This week, our faculty and staff are launching their annual We Are Phil campaign. At the University of Iowa, Phil represents philanthropy and stands for our generous network of donors who help make our university remarkable.

During campaign week, many UI employees will make donations to their favorite university causes. Our faculty and staff already dedicate so much of their time and talents to the UI. That’s why I’m particularly grateful for those who go above and beyond and pledge their support this week. 

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I also am grateful to this year’s campaign co-chairs: Susan Assouline, the director of the Belin/Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development; Dave Jackson, the assistant director of UI Facilities Management; and Chris Laubenthal, clinical department administrator, UI Carver College of Medicine.

As always, we encourage UI employees to make their gifts to any area that they’re passionate about. This year, faculty and staff also can choose to make a gift through GOLDrush, the UI’s crowd-funding platform. GOLDrush is a joint effort of the UI Center for Advancement and the UI Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development; it offers faculty, staff, and student groups a tool to raise money for their projects.

I’m proud of the collaborative spirit on our campus and of all that our university does for our students and our state. And I’m even more proud that our most engaged and dedicated community members — our faculty and staff — set such a powerful example by giving back to Iowa … for Iowa.

— Lynette Marshall, president and CEO, UI Center for Advancement 

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