William & Mary President Katherine A. Rowe sent the following message to the university community on July 24, 2024. – Ed.

Dear William & Mary Community,

I write to share historic news: A $100 million gift from Jane Batten HON ’17, L.H.D. ’19 will position William & Mary and our Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) as the global destination for science that safeguards the vitality of our world’s coastlines and waterways. Mrs. Batten’s gift is the largest to a university for coastal and marine research and education. It is also the largest in William & Mary’s 331-year history. This morning, the Board of Visitors unanimously approved naming the School of Marine Science the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences.

The Batten School will expand our partnerships, attract talent and generate interdisciplinary solutions to the threats faced by vulnerable coastal ecosystems. Consistent with our Vision 2026 goals, the school builds on William & Mary’s longstanding commitment to environmental resilience. In April, the Board of Visitors approved the first public undergraduate marine science degree in Virginia.

I am grateful to Mrs. Batten for her trust in William & Mary and our mission. She has challenged alumni, friends, philanthropists and policy-makers to join her in supporting the school’s groundbreaking education and research. William & Mary has set a goal to raise at least another $100 million to realize our vision for the school.

We should all feel deeply proud that William & Mary is at the forefront of this important work. There is no university better positioned to lead.

Best regards,

Katherine A. Rowe
President