At its May 2025 quarterly meeting, the Boise State University Foundation board of directors announced that it had fully funded an endowed professorship in its efforts to support Unbridled: The Campaign for Boise State University. Funding came directly from the board members themselves and was matched by the foundation. The Provost’s Office has decided to award the endowed position to the College of Engineering.
“The foundation board recognizes how important endowed professorships are to Boise State,” said Jim Martin, board chair. “We wanted to recognize the deans’ commitment to the board and our fundraising efforts as well as the deans’ demonstrated need for endowed faculty support. I am so proud of how our board stepped up to this challenge and led by example on this philanthropic effort.”
Endowed professorships create ongoing support and a career path for professors, researchers and instructors, helping them deliver the best possible experience for students, break ground in their fields and empower Boise State to attract and retain talented faculty.
In November 2023, Foundation Board Campaign Chair Randy Hales set a goal to raise $1M in gifts from current and former board members. That amount would be matched with $1M from the foundation’s revenue, divided into four $500K endowed professorships.
These endowed positions are also a key pillar of the Unbridled campaign, which aims to raise $500M by 2028 and focuses on three key areas: faculty support, student access and success, and What’s Next for Athletics.
“I’m honored that the Provost’s Office selected the College of Engineering as the recipient of the foundation board’s first endowed professorship,” said Amy Fleischer, dean of the College of Engineering. “This gift will provide additional support for research and allow us to better recruit and retain high-quality faculty. And because it is an endowed position, it will continue to propel our students, the College of Engineering and the broader university in the spirit of discovery over the long term.”
“Endowed professorships are critical for supporting and retaining our high-quality faculty members,” said John Buckwalter, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “I am truly grateful to the foundation and the donors who made this professorship possible. The impact that this will have on the academic trajectory of Boise State cannot be overstated. These awards are points of pride and distinction.”
Since the May meeting, the board members have continued to personally support this board initiative and have raised enough to fully fund another endowed professorship at their August board meeting. Alumni, friends and community members are invited to join board members in their efforts to secure additional endowed faculty positions as part of the ongoing Unbridled campaign. The campaign has currently raised $444M toward its $500M goal.
More information can be found at unbridled.boisestate.edu.