A $10 million planned gift from an anonymous donor will provide transformational support for psychology at the University of Wyoming.

The estate commitment will significantly expand an existing excellence fund, strengthening the permanent endowment dedicated to advancing excellence in psychology at UW. When making the gift, the donor said, “It’s important to know that people can dream big at UW. If you have an idea, you can explore it here and it might change the world.”

“A gift of this magnitude can change what’s possible for generations of students, faculty and the UW community,” says UW President Shane Reeves. “It can open doors for students and give people the resources to pursue ideas that make a real difference. This donor is making a lasting investment in psychology at UW and the people who will benefit from the work being done here.”

Unlike funding designated for a single program or initiative, an excellence fund provides flexible resources that allow university leaders to respond to the areas of greatest opportunity and need.

For UW’s Department of Psychology, that flexibility provides meaningful support for priorities such as student learning and research opportunities, faculty excellence, innovative scholarship and other initiatives that strengthen the department’s academic mission.

“The Department of Psychology exemplifies the excellence of the social sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences,” says College of Arts and Sciences Dean Scott Turpen. “Its faculty and students address important challenges facing Wyoming while helping meet critical workforce needs. This generous gift recognizes the department’s accomplishments and provides vital resources to expand opportunities for students, support faculty excellence and strengthen its contributions across the state. We are deeply grateful for this investment in the department’s continued success.”

UW’s Department of Psychology serves undergraduate and graduate students through teaching, research and hands-on learning. The department offers undergraduate education both on campus and at a distance, as well as doctoral training in clinical, social, cognitive and legal psychology. Faculty, graduate students and undergraduates also conduct basic and applied research across a wide range of areas, with an emphasis on translating that work into benefits for Wyoming.

“The Psychology Department is so fortunate to have the support of this generous donor, whose gifts have historically supported the recruitment of world-class faculty, as well as a number of important education and outreach efforts of the department,” says Department of Psychology Chair Alison Looby. “These include bringing renowned scholars to UW to present their research and meet with our students and allowing us to send our students across Wyoming to engage with K-12 classrooms through demonstrations and learning about psychology. This generous gift will allow us to expand these efforts considerably. We are particularly excited to develop new ways to engage with people across Wyoming.”

Estate gifts such as this represent an important part of the UW Foundation’s work to connect donors’ long-term philanthropic goals with the university’s priorities. The UW Foundation works closely with donors and their advisers to identify giving opportunities that reflect their interests and determine how their support can have the greatest impact. Donors may direct their gifts to a specific college, program, scholarship or area of the university that is particularly meaningful to them.

“There’s something especially meaningful about a gift made with the next generation in mind,” says UW Foundation President and CEO John Stark. “This donor has made a commitment that will help shape psychology at UW for decades. That’s the kind of lasting difference philanthropy can make, and we’re honored to help turn that generosity into something meaningful for UW.”