Support from alumni, parents and friends has a real and immediate impact on the School of Engineering, our students and our faculty. Your generosity provides the school with an important source of funding for student scholarships and financial aid. It helps ensure our commitment to state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities. And, it helps keep the school on the cutting edge of research and technology.
Every gift of every amount is deeply appreciated. Thank you.
Make a gift online or learn how you can support the School of Engineering:
To make a contribution by mail, send your check to:
Vanderbilt University Gift & Donor Services
PMB 407727
2301 Vanderbilt Place
Nashville, TN 37235-7727
If you recently made a contribution to the School of Engineering, we would love to hear from you. Please tell us why you give to the school.
For more information about making a gift or pledge to the School of Engineering, contact the School of Engineering Development Office by e-mail or at 615/322-4934.
Endowed Scholarships
The School of Engineering has no higher priority than scholarship support. Scholarships attract the brightest young minds to Vanderbilt. Here they receive a superb engineering education and enrich the intellectual community of their peers. The cost of attending a private university is beyond the reach of a growing number of students. Scholarships are needed to remove the barrier of high tuition for the engineering students who have financial need.
Coble Family Scholarship
"My father fervently believed in an engineering education, and it was because of him that I attended Vanderbilt's School of Engineering. My engineering background has played a critical role in my success, and Vanderbilt has long been an important part of my family's history. It is my pleasure to give back and help ensure that future students have the chance to receive the top quality education and college experience that I received."
~Bill Coble, BE'54
Bill and Neely Coble established the Coble Family Scholarship in 2007. Mary Ellen is one of many engineering students who, throughout the future of Vanderbilt, will benefit from their generosity.
If you'd like to know more about merit scholarship opportunities and deadlines, please visit Vanderbilt's Merit Scholarship Application website.
Endowed Chairs
Distinguished faculty are a valuable resource to the School of Engineering because they:
- Excel in teaching and research
- Raise the bar for other members of the faculty
- Attract outstanding graduate students
- Bring in financial resources
- Advance the reputation of the school
The competition for recruiting and retaining such faculty grows more heated by the year. One of the most effective tools in this competition is the ability to offer an endowed, named chair.
The number of endowed chairs is far greater at our peer universities. For example Duke engineering has 16 and the engineering program at Washington University has 31. Vanderbilt engineering has nine. Since most distinguished educators and researchers have their pick of the top institutions, this lack of endowed chairs puts us at a competitive disadvantage when seeking to recruit and retain extraordinary faculty.
"Endowed professorships are important for recruiting and retaining the very best faculty. They bring prestige to the chair holder, to the benefactor who funded the professorship, and to the university. Often such chairs are endowed by alumni and in this regard they establish or reinforce critical links between a department’s past and present."
~ Peter Pintauro, holder of the H. Eugene McBrayer Chair in Chemical Engineering
If you’d like to know more about endowed chairs, please contact the School of Engineering Development Office by e-mail or by calling 615/322-4934.
Fred J. Lewis Society
Fred J. Lewis Society Support
Philanthropic supporters carry forward the legacy of Dean Lewis by strengthening engineering at Vanderbilt. Charitable gifts support student financial aid, provide unique opportunities and enable the school to develop new programs and initiatives that enhance our students' educational experiences. They also help us compete for the brightest students in the country.
About the Fred J. Lewis Society
Throughout its history, the School of Engineering has enjoyed the leadership of many extraordinary faculty members and deans. One of the most outstanding was Fred Justin Lewis. In 1933, Fred Lewis became dean of the School of Engineering, and he served in this capacity for 26 years until 1959.
Dean Lewis was a man of deep conviction and intense drive who led the school to unprecedented growth in enrollment, facilities and strong academic programs. But perhaps his greatest contribution was his ability to influence and inspire excellence in his students, both professionally and personally.
More than 40 years ago, his former students established the Fred J. Lewis Society to remember this beloved dean and honor dedicated supporters of the School of Engineering.
Giving Levels
| Donation | Giving Level |
|---|---|
| $25,000+ | Cornelius Vanderbilt |
| $10,000 – $24,999 | Dean’s List |
| $5,000 – $9,999 | Benefactor |
| $2,500 – $4,999 | Member |
| $1,000 – $4,999 | Young Alumni Member (available to recent graduates—alumni receiving a VU degree within last 10 years) |
Why do we give to Vanderbilt? The answer is simple: We have been extremely fortunate in life. Vanderbilt played a key role in that fortunate life. Now it’s time to pay it forward.