Acadia's Build: theStudentCentre campaign received a tremendous boost on December 12, 2024 with a generous donation of $1.5 million from dedicated alum Janice MacNeill ('76).
MacNeill herself earned a Bachelor of Science at the Wolfville campus and built a successful career in Ontario as a hospital executive and chief information officer. She was also a visiting scholar at the University of Waterloo, and currently resides in Halifax. MacNeill is the newest member of the Build: theStudentCentre campaign cabinet.
"Acadia has always occupied a special place in my heart," MacNeill says. "The foundational, transformative education I received at Acadia has provided lifelong skills and many personal and professional gifts. Our family has a long and cherished history with the University, and I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to enhance Acadia's campaign to create a revitalized Student Centre that will serve students and the community now and for generations to come. I look forward to seeing this wonderful space become a reality."
Chair of the Build: theStudentCentre campaign, Chancellor Nancy McCain ('82, '21 HON), thanked MacNeill for her passion, thoughtfulness and generosity. "This incredible donation is a wonderful indication of the deep affection that Acadia alumni have for the University, its students, faculty and staff. I am so grateful for donors like Janice who, by virtue of their dedication to Acadia, are contributing to the Student Centre's ongoing evolution as an inclusive, accessible focal point where wellness and diversity are celebrated. They have created a groundswell of momentum that brings us ever closer to our goal of $24 million, and I am so thankful for their kindness and generosity."
University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Jeff Hennessy ('99) echoed McCain's sentiments, thanking MacNeill and noting that "alumni demonstrate the very best of what Acadia offers. Their philanthropy ensures that our students will enjoy the same quality experience that they did, building on what has come before and imagining the future in practical and creative ways. We are extremely fortunate to have alumni like Janice MacNeill, and I would like to express my deepest and sincere thanks to her and her family for supporting Acadia and the Build: theStudentCentre campaign."
Acadia Students' Union President Yash Gahlot says the donation is extremely exciting, noting that "the new Student Centre is more than just a building - it's where students will come together to shape a better tomorrow at Acadia. It's designed to offer greater resources, accessible spaces, and areas where we can connect and celebrate diversity. The Student Centre will be a place where friendships grow, our community gathers, and where every student feels supported and empowered to succeed."
The gift is in addition to a $1 million donation from MacNeill in December 2023 to enhance the MacNeill Scholar-Bursaries, raising the endowment to $4 million and extending the reach of student awards to support more students at Acadia University. Reflecting on her decision then to support Acadia students, MacNeill thought of her parents, Gordon ('48, '87 HON) and Barbara ('50), who had established the award during the Campaign for Acadia.
To learn more about the campaign and to donate, please visit Build: theStudentCentre.
