One year after the launch of MSU’s $4 billion campaign, Uncommon Will, Far Better World, is inspiring Spartans everywhere to show their support and passion for the Green and White.
By: Amelia Shugar
In March 2025, MSU launched the Uncommon Will, Far Better World campaign and accelerated a grand journey on the road to impact. With a $4 billion goal, the bright horizon ahead depends on every Spartan coming together to create positive change. It’s a challenge that Michigan State University is uniquely positioned to meet, supported by over 170 years of growing momentum to revolutionize higher education, open doors to student achievement, power discoveries and equip every person to embrace opportunities and conquer challenges.
At MSU, the imagination is the unlimited canvas of tomorrow.
Imagine if every young person who stepped onto campus with a dream had unlimited opportunities to chase it. Imagine if every laboratory was fully funded, and world-changing breakthroughs ended hunger, cured disease and created a more connected world. Imagine if every building and every program was uncommonly designed to meet the needs of the community and foster an environment where the Spartan spirit thrives.
"The world’s most pressing challenges will not be solved in silos. They demand bold ideas, boundary-breaking collaboration and the kind of visionary problem-solving that defines Michigan State University." Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. President
Uncommon Will, Far Better World driven by three key ambitions
Talent Activated - Core to the campaign is a commitment to revolutionize the student experience. This ambition thrives on support for scholarships and programs that help students learn, grow and prepare for the road ahead, solidifying MSU as the premier talent activator for Michigan and beyond.
Philanthropy and Service
Synergies Imagined - Creating a community dedicated to innovation is central to this ambition. It’s all coming to life as the university taps into its vast partnerships and interdisciplinary collaboration to expand research and bring world-class talent to campus through endowed faculty funding and support for key initiatives.
Futures Built - An important focus lies in creating the places and spaces that address the needs of today’s students, while preparing them for opportunities not yet imagined. This ambition catalyzes this effort through support for capital projects, new programs and other critical tools for research and learning.
From East Lansing to around the globe, Spartans are more than 544,000 strong, with many already building a far better world in their own communities. Over 136,000 have already raised $1.88 billion toward this bold new endeavor.
Campaign Co-Chairs Ben and Barb Maibach and Dawn and Greg Williams.
Great campaigns require great leadership. From visionary campaign co-chairs Ben and Barb Maibach and Greg and Dawn Williams to a host of dedicated leaders composing the President’s Campaign Cabinet and the Regional Campaign Committee, these Spartans are leading the charge to a far better world.
Five gifts led the way at the start of the campaign, collectively making up $138.5 million of the total in 2025. MSU Alumni contributed 41 percent of that number, including campaign co-chairs Ben and Barb Maibach and Greg and Dawn Williams.
Williams Scholar and engineering student Tejas Agrawal is already charting his path in computer science.
“Michigan State University is a place where people come together to make a difference,” said Vice President of University Advancement Kim Tobin. “We don’t just look for opportunities to change the world, we commit to it through our uncommon will. Spartans are doers, builders and dreamers; we face the world’s greatest challenges with determination and a belief that progress happens when we work together.”
Williams Scholar Ava Crozier is studying business management and information science.
This momentum can be felt all across campus. Students are thriving through Spartan support, like the Joseph R. and Sarah L. Williams Scholarship — the university’s first full-ride scholarship to include an experiential learning opportunity while covering tuition, room, board, books and supplies. The scholarship was awarded to its first cohort of 30 undergraduate students in fall 2025.
Collaborative partnerships across disciplines bring together scientists, engineers, social scientists, educators, communicators, business experts and legal scholars to address today’s most pressing challenges, from climate resilience to public health to food security and beyond. And to help MSU faculty and students along the way, new spaces are in the works.
With every Spartan, with every gift, talent is activated on campus, new synergies are imagined and a far better future is built for everyone. This is the moment. Spartans Will.
