PI L L ARS U N I V ER S I T Y O F V I R G I NIA | DARDE N SCH OOL OF BU SINE SS | ISSU E 26 | FALL 2021
Professor Greg Fairchild, honored through a new scholarship for Black students
Professor Marian Moore, honored through a new award for Executive MBAs
HONORING LEGACIES. CREATING LEGACIES.
Elizabeth Owen (Class of 2023), first recipient of the Nina Abdun-Nabi Women’s Scholarship
Nina Abdun-Nabi (MBA ’82), whose estate gift created a scholarship fund for women
Planned Gift Supports Women PAGE 3 Fairchild and Moore Awards PAGE 4 Inside Look at Smith Hall PAGE 10
LETTER FROM DARDEN SCHOOL FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP
A FA M I L I A R F E E L I N G RET U RN S
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s fall begins, the new season brings with it a sense of welcomed familiarity: classrooms filled with the energy and talent of students as they come back to Grounds, and new ideas generated by faculty members as they seek to teach great things. In short, it’s what happens when the Darden community puts its “why” to work and delivers on the School’s mission to improve the world by inspiring responsible leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences. Since the launch of the Powered by Purpose campaign, donors have heeded the call to join us in that mission, and this issue of Pillars celebrates the life-changing impact that the Darden community has enabled through a shared commitment to power the purposeful. To date, $342 million has been raised for the people and places that make the Darden experience unparalleled. As you look through these pages, I hope you gain an appreciation for the meaningful impact philanthropy has generated for students, faculty and the entire Darden community. Donors are supporting the next generation of Darden’s faculty through new professorships (Page 8) and honoring the legends who came before them through new scholarships (Page 4). And they are powering new programs and efforts to ensure the School is a community driven by a culture of inclusive excellence (Page 7). All of this simply would not be possible without you, and I could not be more grateful for your continued support. As we inch closer to the campaign’s $400 million goal, I hope you will be inspired by what we are achieving together as support for the campaign grows. I invite you to read additional inspiring stories like these on our campaign website: giving.darden.virginia.edu. Thank you for your commitment to power the next generation of purposedriven leaders.
Progress Toward Purpose
85%
$342M
Sincerely,
Michael J. Woodfolk (TEP ’05) President, Darden School Foundation
As of 1 October 2021
Powered by Purpose Campaign Goal
$400 million by 30 June 2025
Darden’s donors are powering a transformational experience for the students that will benefit businesses and society for generations to come. We all know what this transformation feels like from our time at Darden, and your support ensures the School and faculty have the resources to continue investing in the world’s best business education experience.” — Martina Hund-Mejean (MBA ’88) Chair, Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees Hund-Mejean became chair of the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees on 1 July.
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Darden’s Powered by Purpose Campaign Priorities 1. Faculty, Thought Leadership & Curricular Innovation 2. Scholarships, Financial Aid & Student Experience 3. Grounds Master Plan, Technology & Innovation 4. Darden Annual Fund
Darden’s progress toward achieving the full potential of these priorities will accelerate as the School advances toward its fundraising goal for the campaign.
From left: Elizabeth Owen (Class of 2023) and Jessica Arenas (Class of 2023) received the first Nina Abdun-Nabi Women’s Scholarships at Darden.
COVER STORY B Y S A L LY P A R K E R
Love of the Arts Distinguishes First Recipients of Women’s Scholarship Created Through Estate Gift Two First Year students with a love for the arts have received the Nina AbdunNabi Women’s Scholarship at Darden. Elizabeth Owen (Class of 2023) and Jessica Arenas (Class of 2023) are the first recipients of the scholarship, which was established through an estate gift from Nina Abdun-Nabi (MBA ’82), who passed away last year. Through a distribution from her IRA, Abdun-Nabi sought to advance opportunities for accomplished women working toward challenging professional careers who also enjoy and participate in the arts. Owen, a Washington, D.C., area native, majored in psychology and music as a UVA undergraduate. She has sung as a second alto in choral groups her whole
life, including with the University Singers at UVA and the prestigious Washington Chorus. Owen enjoys the camaraderie and shared purpose of choral singing and says that she’s already found the same welcoming sense of community among students and faculty at Darden. She recently joined Darden’s Cold Call Chorus. “I think it’s a little less intense,” she said, laughing. “We just had our first rehearsal, and we sounded great and had fun.” Before coming to Darden, Owen worked for Booz Allen Hamilton and then Deloitte as a consultant for national security clients, including the Department of Defense and Department of Justice. Continued on Page 15
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SCHOLARSHIPS
Campaign support creates scholarships and an unmatched student experience that sparks a virtuous circle in which top student talent draws top faculty, top rankings and top resources.
D O N O RS H O N O R FAC U LT Y L E G EN D S BY KRISTEN KEESEE
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arden’s faculty is known to deliver transformational learning experiences in and out of the classroom every day. Through new efforts to honor Darden’s faculty legends, these master teachers are generating a new kind of impact: scholarships named on their behalf. Professor Emerita Marian Moore was a pioneer in developing Darden’s Executive MBA program, not only playing a role in designing the program, but also getting endorsement from faculty, the University and the Commonwealth of Virginia to bring it to life. Upon Moore’s passing in May, former students and colleagues set out to honor her for her contributions to the School by establishing the Marian Chapman Moore Executive Leadership Award. It will be given annually by the Darden School to recognize a rising Second Year Executive MBA student who demonstrates exceptional, responsible and principled leadership within the Darden School community. Darden held an event to honor Moore’s life and contributions on 20 August, by which time 22 donors — including several Executive MBA alumni and faculty members — had raised an initial $115,000 to endow the award. Through additional donor support, the School is hoping to build upon this effort to establish a Professor Marian Moore, the founding dean full-tuition scholarship of Darden’s Executive MBA, was honored by friends, family and former students, who and provide increased requickly raised $115,000 following her sources for the Executive death to create an endowed fund named MBA program. in her honor.
LEANING ON NETWORK IN HARD TIMES LEADS TO MUCH MORE
During the height of the coronavirus pandemic and protests after the killing of George Floyd last summer, Nick Stuart (MBA ’05) was inspired to reconnect with some of his Black Darden classmates from the Class of 2005. After several discussions with classmates, including Siddiq Bello and Earl Brown, and alumni mentor Carroll Warfield (MBA ’81), Stuart and his classmates set out to establish a scholarship endowment, named in honor of Professor Greg Fairchild, that will support a Black student entering Darden. Through Stuart’s personal outreach to classmates, to date, 17 alumni from the Class of 2005 have contributed to establish the endowment with the plan to grow it to a full-tuition scholarship through additional support. “Setting out to establish a scholarship to support Darden’s Black students in perpetuity has motivated many of the alumni who joined this effort,” Stuart said. “I hope that other alumni will consider how they can come together as a community to make a similar impact.”
Nick Stuart (MBA ’05)
Professor Greg Fairchild was honored by the Class of 2005 through a new scholarship for a Black student.
Contact Whitney Wilson at wilsonw@darden.virginia.edu or +1-434-924-0706 to learn more about supporting these efforts or establishing a similar effort.
We aspire to attract the most talented students from all backgrounds to create an inclusive and diverse community. Donor support is a critical step to further inclusive excellence at Darden.” — Dean Scott Beardsley
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L E A D E R S WA N T E D : DONORS POWER ARRAY OF NEW SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES B Y J AY H O D G K I N S
Driven by donor support during the Pow-
ered by Purpose campaign that has led to the creation of almost 100 new scholarships, the Darden School and Darden School Foundation this fall began promoting a robust list of scholarships available to students applying to join the Full-Time MBA and Executive MBA classes of 2024. Digital ads promoting scholarships helped drive a record number of early action applications to join the Full-Time MBA Class of 2024. In July, the School announced the establishment of the Breakthrough Scholars program, a Darden School Foundation competitive scholarship initiative designed to foster a new generation of
diverse leadership in private equity, venture capital, hedge funds and other areas of asset management. Alumni, companies and donors interested in supporting the Breakthrough Scholars program should contact Carter Hoerr at hoerrc@darden.virginia.edu or +1-434-243-5871. Companies interested in hiring a Breakthrough Scholar or student in the private equity, venture capital or other asset management fields should contact recruiting@darden.virginia.edu. SUPPORT FOR SCHOLARSHIPS OPENS DOORS FOR STUDENTS OF MERIT FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE
The Breakthrough Scholars program is part of School and Foundation efforts to establish inclusive excellence, in which students of merit from all walks of life have the opportunity to pursue a Darden MBA and thrive in an inclusive community. The Foundation expects to announce more details on a new scholarship initiative to support inclusive excellence later this academic year. Darden students have the opportunity to earn scholarships based on competitive applications, need, country or U.S. region of origin, professional background and interest, and other measures of diversity. By supporting the Darden Annual Fund or endowed scholarship funds, donors have ensured scholarship funding offered through the School and Foundation is both generous and competitive. However, other top MBA programs continue to expand their scholarship offerings in an intense competition for top talent.
Darden Announces New Scholarship Matching Program The Darden School Foundation has created a new opportunity for donors to maximize their support for student scholarships to further a culture of inclusive excellence. Under this innovative program, the Foundation will match 100 percent of the annual spendable draw from new scholarship funds established under the program for a period of five years. As an example, if a donor endows a new fulltuition scholarship fund with a $1.5 million gift, the Foundation will match the roughly 5 percent annual spendable draw of $75,000 for five years, doubling the donor’s impact during that period and supporting two Darden students instead of one. Donors who establish new scholarship endowments supporting inclusive excellence with a minimum gift or pledge of $500,000 may qualify for the match. To learn more about this opportunity, contact Samantha Hartog, interim vice president for advancement, at HartogS@darden.virginia.edu or +1-434-982-2151.
HOW IT WORKS The Darden School Foundation will match 100% of the spendable draw (roughly 5%) for 5 years
$ 1 . 5M GI FT FOR ONE NEW FULL-TUITION SCHOLARSHIP
$ 375,000 MATCH
SUPPORTING 2 DARDEN STUDENTS, INSTEAD OF 1
For more information about supporting scholarships, contact Carter Hoerr at hoerrc@darden.virginia.edu or +1-434-243-5871.
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FAC U LT Y S U P P O R T
ALUMNI IN REAL ESTAT E RALLY IN SUPPORT OF DARDEN REAL ESTAT E INI T IAT IVE B Y J AY H O D G K I N S
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The campaign empowers Darden to nurture the outstanding faculty of the future and develop insights for leaders facing real-world business challenges.
Matt Renner (MBA ’86) is the latest graduate to throw support behind Darden’s growing Real Estate Initiative, as he and his wife, Linda, pledged a major gift of $250,000. “Ultimately, I hope Darden can offer a broad array of interconnected real estate courses so students get a better idea of the breadth of the industry and all that it has to offer,” said Renner, president of St. Louis, Missouri-based National Real Estate Management Corp. “Real estate is a diverse field that can offer new opportunities to Darden students that may not have been evident in the past.” Renner’s gift comes on the heels of a $100,000 gift to support the initiative from Scott Adams (MBA ’92), Tom Robinson (MBA ’73) and Anthony Smith (MBA ’87), partners in the Colliers International office in Norfolk, Virginia. In 2019, David Walentas (MBA ’64) and his late wife, Jane, pledged to fund the new Walentas
Professorship in Real Estate at the Darden School as part of a $100 million gift to the Jefferson Scholars Foundation. Alex Westra (MBA ’12) also made a $100,000 gift to create the Westra Family Fund in Real Estate, which will advance Darden’s real estate offerings through the student experience, including stipends and enhanced career development support. “Darden taught me to be a critical thinker, which has served me well in my 30-plus years in real estate,” Renner said. “I was familiar with the growing momentum in real estate at both UVA and Darden, and those early efforts induced our family to also support the initiative. In turn, we hope fellow alumni industry peers will join us.” Renner said Darden’s core curricuMatt Renner (MBA ’86) lum prepares students
DARDEN’S REAL ESTATE INITIATIVE AIMS TO: • Add real estate expertise to the Darden faculty with a new full-time faculty member and professors of practice • Support experiential opportunities for students and the student-run Real Estate Club • Expand real estate cases across the curriculum in marketing, finance and other courses • Capitalize on Darden’s extensive global network with international treks
well across a broad base of industries. However, with an enhanced real estate curriculum, he believes students can develop the mindset, industry knowledge and problem-solving skills to act decisively in the rapidly evolving industry. On a personal level, he hopes Darden’s Real Estate Initiative can imbue students with the type of industry knowledge a close mentor provided him. “I began my real estate career with limited specific industry knowledge, but I was fortunate enough to have a great mentor, my father-in-law, Thomas R. Green,” Renner said. “It is our hope that Darden’s efforts in real estate will teach future students what my father-in-law imparted upon me.” To support the Darden Real Estate Initiative, contact Corley Raileanu at RaileanuC@darden.virginia.edu or +1-434-243-4825.
AIRBNB COMMITS $1M TO DARDEN TO FURTHER DIVERSIT Y, EQUIT Y, INCLUSION AND BELONGING
AHEAD OF PROFESSOR MELISSA THOMAS-HUNT’S return to the Darden
faculty this fall, Airbnb made a $1 million gift to establish the Airbnb Melissa Christian Thomas Hunt Research Fund for Global Connection and Belonging at Darden. This new fund will provide support for academic research in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, connection and belonging, fueling new ideas that will help organizations and their leaders navigate and shape the world’s business landscape in these areas. Thomas-Hunt returns to Darden as the John D. Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration from Airbnb, where she served as global head of diversity and belonging and led strategy and execution of global internal diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging programs for the company’s 5,000 employees. With her return, Thomas-Hunt will lead the research effort and serve as a special adviser to Dean Scott Beardsley and Ian Solomon, dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She will also work in concert with Global Chief Diversity Officer Martin Davidson, the Johnson & Higgins Professor of Business Administration, on Darden’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. “We at the UVA Darden School of Business are incredibly grateful to Airbnb for its gift of a new research fund in Melissa Thomas-Hunt’s honor,” said Beardsley. “Airbnb’s generosity will advance the School’s commitment as a global business school to develop responsible leaders inspired by our value for an inclusive community.”
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FAC U LT Y S U P P O R T
YIORGOS ALLAYANNIS
N EW P RO F ES S O R S H I P S A WA RD E D T O DA RD E N FA C U LT Y
ALAN BECKENSTEIN
MANEL BAUCELLS
PETER BELMI
RICH EVANS
ROBERT CARRAWAY
MARY MARGARET FRANK
MARY GENTILE
BY KRISTEN KEESEE
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arden was built on the shoulders of its faculty, which continues to set a high standard of excellence. Since the launch of the Powered by Purpose campaign, donors have fully endowed 28 new faculty chairs, enabling the School to continue its longstanding tradition of teaching excellence and advancing thought leadership. Of the 28 endowed faculty chairs established during the campaign, 22 have been awarded to Darden professors, with efforts underway to award the remaining chairs. As the School moves into the next phase of the Powered by Purpose campaign, investments in Darden’s faculty to endow professorships, build a stronger research and thought leadership infrastructure, and explore new curricular capabilities continue to be key priorities.
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TONI IRVING
YAEL GRUSHKACOCKAYNE
ELENA LOUTS KINA
SEAN MARTIN LYNN ISABELLA
PEDRO MATOS
DANIEL MURPHY BOBBY PARMAR
LILI POWELL
SCOTT SNE LL
PAUL SIMKO
MELISSA THOMAS-HUNT KIM WHITLER
JUNE WEST
I am grateful for the donors who have made an investment in Darden’s faculty. Our dedicated faculty members follow in the footsteps of those who have made Darden so special by not only being great teachers but also by teaching great things.” — Sankaran “Venkat” Venkataraman, MasterCard Professor of Business Administration and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research
• Professor Yiorgos Allayannis, Robert
• Professor Yael Grushka-Cockayne, Altec/
• Professor Bobby Parmar, Shannon
• Professor Manel Baucells, David
• Professor Toni Irving, Frank M. Sands
• Professor Lili Powell, Julie Logan
• Professor Alan Beckstein, Robert D.
• Professor Lynn Isabella, Frank M. Sands
• Professor Paul Simko, Frank M. Sands
• Professor Peter Belmi, Scott C.
• Professor Elena Loutskina, Peter M.
• Professor Scott Snell, Frank M. Sands Sr.
F. Bruner Distinguished Professor of Business Administration M. LaCross Professor of Business Administration Landel Distinguished Professor of Business Administration Beardsley Associate Professor of Business Administration
Styslinger Bicentennial Chair in Business Administration Sr. Professor of Practice in Business Administration Sr. Associate Professor of Business Administration
Grant II Bicentennial Foundation Chair in Business Administration
• Professor Robert Carraway, Yiorgos
• Professor Sean Martin, Donald and
• Professor Richard Evans, Donald
• Professor Pedro Matos, John G.
• Professor Mary Margaret Frank, Samuel
• Professor Daniel Murphy, Jung Family
Allayannis Distinguished Associate Professor of Business Administration McLean Wilkinson Research Chair in Business Administration A. Lewis Senior Faculty Fellow
• Professor Mary Gentile, Richard M.
Lauren Morel Associate Professor of Business Administration Macfarlane Family Professor of Business Administration Associate Professor of Business Administration
Smith Emerging Scholar in Business Administration Sands Associate Professor of Business Administration Sr. Associate Professor of Business Administration
Professor of Business Administration
• Professor Melissa Thomas-Hunt, John
D. Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration
• Professor June West, Marjorie R.
Sands Associate Professor of Business Administration
• Professor Kimberly Whitler, Frank M.
Sands Sr. Associate Professor of Business Administration
Waitzer Bicentennial Professor of Ethics To learn about opportunities to support Darden’s world-class faculty, contact Corley Raileanu at RaileanuC@darden.virginia.edu or +1-434-243-4825.
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The campaign allows Darden’s Grounds to set the standard for world-class business education and uniquely reflect the School’s values, interests and purpose.
GROUNDS
AS RENOVATION BEGINS, MATCHING OPPORTUNITIES FOR C. RAY SMITH ALUMNI HALL REMAIN B Y J AY H O D G K I N S
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efore his passing earlier this year, Frank M. Sands Sr. (MBA ’63) sought to spur the renovation of the C. Ray Smith Alumni Hall on Darden’s Charlottesville Grounds by pledging $7.2 million for a matching challenge. Now, Sands’ vision is nearing completion as the renovation is underway and the School’s donors come closer to fully unlocking the matching funds. Darden aims to raise an additional $5 million to support the project and honor Professor Emeritus C. Ray Smith (MBA ’58). Part of Darden’s Grounds Master Plan, a major component of the Powered by Purpose campaign, the renovated Smith Alumni Hall will house dramatically improved program space for alumni events
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and lifelong learning opportunities, as well as new space and enhanced technology for meetings, offices and more. Once the Grounds Master Plan is complete, the building will be home to Darden School Foundation staff as well as alumni, and be a focal point between the new inn and conference center, arboretum and botanical gardens, and Darden’s core academic buildings. The building, of course, is named in honor of Professor Emeritus C. Ray Smith (MBA ’58), who played a foundational role advancing the School during its first decades and still resides near Grounds. Smith’s son, Anthony Smith (MBA ’87), recently made a gift to the Smith Hall renovation. He wanted to ensure the building honors not only his father but his mother, Phyllis Smith, and his connection to Darden as an alumnus. He made a planned gift to name two learning team rooms in Smith Hall, naming one after his mother and one after himself and his wife.
Left: The Marjorie R. and Frank M. Sands Institute for Lifelong Learning will be located in the renovated C. Ray Smith Alumni Hall. Right: The renovated Smith Hall will include ample meeting and gathering spaces for alumni and staff, thanks to donor support.
“Whether indirectly through her support of my father or directly by hosting his advisees and students at events over the years, many Darden students were touched by my mother as well as my father,” Smith said. “Elizabeth and I thought we should recognize Mom’s contributions, too. I encourage anyone touched by them to consider taking advantage of this opportunity to give back to Darden.” Jimmy Rose (MBA ’85), who is father to Darden MBAs Caroline Rose (MBA ’19) and Molly Rose (Class of 2022), also recently made a gift to support the renovation. “Much more than
I am delighted to support the renovation of C. Ray Smith Alumni Hall, which will deliver muchneeded new space for alumni events, lifelong learning, offices and collaboration areas.”— David Cheek (MBA ’79)
a teacher, Ray was a mentor, adviser, confidant and friend to us. He and a few other faculty members from the 1980s created the fabric that made Darden so special. When the opportunity became available to recognize one of the true culture carriers of the Darden experience, I jumped at the chance. It is an honor for me to help make this honor to him possible.” David Cheek (MBA ’79) also recently made a gift to support the Smith Hall renovation, bringing philanthropic support for the project closer to the finish line. Donors who help unlock the match through gifts of $100,000 or more will receive special recognition as sponsors of the project. “Through engagement with Dean Scott Beardsley, I am delighted to support the renovation of C. Ray Smith Alumni Hall, which will deliver much-needed new space for alumni events, lifelong learning, offices and collaboration areas,” said Cheek. “I was particularly motivated to take advantage of the matching funds from Frank Sands Sr., and I encourage my fellow alumni to consider this wonderful opportunity to support Darden and honor C. Ray Smith.” For more information, contact interim Vice President of Advancement Samantha Hartog at HartogS@darden.virginia.edu or +1-434-982-2151.
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GROUNDS
UVA INN AT DARDEN CONTINUES TO TAKE SHAPE Construction of the UVA Inn at Darden and
BY DAVE HENDRICK
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Conference Center for Lifelong Learning at the Darden Grounds in Charlottesville continues to advance on schedule, with towering cranes now a part of the landscape on North Grounds. After demolition of the old Inn at Darden and Sponsors Hall and site work were completed in the first half of this year, construction crews laid the foundations for portions of the new facility that will rise in their place. The framing for the new buildings is now visible at the site. Construction of the UVA Inn at Darden and Conference Center for Lifelong Learning, which forms part of the Darden Grounds Master Plan, is expected to be complete in 2023. It will feature 199 hotel rooms, a conference center, flat and tiered classroom space, a restaurant, a pub and
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coffee shop, among other features. The project, which received $20 million in initial support from Frank M. Sands Sr. (MBA ’63), will benefit the Darden School and UVA in many ways. The modern facility will provide an essential hub and lodging location for Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning participants, prospective students visiting Grounds, Executive MBA and Master of Science in business analytics students completing Charlottesville residencies, and the broader UVA and Charlottesville community. The facility will meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and meet or exceed UVA’s current green building standards. It will be surrounded by a new arboretum and
Featured Space Naming Opportunities Remain Available Conference Center................. $5 million Botanical Gardens.................. $5 million The Orangerie......................$2.5 million Ballroom................................ $2 million The Library............................. $1 million Penthouse Terrace................. $1 million Conference Event Lawn.......... $1 million
Learn more about the inn and additional naming opportunities at darden.virginia.edu/inn-naming-opportunities.
Featured spaces like a hotel lobby and bar (above) and a 6,000-square-foot, 450-seat ballroom (below) will highlight the future inn.
botanical gardens, greenspaces that will enable a variety of activity, including classes, outdoor meetings and quiet contemplation, enhancing the overall educational experience at the School and providing new outdoor opportunities for the community. The arboretum and botanical gardens will feature a variety of thematic gardens, including a Japanese Garden, Chinese Garden, International Edibles Garden and Prehistoric Plants Garden, among others. Additional features will include a pond, a restored stream and a variety of walking trails. There will also be an outdoor classroom, for which matching gift funds are available. The arboretum will also connect to the Rivanna Trail, further joining North Grounds to the broader community. The School seeks additional philanthropy to help drive completion of the inn and conference center, arboretum and botanical gardens.
Darden has long set the bar with its distinguished Grounds. We must protect and elevate our degree programs; enhance our Executive Education & Lifelong Learning experience; and make Darden the place to convene academic and business events by reinvesting to ensure our Grounds remain elite.” — Dean Scott Beardsley
Furniture and Goods From Old Inn Make New Impact for Charities, Children Before the former UVA Inn at Darden was demolished, leaders at the Darden School Foundation sought to ensure that all salvageable items were removed with an eye toward reuse. Many items were placed for sale through UVA Facilities Management’s ReUSE Store, while others were donated to charities throughout the region. Items such as clean mattresses, dressers, lamps and mirrors have been given second life to help people in need. One administrator from a charity in Roanoke, Virginia, said, “The things we got from the Darden Inn have been essential to serving over 1,200 vulnerable children.”
For more information, contact interim Vice President of Advancement Samantha Hartog at HartogS@darden.virginia.edu or +1-434-982-2151.
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ANNUAL FUND
Campaign support for the Darden Annual Fund enables the School to remain innovative, invest in top strategic priorities and respond nimbly to emerging opportunities.
The club fair for Full-Time MBA students was held on 24 August as part of back to school activities.
DA RD E N A N N UA L F U N D S U STA I N S AND POWERS COMMUNIT Y
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ooking back on a year when many business schools were put to the test, generous support of the Darden Annual Fund from alumni and friends helped deliver new opportunities to preserve the student experience while keeping the community healthy and safe. Throughout the 2020–21 academic year, the Darden Student Association (DSA) constantly communicated student needs to the School’s leadership based on the challenges and ideas the board heard from classmates. Through their input and resources from the Darden Annual Fund, the School implemented a series of innovations to power the student experience, including: • Opportunities to build community through virtual and socially distanced in-person events and free meals to students
BY KRISTEN KEESEE
• Increased financial aid and expanded scholarship opportunities to ensure that the challenges posed by the pandemic do not hinder students’ ability to enroll at Darden • New technology to efficiently support the hybrid classroom experience and provide in-person experiences during the entire academic year • Increased and diverse resources dedicated to students’ mental health • Expanded career support through the Darden Impact Internships program, which offered full-time, paid internships to students and recent graduates whose internships and job offers were impacted by the pandemic • Funding for student clubs and organizations to reduce the burden of dues, provide equitable access and support ongoing community building
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DARDEN ANNUAL FUND AREAS OF DESIGNATION There are now six areas to designate gifts to the annual fund. • Area of Greatest Need • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives • Faculty Excellence • Global Impact • Scholarships > Executive MBA Scholarships
POWERED BY PURPOSE
DARDEN AN N U A L FUND
WO M E N ’ S S C H O L A R S H I P
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At Deloitte, she managed several teams. In consulting, where most of her peers were men, Owen saw a need to open doors for other women, nonbinary individuals and people of color. She decided to earn an MBA to become a better leader. At Darden she knew she would be learning with people of backgrounds, industries and cultures different from her own. “Being a music major, I’ve always valued creativity in whatever project I’m working on, and I think here that’s valued as well, which is a really good experience.” Owen plans to pivot to a strategic planning or corporate operations role in the technology sector after graduation. STEPPING ON TO A NEW STAGE
In a letter to the Darden community at the end of their term as leaders of DSA, then-President Megan McGee (MBA ’21) and Executive Vice President Henrique Lopes (MBA ’21) shared, “The value that we were able to create and garner through the willpower of joint forces at Darden was immense — almost $8 million in value directly to students — but what we’re most proud of are the bonds that we maintained and strengthened through our collective resilience, generosity and love as a community.”
It takes all of us to power the Darden experience. To learn more about the Darden Annual Fund, visit giving.darden.virginia.edu/annual-fund.
Arenas grew up in Peru in a family of engineers, though her parents encouraged her interest in literature and music from an early age. She studied piano, read voraciously and painted. After earning an undergraduate degree and license as a social psychologist at Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, Arenas worked for eight years in HR in the banking industry. Her focus was on employee development and she enjoyed opportunities to promote diversity, gender equity and inclusivity in the workplace. In acting lessons after college, Arenas gained the confidence and joy of projecting her voice. It led her to stretch what she thought possible for her career: She wanted to have a broader impact on people’s lives as a consultant in a wider range of industries, working first in the U.S. and then back in Peru. Darden is Arenas’ first experience living abroad, and studying new concepts in a foreign language has proved challenging. What she learned in acting has helped. “On the stage you have just one chance, and if something goes wrong
you have to keep going,” she said. “I don’t have a quant background, and I really feel challenged to raise my voice in the Darden classroom. It’s a way to face the things that might seem scary or challenging.” INSPIRED BY THE ARTS
A similar curiosity and joy for living marked Abdun-Nabi’s life, say classmates who remember her as a sharp professional and compassionate person. After graduating from Darden, she had a distinguished career in finance at the Bank of Boston, where she rose to senior vice president. Her work included leading loan syndicate financing to the entertainment industry to fund films with major studios, as well as financing in transportation, commercial lending, capital markets, risk management and career training. But it was Abdun-Nabi’s lifelong passion for music and fine art that defined her. She had natural gifts as a classical pianist and artist, producing dozens of multimedia collages and drawings later in life. And she loved to read, with a collection of more than 2,000 books spanning scores of topics and genres.
On the stage you have just one chance, and if something goes wrong you have to keep going.” — Jessica Arenas (Class of 2023)
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P. O. Box 7726 Charlottesville, Virginia 22906-7726 USA
The Darden Campaign in Support of Honor the Future, the Campaign for the University of Virginia
Pillars is published by the Darden School Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the Darden School by promoting philanthropic support from alumni, friends and corporations; managing endowment funds for the School’s exclusive benefit; and operating Darden’s topranked Executive Education & Lifelong Learning program, the Inn at Darden and Abbott Center hospitality. Questions, comments and address changes should be directed to: advancement@darden.virginia.edu or Darden School Foundation Office of Advancement P.O. Box 7726 Charlottesville, Virginia 22906-7726 USA
Define Your Legacy
Interim Vice President for Advancement: Samantha Hartog
IMPACT FUTURE GENERATIONS
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer: Juliet K. Daum Editor Jay Hodgkins Writers: Dave Hendrick, Kristen Keesee, Sally Parker Copy Editor: Sally Parker Design: Susan Wormington Photography: Tom Cogill, Tyla Gallegos, Stephanie Gross, Ali Johnson, Sam Levitan, Michael Matthews, Melody Robbins, Andrew Shurtleff
Help Darden fulfill its mission to improve the world by inspiring responsible leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences. Join the many supporters who leave gifts to Darden in their wills or trusts. Define your legacy by its impact on future generations. For more information on making a planned gift, contact Corley Raileanu at RaileanuC@darden.virginia.edu or +1-434-243-4825..