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Meeting Immediate Needs

Fast, flexible support to meet the evolving needs of Binghamton, for use wherever it’s needed most. That’s what gifts to the Binghamton Fund achieve. 

It became even more apparent how essential Binghamton Fund donors are when students needed emergency support as the COVID-19 pandemic began upending routine aspects of daily life, including learning, working and even shopping for basic necessities. 

Supporters of the Binghamton Fund for Excellence provided COVID-19 student emergency grants and scholarships, as well as personal Wi-Fi hotspots to students otherwise unable to connect for distance learning. Faculty and staff received crucial resources to adapt rapidly to a virtual world of teaching and programming. 

No matter what’s happening in the world, Binghamton Fund donors make a difference every year because their gifts are pooled together for maximum impact. 

Gifts Fueled with heart ... built on tradition ... and shared with pride! 

Landmark gift to benefit Community Schools

The largest single gift ever made to the Binghamton Fund for CCPA is providing meaningful support to advance the ������Ƶ Community Schools (BUCS) program. 

Janet C. Watrous and Robert C. Kochersberger Jr. made the gift in honor of their son, Charlie Kochersberger, an educator who took his own life after a three-year battle with heroin addiction. 

In recognition of their support, BUCS’ home on the first floor of the University Downtown Center was named the Charlie K. Community Schools Room. 

“We hope that his spirit and enthusiastic embrace of his public school can be reflected in the work done by the students in the Community Schools program,” Robert Kochersberger said. “It would be great if some of the work done by Community Schools helps even one student avoid the horror of addiction.” 

BUCS manages the needs of 11 school districts in Broome and Chemung counties. 

They love and are committed to making the world a better place through education at ������Ƶ.

CCPA Dean Laura Bronstein

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30 Years of Giving

Geraldine MacDonald ’68, MS ’73, LittD ’17

������Ƶ Foundation board member

“People for a long time didn’t understand that an education from a state university was as powerful as from any other university in the country. I give money to make sure that doesn’t change. 

“I give back because Binghamton still serves a lot of people who are the first person in their family to go to college. It’s the opportunity they need to make a difference. 

“I give because it supports the campus. Conveying that thought to others is important to me because every dollar each individual gives is a multiplier to all the other dollars. The other part is public education is not funded the way private education is. We wouldn’t have all the extras on campus without that extra funding.” 

17 Years of Giving

Malvinia Sambursky ’07

“������Ƶ gave me a great education. Making my first gift as an alumnus was one way of showing my appreciation. 

“Public universities are equalizers. Tuition at Binghamton is much lower than private universities, and yet Binghamton offers a great education. Binghamton is selective, yet affordable. 

“Giving is a way of not only helping new students and programs at Binghamton, but also making sure the institution stays competitive. Any amount can make a difference. 

“While the University itself receives money from the state, most people would be surprised to know how small a portion of the budget comes from the state. Alumni donations are essential, and help Binghamton continue to offer an excellent education and to stay competitive.” 

6 Years of Giving

Shannon B. Selvaggi Moore ’16

“I feel the impact of my education and experiences at Binghamton in everything I accomplish. 

“My first gift was $20.16 before graduating as a small thank you after learning how much of my experience was made possible by donations. The Fleishman career center resources that refined my resume and interview skills, many of the indoor and outdoor spaces where I spent time with friends, and a generous scholarship awarded by the Alumni Association are just a few examples. 

“I love reading about the interesting things professors and students are working on and I feel so proud when I see announcements that Binghamton is being recognized in some way. I try to remember to give back a couple times a year when I see these to show my appreciation. I’m privileged to be able to give back because of the education I got at Binghamton.”

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Binghamton Fund Impact

Students

First-year student Nusrat Islam ’24 received an emergency-relief scholarship for students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the fall semester, her parents had lost their jobs. She wondered if she would have to give up her dream of becoming an oncologist. She hoped the opportunity to be the first in her family to attend college in America hadn’t disappeared. Accepting the scholarship felt like standing under a ray of sunshine beaming through the shadows, she said. 

In her first semester on campus, Islam interned remotely with a global health group to develop an online tuberculosis model. She also participated in the Source Project, a program at Binghamton that offers humanities- and social sciences-focused research opportunities to exceptional first-year students. 

Faculty

Faculty gained invaluable professional development, conference experiences (most recently via webinar), and opportunities to present or promote recent scholarship and research. Funding also made it possible to invite speakers to campus to share their expertise and enrich the learning, research and scholarship of faculty and students. 

For example, the Art History Department VizCult: The Visual Culture Forum provided a focus for dialogue and exchange within the Art History Department and across related disciplines. Faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students met in this bi-weekly workshop to promote the production, sharing and critical evaluation of new research in the interdisciplinary field of visual and built culture studies. Speakers included Roberta Casagrande-Kim of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, who led a discussion on “Mapping and Wayfinding in Ancient Rome.”

Experiential Learning

Brendan Enochs ’21 received an Undergraduate Research Award to examine the impacts of invasive plant leaf litter on soil biological communities in the University’s Nature Preserve and build on knowledge of the role soils play in maintaining global ecosystem services such as carbon storage, nutrient cycling and biomass production.

“Throughout my time at ������Ƶ, I have had the pleasure to work on a wide variety of research projects and take classes in my field that have helped me solidify my interests in biology and a future career in research,” he said. “Binghamton University is a top ranked research institution that provides undergraduate students, like myself, with opportunities to conduct research while pursuing their degrees.”