There is a spirit that is distinctly Villanovan, constantly flickering and always moving us forward. It’s the passion in our hearts, the warmth of our love, the strength of our Augustinian Catholic values and the generosity of our actions—encompassed in two powerful words. Espiritus Nova is more than a name. It’s a feeling and sense of community that every Villanovan truly understands. It is the strong, generous, unshakable spirit that lives within each of us—and connects us all as Villanovans.
Forever Rooted & Restless.
Our Augustinian Catholic values ground and guide us in all that we do. We are firmly rooted in the values of truth, unity and love. But like St. Augustine himself, we have a restless desire to improve, to become the very best version of ourselves that we can be. This restlessness is our drive, calling us to tirelessly pursue progress inspired by our shared values. Together, we have arrived at the next transformational moment in our University’s history. We are poised and confident as we embark on this exciting new chapter. Espiritus Nova is our largest campaign to date, and we have the utmost faith in our community to achieve our goals together.
Reaching Higher.
We are here to do what Villanovans do best—exceed expectations. Our desire to continually forge ahead is stronger than ever with Espiritus Nova. Why? We are called to compete with the very best of the best. So we are reaching even higher with our ambitious fundraising goal of $1.25 billion.
Our Goal: $1.25 Billion
We have the drive. And now we need you. Achieving this goal will strengthen our academic preeminence, enrich our campus and amplify our collective Augustinian Catholic impact—across the nation and throughout the world.
Forging Our Future.
We are unwavering in our Augustinian Catholic faith, as we reflect on our spirituality, individually and collectively. We are unwavering in our pursuit of knowledge, where we are as adept at studying ancient scripture as we are at understanding how genetics impacts behavior. We are unwavering in our spirit, when we lift our voices in song and prayer, as well as in cheering on the Wildcats in competition. We are unwavering in our drive, as we rise to find solutions in research fields as varied as traumatic brain injury and international law. Most of all, we are unwavering in our commitment to helping one another—and to making a difference.
When you give, you support the same community that has lifted up and supported generations of Villanovans. Together, we can continue Villanova’s legacy as a transformative experience that embodies the strength of spirit, brilliance of mind and warmth of heart of St. Augustine.
― ST. AUGUSTINE
Sermon 43, 1
Restless for What’s Next.
Our goals may be ambitious, but with the support of a community as determined and generous as the Nova Nation, they are achievable. When Villanovans put our hearts and minds to work, we are unstoppable.
CAMPAIGN GOAL I
Investing in Future Villanovans
Raising $300 million to help close the financial need gap for all admitted undergraduate students
CAMPAIGN GOAL II
Researching for the Common Good
Expanding research and hands-on learning opportunities for students and faculty
CAMPAIGN GOAL III
Enhancing Our Campus
Creating and revitalizing spaces on campus that bring our community closer and push our academic excellence further
Investing in Future Villanovans.
Villanovans help Villanovans. It’s part of who we are. We were called to this place for a reason—the spirit of this community speaks to us. We have come from different places and unique backgrounds, and through Villanova, we have forged profound relationships that connect us to one another. For alumni and donors alike, the memories we’ve made and the connections we’ve built span from the center of campus to around the globe. We have opened doors for one another for generations, and now, you can give that same experience to current students—as well as to Villanovans at heart, who have yet to become Villanovans— by closing the financial need gap for our undergraduate students.
Financial aid has helped brilliant, ambitious, deserving Villanovans like Nick Jubilee ’25, Nursing major and captain of our Division I Diving team, get closer to his goal of giving back to the next generation of health care workers. It’s helped students like Ciara Coulter ’24 not only develop the skills to become a chemical engineer, but to enter the workforce as an engineer who is articulate, thoughtful and kind. It’s helped students like Alex Wong ’24, whose parent owns a small business, connect with even more entrepreneurial minds as he charts his own path as a marketing strategist. It’s led students like Political Science major Yolanda Peat ’25 to an internship abroad, which inspired a new career focus on education policy. Nick, Ciara, Alex and Yolanda’s stories are just four among countless that capture the impact financial support has on one’s journey at Villanova and beyond.
Financial aid is only one part of the equation when it comes to accessibility in education. But it’s a crucial part that all of us can make an impact on together. Closing the financial need gap means that, regardless of socioeconomic status, we can help all those who are called to this community become a part of it—as we’ve been doing since Villanova’s founding in 1842.
Currently, we do not meet 100% of demonstrated need. We must aim higher. Our Catholic peers and national universities with whom we now compete for top students all meet full need. Achieving our $300 million goal will allow us to attract, retain and support the world’s most deserving, brilliant and passionate students.
Researching for the Common Good.
Research and scholarship are at the heart of the University’s intellectual community. They are core to how we create meaningful teaching and learning experiences—and core to igniting positive change. Driven by our Augustinian Catholic values, Villanova’s distinguished scholars are committed to the collaborative pursuit of knowledge and the application of discoveries in the service of others. Research has a tangible impact on our campus and on the world at large— which is why we’re called, now more than ever, to expand these opportunities for faculty, undergraduates and graduate students.
Every day, Villanovans are doing innovative work that benefits the common good. Scholarship and research are integral to the Villanova educational experience. Together, they deepen our knowledge and fuel passion for what we care about most—equipping students with real-world preparedness, setting them apart from the crowd.
Research and scholarship have been key to our rise in national stature and are essential components of how we approach teaching at Villanova. When students and faculty members collaborate shoulder-to-shoulder in state-of-theart labs—conducting research in fields as varied as criminal justice, neonatal intensive care, workplace ethics and more— new hypotheses and ideas are born, new knowledge is created and positive change is ignited.
It happens when Mechanical Engineering students work in the Cellular Biomechanics and Sports Science Laboratory of Professor Qianhong Wu, PhD, using a biomimetic model of the brain and skull to gain new insights into traumatic brain injury. It happens when graduate and undergraduate students collaborate with Chelsea Phillips, MFA, PhD, associate professor of Theatre, and Alice Dailey, PhD, professor of English, to conduct a yearlong interdisciplinary exploration of Thomas Kyd’s seminal play, The Spanish Tragedy
We must continue to invest in these talented faculty and students. Strength in research attracts the highest-caliber faculty, which attracts the highest-level students. Strength in research and scholarship, through an Augustinian lens, leads to meaningful knowledge and discoveries. This is the power of the Villanova academic experience. This is why we must expand and create more of these opportunities for all Villanovans.
ESPIRITUS NOVA CAMPAIGN GOAL
Enhancing Our Campus.
Together, we are a force to be reckoned with. We find strength in one another, and our capital investments are a reflection of exactly that. We create spaces that invite collaboration and innovation that are bigger than any building—but it all starts there.
As Villanova’s reputation grows, our facilities must be equal to, or surpass, those of our peers and meet the needs of the world’s finest scholars. It is our responsibility to serve the next generations of Villanovans with facilities that are of the highest standard—and that will only happen by funding capital investments.
Rendering of Falvey Library at Vic Maggitti Hall
Our capital investments are ever-expanding proof of our power as a community, the strength and scale of what we can accomplish when we work together. Philanthropic support in this campaign has already shown what we are capable of—with the completion of Drosdick Hall, we have unified the College of Engineering, taking six disparate buildings and centralizing them into one, where interdisciplinary connections are forged in state-of-the-art research facilities.
We know that when our facilities are equipped to match the brilliance of our students and faculty, great things happen. This is why we are poised to continue building on the momentum and progress we’ve generated thus far. We are living in Villanova’s new era. We are writing our University’s next chapter with each vow of support. We are seizing this moment to grow the community and campus we treasure more than anything, together.
Investing in our campus means investing in and cementing our legacy. One that proudly celebrates its Augustinian Catholic roots. One that provides spaces that inspire creativity and foster collaboration. One whose buildings support the academic curiosity of our students and faculty. With each new and revitalized academic, athletics and community facility we create, we imbue our campus with the same powerful, palpable spirit that lies within each of us.
Rendering of Welcome Center
Rendering of Tolentine Atrium
Rendering of STEM Facility
Rendering of Jake Nevin Field House
Powerful Gift. Lasting Legacy.
Opportunities to be part of the future of Villanova can take many forms. Your investment can be tailored to fit your philanthropic desires as well as the University’s priorities.
You may wish to designate your contribution to a specific campaign goal or make an unrestricted gift, allowing us to apply it to our greatest needs. Gifts can be made in cash, pledges payable over a period of time (usually five years), securities, real estate, or through a foundation or donor-advised fund. Through planned giving, you may be able to make a meaningful contribution to Villanova while meeting your personal long-term goals.
On the following pages, we list just a handful of the many opportunities available to name a project, facility or endowed fund through Espiritus Nova: The Campaign for Villanova University.
Select Opportunities for University
Naming
Suppor t
University Administrators
Research & Faculty Support
Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing.
― ST. AUGUSTINE
Sermon 169, 18
Imagine if St. Augustine had sat still.
Would our knowledge be as deep?
Would our relationships be as profound?
Would Villanova be Villanova?
We have become one of the most transformative and respected institutions in the world because Augustine has shown us that our spirit, drive and compassion must be ever restless.
His spirit flows through all of us.
And while our hearts may never be quiet, and our minds may never be still, our arms are always extended, reaching to become our highest selves.
We are humbled by all we have accomplished to this point, yet we are always guided by Augustine’s words:
“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others.”
With Espiritus Nova, with the spirit and purpose we share, our great journey forges forward.