Brighter World: The Campaign for Tufts was a $1.5 billion comprehensive fundraising campaign that strategically bolstered the Tufts experience and strengthened the university’s international leadership in higher education. Three priorities benefiting our students and faculty guided its progress, and each of these intersected with research that brought novel solutions to pressing global problems. This relevancy to urgent causes infused the spirit of Brighter World; it instilled an optimistic perspective that aimed to engage the widest community of Tufts’ alumni, parents and friends, and marked an enduring shift in Tufts philanthropy. This endeavor inspired a worldwide community of campaign volunteers, the largest in Tufts’ history. 

From a broader perspective, Brighter World was about articulating a compelling and cohesive vision for Tufts. That vision reiterated a commitment to students through a renewed focus on financial aid and to the distinctive strengths that are a hallmark of a Tufts education, including civic involvement, innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship. We also amplified our powerful capacity as a nimble and exciting research university with global impact—a university that is already changing how we live and think about the future. 

Gifts supporting the campaign helped Tufts achieve goals broadly defined by three over-arching priorities, drawn from institutional needs identified through T10 the university-wide strategic plan, and emerging new opportunities:

  1. Transformative Experiences: With ambitious financial aid and scholarship programs, Tufts matched student dreams with academic opportunities in fine arts, humanities, social sciences, engineering, science, and medicine. Through strategic investments in facilities, including athletics, we will also ensured that all students and faculty have campuses that enrich the Tufts experience. 

  2. Research and Innovation: Through its unique constellation of schools, Tufts transcends the traditional teaching and research university. We enhanced our collaborative culture to hasten discoveries in areas as diverse as disease and data science, nutrition and neuroscience, robotics and renewable energy.

  3. Global Impact: Students and faculty—shaped by common intellectual experiences in classrooms and labs—are poised to take an active role in the wider world and address complex problems related to nutrition, public health and disease, the environment, animal welfare, and international relations. Tufts will prepare the next generation of leaders to work cooperatively and compassionately across borders to enact solutions—and usher in a brighter world.

Campaign leadership

Brighter World was fortunate to have strong leadership—people who share an extraordinary dedication to Tufts. As ambassadors for the university, six co-chairs lit the way for alumni, parents, friends, students, faculty, and countless others to join them in supporting the campaign. They were led by Peter Dolan, A78, chairman of the Board of Trustees and chairman of ChildObesity180, a nonprofit he cofounded in 2010 at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and today a recognized leader in childhood obesity prevention.

An up-close portrait of President Monaco.
Anthony P. Monaco, University Professor and President Emeritus
Headshot photo of Caroline Genco
Caroline Genco, Provost and Senior Vice President ad interim, and Arthur E. Spiller Professor
Headshot of Chloe Epstein
Chloe Epstein, J96, Campaign Co-Chair
Headshot of Jason Epstein
Jason Epstein, A96, Campaign Co-Chair
Sol Gittleman, A85P, H10 headshot
Sol Gittleman, A85P, H10, Alice and Nathan Gantcher University Professor Emeritus, Campaign Co-Chair
Neal B. Shapiro, A80, headshot
Neal B. Shapiro, A80, A23P, University Trustee, Campaign Co-Chair
Jonathan M. Tisch, A76
Jonathan M. Tisch, A76, University Trustee Emeritus, Campaign Co-Chair
Meredith Vieira, J75, H08, headshot
Meredith Vieira, J75, H08, Campaign Co-Chair

Campaign Committees

Campaign Committees formed at each of our schools and around a handful of constituencies. These volunteers were key partners in creating the future of Tufts and helped to strengthen connections between alumni, parents, friends and the university. 

Brighter World Campaign Committees and Chairs/Co-Chairs:

  • School of Arts & Sciences
    Eileen Aptman, J90 & Jeff Moslow, A86, A16P, A18P
  • Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
    Robert Croce
  • School of Dental Medicine
    Jamie Diament-Golub, D87, D18P, D20P & Jon Golub, A81, D85, DG87, D18P, D20P
  • School of Engineering
    Steve Ricci, E67, E88P
  • Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy
    Brad Meslin, F82, FG84 & Leslie Puth, F11
  • Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy
    Irwin Heller, A67 A98P & Elizabeth Gross N82, NG88
  • Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging
    Ronenn Roubenoff, Robert Russell, F96P
  • School of Medicine
    Windsor Ting, M79, A23P
  • Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
    Shilpi Banerjee, GBS93, Greg Sieczkiewicz, GBS00
  • Tisch College of Civic Life
    Jeff Kindler, A77, A11P, Sharon Sullivan, J78, A11P, Lisa Lebovitz, J84, Stephen Lebovitz
  • Athletics
    Robert Keller, A83 & John Regan, A90
  • Parents
    Peter, E83, A20P, EG21P & Denise Wittich, A20P, EG21P
  • International
    Ankur Sahu, E91, A22P
  • Annual Giving
    William O’Reilly, A77, A13P
  • Gift Planning
    Linda Dixon, J63, F99
  • Tufts University Alumni Council
    Jen Covell, J86, Victoria Garth, J81, Stephen Wermiel, A72, A10P