gift. Mark your calendar today so you don’t miss out on your chance to be part of this historic effort, which will include numerous challenges to allow you to double or even triple the impact of your gift.