$30 Million Comprehensive Campaign Announced, $11.8 Million Raised in Quiet Phase
Trustees, donors, students, faculty, and staff gathered in the atrium of Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences on April 10 to celebrate the college’s tenth anniversary, honor the past decade of growth and development, and look forward to what’s next.
Taking inspiration from Murphy Deming’s success in empowering future clinicians to address pressing healthcare needs, university leadership invited supporters to take MBU to the next horizon of innovation through the new comprehensive fundraising campaign Made for All Time.
During its quiet phase, Made for All Time has already raised $11.8 million toward an overall goal of $30 million to fund priorities in academic innovation, scholarships, our campus home, and student success.
Words of Gratitude
Mary Harvey, vice president for university advancement and senior secretary to the board of trustees, kicked off the evening with a tribute to alumni generosity and dedication.
“Alumni have helped shape who we are in every decade that we’ve had,” Harvey said. “At every major turn of events you find alumni bringing their time and talents to the school.”
Honoring the vision of Murphy Deming founding donors and administrators was Dr. Todd Telemeco, current vice president and dean, saying “Where others might have seen limits, many of you in this room saw a launchpad.”
President Emerita Dr. Pamela Fox, who envisioned the college with founding donor and college namesake Bertie Murphy Deming Smith, spoke to attendees via a video recording, conveying her thanks to the hundreds who believed in their initial vision and made it into reality.
“Above all else, honor and thanks to our graduates, as they have gone forth to model compassionate care informed by interprofessional depth,” Fox said.
Individuals were met by institutions in seeing the vision transformed, Telemeco continued, including Augusta County, which constructed the $17 million Lifecore Drive, and Augusta Health, which provided vital clinical experience opportunities for students.
“At every major turn of events you find alumni bringing their time and talents to the school.”
— Mary Harvey, Vice President for University Advancement
Forces for Good in Healthcare
What started as a 70-student cohort at the opening of Murphy Deming in 2014 has grown into a regional response force, providing communities with solutions to critical healthcare shortages.
In fact, this summer, Murphy Deming will have graduated over 1,000 healthcare providers, 40% of whom have stayed in the area and served local residents in approximately 9.5 million individual patient visits.
One of those future clinicians is Isaiah Minns DPT ‘26, a Murphy Deming Graduate Fellowship recipient, who spoke about how the college transformed not only his life, but that of his future patients.
“Murphy Deming is a cornerstone for the dreams of a kid [like me], who had the desire to work and serve in healthcare, to serve those in need, break through barriers, bring people together, and model a standard of excellence,” Minns said.
Undergraduate student leader Amaya Warner ‘26 is a psychology major with a neuroscience emphasis and biology minor, and multiple MBU scholarship recipient, including the Cynthia Haldenby Tyson scholarship. She plans to pay forward the donors who have helped her graduate debt free by entering a PhD program in cognitive neuroscience to combat Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.
“I’m not just a number in the classroom here, I’m a person with a name, goals, and aspirations, and in the STEM field you need to connect with others who can help you,” Warner said.
“Where others might have seen limits, many of you in this room saw a launchpad.”
— Dr. Todd Telemeco, Vice President and Dean, Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences
Made for All Time: The Campaign for Mary Baldwin
President Jeff Stein called upon Mary Baldwin’s momentum and clarity of purpose in this moment to announce MBU’s new comprehensive campaign, Made for All Time.
“Over nearly two centuries, this institution has raised students to heights beyond what they could imagine for themselves,” he said. “We have gone where we have been needed, showing courage to challenge the norms of the times, accelerating pathways for those who were unwelcome before to transform lives, families, and entire communities.”
The campaign’s four funding priorities draw upon the university’s proven strengths while pursuing innovation to carry the institution forward:
- Academic Innovation: Ensuring that a Mary Baldwin education is accessible, inventive, and tailored to meet students wherever they are in their journeys and supports future academic needs
- Scholarships: Opening doors and allowing bright, driven, and inquisitive students to access a transformative education
- Our Campus Home: Refreshing campus spaces to create an enriching educational environment for all, with an immediate focus on renovating Carpenter Hall
- Student Success: Pursuing excellence in experiences outside of the classroom that allow students to discover their strengths and uncover their leadership potential
“This is how we elevate, not just for today, but for eternity, for all time,” Stein said. “Our story has never been about what is, but about what can be.”
The Made for All Time Campaign’s quiet phase has already seen promising success, thanks to the generosity of early investors like alumna and trustee Dr. Sue McDowell Whitlock ‘67, who reflected on the excellent education she received at Mary Baldwin, and how she has drawn upon that foundation throughout her life.
“I am proud to give my time, talent and treasure to Mary Baldwin,” she said. “As President Stein says, we are ‘All in for Mary Baldwin’ and I hope that you’ll join us on this mission.”
“Over nearly two centuries, this institution has raised students to heights beyond what they could imagine for themselves.”
— Dr. Jeff Stein, President
Made for All Time: Quiet Phase by the Numbers
Early campaign achievements include:
- Doubling alumni giving from 2023–24, with a projected tripling of that figure by July
- $5 million raised towards scholarships, including
- More than $1 million to help launch academic programs in high-demand fields
- $2 million for a brand-new Murphy Deming Fellowship, that will give five students an annual scholarship of $20,000 per year, for 20 years
- More than 2,000 gifts made
- Lead donors have contributed more than $6 million toward the initial $25 million goal
With a recent $5 million gift, the quiet phase has raised $11.8 million, empowering the Board of Trustees to raise the overall goal to $30 million.
“Murphy Deming is a cornerstone for the dreams of a kid [like me].”
— Isaiah Minns DPT ‘26
The Made for All Time Campaign invites a community of changemakers to join Mary Baldwin in equipping students with experiences, mentors, spaces, and knowledge to take on the world’s greatest challenges.
As the campaign launches, interested donors are invited to consider being a part of what comes next for Mary Baldwin. Reach out to the Office of University Advancement at giving@marybaldwin.edu or 540-887-7011 to learn more and to see how you can make the biggest impact.