When leaders at Alabama A&M University began the institution’s first-ever capital campaign — called “Imagine the Future” — back in 2010, one of the first things they did was look within.
“The most important thing that we did was to lead by example,” AAMU president Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr. told Diverse. “The First Lady and I made a major commitment to the campaign followed by the board and the administrative leadership team.” Hugine, and his wife Abbiegail, donated more than $80,000 during the seven-year campaign, according to a university official.
Hugine said all of the administration and more than two-thirds of the full-time faculty and staff at AAMU also contributed to the cause.
“With these commitments in hand, we could then extend the campaign beyond our campus,” Hugine said.
By the time the campaign concluded recently, the university raised $27.3 million — an amount that university officials say surpassed the original goal of $16.25 million by 68 percent.
The funds will be used to renovate campus buildings and finance scholarship programs, such as the Alabama A&M STEM Star Scholars program in the College of Engineering, Technology and Physical Sciences.
The campaign also resulted in:
