UT Dallas Celebrates Donor Impact on University, Students
By: Stephanie Ghandour | November 18, 2025
Supporters of The University of Texas at Dallas gathered at the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center on Oct. 23 for the University’s Celebration of Support, an annual event recognizing donor impact across campus.
The celebration highlighted record-breaking fundraising progress over the past year, when 8,600 individual donors contributed more than $70 million to UT Dallas. Boosted by $90 million in matching funds from the Texas Research Incentive Program, University supporters helped generate over $161.3 million of impact while helping the University’s endowment exceed $900 million for the first time. Thanks to these contributions from UT Dallas’ alumni and friends, the New Dimensions campaign has now raised over $562 million toward the University’s $750 million goal.
Accompanied by music from the Bass School Jazz Quartet, this year’s Celebration of Support highlighted the impact of giving on student success. Shanon Patrick, interim vice president for development and alumni relations, spoke about the difference that donors make for UT Dallas students.
“Your philanthropy fuels everything we do, from scholarships that open doors for talented students, to faculty endowments that sustain groundbreaking research, to facilities that foster creativity and innovation,” Patrick said. “Thanks to your generosity, UT Dallas continues to grow and thrive — not only as a top public research university, but as a community defined by opportunity and impact.”
UT Dallas President Prabhas V. Moghe, the Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership, addressed attendees to thank them for their support, describing the critical ways in which philanthropic support provides the momentum needed to continue UT Dallas’ trajectory of growth.
“One of my goals is to make UT Dallas a household name — not just in Texas, but across the nation and around the world,” Moghe said. “I want UT Dallas to be a place that invites the world to come together in a shared spirit of innovation and discovery. With our supporters’ help, UT Dallas will be that university.”
As attendees enjoyed the evening, they also heard directly from students about the ways in which donor contributions drive meaningful change in students’ lives.
“Donor support goes far beyond just financial assistance,” said Pearson Edgington, a sophomore biology major and Eugene McDermott Scholar. “It really creates the opportunity to meet with people at the university and foster a feeling of belonging and community”
Arts and technology senior and Capital One Design Scholar Ariel Tamez shared how donor support transformed her experience at UT Dallas.
“Because of donor support, I have been able to make long-lasting connections with all of my peers and achieve goals that seemed farthest from reach,” Tamez said.
Charidan Matties, a senior visual and performing arts major and Terry Scholar, emphasized the transformative potential of the student body.
“The students here at UT Dallas have the biggest potential for growth and leadership in the future,” Matties said. “Here you find students who are academic driven and want to see change in their communities. Investing here at UT Dallas is investing in the future.”