Published: Jan. 7, 2001

A $100,000 gift commitment to the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ that was announced last October by ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ President Elizabeth "Betsy" Hoffman and her husband, Brian Binger, has challenged and inspired $550,000 in contributions from members of the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Foundation's Board of Directors and its newly appointed president, Michael Byram.

At the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Foundation's winter board meeting held today at The Anschutz Centers for Advanced Medicine, Byram and his wife, Carolyn, pledged $100,000 to benefit students at ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥'s four campuses and to show support for the dedicated work being done by President Betsy Hoffman.

Last October, at the time of Hoffman's gift announcement, members of the volunteer Board of Directors of the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Foundation rallied around Hoffman's vision of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ as a preeminent research institution.

Contributions at all levels came in from board members and their spouses including Karren and Walter Kowalski, Dr. Guillermo and Maria Aragon, Marcy and Bruce Benson, and Rutt Bridges.

Board member Bridges said, "I have always believed that real leaders know how to 'lead from the front.' In making their gift, Betsy and Brian have demonstrated their commitment to ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥. I am proud to follow such leadership."

Benson said, "When a new president comes to town and the first thing she does is contribute $100,000 to the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥, I applaud that."

President Hoffman, who has been at the helm of the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ system for barely five months, has generated considerable attention with ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥'s announcement last month of a $250 million commitment from entrepreneur Bill Coleman and his wife, Claudia. The Coleman gift has established an institute at ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ dedicated to discovering ways to improve the lives of people with cognitive disabilities.

The University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ and the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Foundation Inc. are involved in a four-campus fund-raising campaign to generate private support for scholarship funds, faculty endowment, updated facilities and academic programs of prominence.