impact
// who’s giving to risd + why
MACFARLANE BACKS NEW SCHOLARSHIP Seth MacFarlane 96 FAV has
Fortunately, MacFarlane was able to earn the scholarship support he been on something of a wild ride needed to attend RISD after high school, and in the years since he has since graduating from RISD generously given back to his alma mater on multiple occasions. When he two decades ago. Within the first learned of redoubled efforts to increase scholarship and fellowship couple of years, he became the support—a key component of the president’s recently launched Social highest-paid TV executive ever Equity Action Initiative—he acted quickly to make a gift of $1.25 million as the creator of the animated to establish the Seth MacFarlane Endowed Scholarship Fund. sitcom Family Guy, which won Once the first MacFarlane Scholar—a current undergraduate or its third Prime Time Emmy graduate student in need—is identified this spring, a full-tuition scholarin 2016. In addition to writing, ship will kick in for the 2017/18 academic year and assist that student producing, voicing and animatthrough graduation. ing most episodes of the show, in the past five years he has also pursued a huge range of creative endeavors, from writing and directing two Ted movies and A Million Ways to Die in the West to hosting the Oscars to releasing three albums of American standards that have earned Grammy nominations. The longtime science buff also produced a 13-episode remake of Carl Sagan’s classic science series Cosmos, while working on the animated TV “Seth’s generosity will help move financial obstacles that can impede shows American Dad and The Cleveland Show, and experimenting with the ability of the most talented and brightest students to attend RISD, a live-action sitcom called Dads. regardless of their means,” says President Rosanne Somerson 76 ID. MacFarlane credits much of his success and ongoing interest in creative “This, in turn, helps RISD to be the kind of place where the best future exploration to the distinctive style he developed as a Film/Animation/ is invented—a future informed by articulate, provocative and Video major. “Studying at RISD was one of the best decisions I have made,” contemporary voices.” he says. “RISD’s open-minded approach encouraged me to experiment MacFarlane continues to be one of the brightest and most productive and find my own voice.” forces in Hollywood, pushing against industry boundaries and 60
above: © Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.
“Artists really do make a huge impact. In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to educate smart, imaginative thought leaders.”