‘People believe in’ U of A, official says of $3B fundraising success

“The campaign is a number, and the number when you first launch is like, ‘Wow, how are we going to get there?’” remembers John-Paul Roczniak, president and CEO of the UA Foundation.

Now, they’ve reached that goal, and “it’s exciting,” he said after a ceremony Tuesday to mark completion of the nearly 10-year campaign.

“It’s about people believing in this institution,” he said. “That’s what campaigns are about. The belief in what we’re doing (and how) it’s going to impact students, faculty, research, things coming out of this institution — and that’s what people are investing in.

“So, campaigns aren’t about the dollar goal. That’s for us to keep score, but it’s about the impact they’re going to have and what these dollars are going to do for students and for the university for the years to come,” Roczniak said.

One of the final donations bringing the campaign across the finish line was a $10 million investment to create a new integrated business and engineering program for undergraduate students, he said.

The Fuel Wonder campaign’s public phase started in November 2023, though the UA had started counting gifts towards this goal in January 2017. At its public launch in 2023, the campaign had raised about $2.04 billion.

Priorities for the campaign included bolstering student success, faculty innovation and community involvement through athletics, arts and public media.

Some specific priorities and projects it focused on are: undergraduate scholarships; endowed faculty chairs; intercollegiate athletics programs; the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies; discovery, research and innovation; and more.