The Transformative Power of Philanthropy

$25M gift from Weinstein family will create center focused on student learning

UR alums and longtime benefactors Carole and Marcus Weinstein will donate $25 million to the University of Richmond to support a center focused on student learning. This is the second-largest single gift in the University’s history. The Carole and Marcus Weinstein Learning Center will be located in Boatwright Memorial Library.

“We are deeply grateful to the Weinsteins for their steadfast support,” said University of Richmond President Kevin F. Hallock. “They continually lead by example in showing the transformative power of philanthropy at UR.”

This gift will enable the University to create a collaborative, state-of-the-art center that co-locates, integrates, and expands services that support academic achievement, including effective speaking, writing, peer tutoring, and other resources for students in every stage of their educational journey.

The center will include a new comprehensive Quantitative Resource Center to support the quantitative, data-related, and computational learning and research of students and faculty, including in areas such as statistics, pre-calculus, experimental design, and programming. The search for the inaugural director of the Quantitative Resource Center is underway.

“We are excited by the way the University’s Boatwright Library will accommodate the next generation of students,” said Carole Weinstein. “Marcus and I remember spending hours poring over the library’s card catalog to do further research for papers we were writing. The new Learning Center will use the library’s centralized space to offer cutting-edge practices and support new skills students need now and into the future.”

Among numerous contributions to campus, the Weinstein family’s gifts have supported scholarships, faculty chairs, international education, well-being, and chaplaincy programs, as well as the creation of the Carole Weinstein International Center, the Weinstein Center for Recreation, and Weinstein Hall.

“The commitment and dedication of generations of Spiders has helped to make UR what it is today,” said Martha E. Callaghan, vice president for advancement. “This important milestone in our upward trajectory amplifies our academic excellence and helps ensure our students thrive in and outside of the classroom.”

The Carole and Marcus Weinstein Learning Center will be built within the existing footprint of the library. The planning process is underway.

“Our family and faith have encouraged us to make the world a better place,” said Marcus Weinstein. “We hope others will be inspired by our example to make a difference in whatever way they can. The happy surprise is that not only will they do good, but it will also make them feel good.”

Ur Awards Paragon Medal To Marcus Weinstein

Marcus Weinstein, chairman of Weinstein Properties, recently received the Paragon Medal, UR’s highest honor, in recognition of his decades of support for students and the University’s academic mission.

“Over five decades, Marcus and the Weinstein family have enhanced the student experience while holding our university to the highest standards,” said President Kevin F. Hallock. “They’ve improved our campus facilities; increased access and affordability for our students; supported the ethical development, health, and well-being of Richmond Spiders; raised the bar for academic success; and transformed Richmond into a truly global center for learning.”

Weinstein is only the second person in history to receive the medal; the first was E. Claiborne Robins in 1986. The Paragon Medal is not given to anyone else during the lifetime of its recipient.

Faith Exploration

A previous gift from the Weinsteins provides funding in part for the Office of the Chaplaincy’s pilgrimage program, which supports students in their journeys to explore their faith and learn from others around the world. As part of a semester-long course, a group of UR students and staff traveled to Berlin over spring break to explore the rise of Nazism in Germany, the legacy of the Holocaust and the Cold War, and the ways memory and trauma impact current political issues such as refugee crises and the search for just solutions for Israelis and Palestinians.