Duke University Pratt School of Engineering

Engineering a Better Future

Dear Friends,

Since arriving on the Duke campus in July of 1999, I have been inspired and humbled by the generosity of engineering alumni and friends, who have given freely of their time, energy and resources to continually improve the quality of our programs for the next generation of students. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Pratt School of Engineering.

As a result of the "Campaign for Duke" the Pratt School has nearly doubled the size of its infrastructure with the addition of the Fitzpatrick Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences, hired 48 new faculty and launched numerous undergraduate programs including the Robotics Club, the Pratt Undergraduate Research Fellows, Engineers without Borders, and Engineering World Health, just to name a few. In recognition of our progress, US News and World Report recently ranked Pratt 22nd in the country; 10th among private research institutions.

In response to the need to sustain innovation in the country, we also are expanding our school by 200 students. As a result, we welcomed the largest freshman class in the history of the school with 357 men and women in the fall of 2005.

With our recent success we also acknowledge there is still work to be done. The faculty has set its sights on becoming a top 10 engineering program and is playing a national role in redesigning undergraduate engineering curricula. Concurrently we are improving our faculty- to -student ratio by adding faculty members and creating new and dynamic experiential learning spaces and programs. As a small engineering school with 1,100 undergraduate students and 435 graduate students, every gift makes a difference. Whether your commitment is designated to the annual fund, the naming of a laboratory in the Fitzpatrick Building, the endowing of a professorship, undergraduate scholarship or graduate fellowship, or providing long-term support through one's estate, you can have an enduring impact on the school.

In order to propel us to the upper echelons of all engineering schools, Pratt and the Office of Gift Planning are partnering to reach out to those alumni and friends who have either named, or are considering naming Duke engineering as a beneficiary in their wills, living trusts, retirement plans or life insurance policies, or who are interested in life income gifts such as gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, or charitable lead trusts. Through these planned giving vehicles our alumni are discovering tax incentives and income benefits that have enabled them to do much more for Duke than they ever thought possible.

If you have made or are contemplating making a provision for Duke through your estate, or if you are interested in learning more about gifts to Duke that generate income to you during your lifetime, please consider sharing that information with us. We welcome the opportunity to address your questions, thank you for your commitment, and recognize you for your generosity. This type of information is important as it helps us make informed decisions about the future of our program while inspiring others considering similar commitments.

In conjunction with this initiative we plan to provide you with information from time to time of ways you can play a critical role in helping the next generation of engineers through your estate plan and annual support to the university.

If you have questions regarding the Pratt School of Engineering or would like to discuss ways to provide for Duke through your estate, please contact Chris Clarke, Associate Dean for Development for the Pratt School of Engineering at 919-660-5056 or chris.clarke@duke.edu. On behalf of our students, both current and future, thank you for your continued support.

Best regards,

Kristina M. Johnson
Professor and Dean