Why Give

First-generation scholarships

First-generation college students face lower graduation and retention rates than other students due to the social, financial, and academic obstacles they often must overcome. Nearly one in three College of Liberal Arts students is the first in their family to attend college, making scholarships and programmatic support an essential fundraising priority for the college.

Brain Science

The College of Liberal Arts’ Brain Science Initiative within the Department of Psychology places us on the brink of unprecedented scientific discovery. It represents the next generation of approaches to treat and prevent countless diseases and disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Behavioral Economics

Behavioral economics is a recent and increasingly influential field that uses human behavior to explain economic decision making. Whereas standard economic theory assumes that consumers are always rational and forward-thinking, behavioral economics takes into consideration the realities of the human condition, such as emotions, confirmation bias, and loss aversion. The field’s prominence allows its concepts to be applied to other areas, such as healthcare, marketing, and climate policy.

The College of Liberal Arts’ Behavioral Economics Initiative in the Department of Economics is uniquely positioned for success, as we have some of the most distinguished behavioral economists leading our efforts in this area. A significant element of this initiative is the Behavioral Economics and Policy Program (BEPP), in which faculty, along with undergraduate and graduate students, create or collaborate on significant research projects using the college’s Economics Research Laboratory – one of the best-known behavioral economics laboratories in the country.

Entrepreneurship studies

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative will help students learn to recognize an unfulfilled need and develop a solution, thereby contributing to society and the economy. We hope to offer our students a minor and certificate program that gives students the tools to establish, manage, and enhance transformational business ventures.