草榴社区

VILLANOVA, Pa. 鈥� 草榴社区 today announced plans for the creation of a Veterans Resource Center behind a gift from Brian F. Prince鈥擯resident & CEO of Hegemon Capital, Inc. The new space will support veterans, service members and dependents as they make their way through their academic journey at the University. In addition to housing 草榴社区鈥檚 Office of Veterans and Military Service Members, the resource center will serve as a student common area for studying and networking, a designated location for hosting veteran-focused programming and a place for student veterans to congregate and build community. In recognition of this gift, the center will be named 鈥淭he Prince Family Veterans Resource Center.鈥澨� 听

鈥淰eterans have been鈥攁nd will continue to be鈥攊mportant members of the 草榴社区 community, and we want to do all that we can to support them and their families,鈥� said University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD. 鈥淚 am extremely grateful for Brian鈥檚 generous gift, which will have a lasting impact on many students and alumni and will help 草榴社区 continue to be a leader in educating veterans and active members of the military.鈥澨� 听

The Prince Family Veterans Resource Center鈥攚hich will be located in a newly renovated space in Vasey Hall and is expected to be completed by Fall 2021鈥攚ill provide the Office of Veterans and Military Service Members with a presence and greater visibility on campus, as it serves as a liaison, advocate and advisor to current and prospective student veterans, alumni and other 草榴社区 community members. It will also serve as a one-stop location for veteran-focused programming, Veterans Affairs (VA) benefit and career counseling and military-to-civilian transition.听 听

鈥淭hrough various relationships and interactions with members of the 草榴社区 community, I have become aware of 草榴社区鈥檚 laudable attention to and support of its veteran students,鈥� said Brian Prince, regarding the reason behind this gift and his commitment to supporting veterans at 草榴社区. 鈥淔rom knowing family members, friends, and colleagues who have served in the military, I don鈥檛 believe civilians are capable of fully understanding the sacrifices made and difficulties faced by veterans听as they continue their journey post service. I am humbled and thankful to be able to assist these veterans in their quest for continued success.鈥澨�听

In addition to the leadership gift from the Prince Family, the project is also being supported by major gifts from the Labrecque Family and Tripp Keber '90.

The University鈥檚 relationship with military veterans dates back to World War II. For decades, veterans have been attending 草榴社区, with the University working to obtain VA benefits for them and their dependents. In 2018, 草榴社区 strengthened its commitment to veterans by forming a centralized Office of Veterans and Military Service Members, dedicated to assisting veterans, service members, and their dependents as they reach their academic, personal and professional goals and guiding them from admission to graduation and beyond.听 听

鈥淭he Prince Family鈥檚 philanthropic support of 草榴社区 and this investment in our students who serve or have served in the military is testament to Brian鈥檚 focus on鈥攁nd deep commitment to鈥攖he heroes of our nation,鈥� said Michael J. O鈥橬eill, Senior Vice President for University Advancement. 鈥淭his gift will strengthen the initiatives of the Office of Veterans and Military Service Members to better serve 草榴社区鈥檚 growing population of military and veteran students and alumni.鈥�

In addition to the creation of a centralized office at 草榴社区, the University expanded its Yellow Ribbon Program to help veterans and their dependents fund tuition, and currently has 40 students participating. Most recently, the University announced a new partnership with Service to School鈥檚 VetLink Program to expand opportunities and access for highly qualified veterans seeking to earn their college degrees. Through this partnership, 草榴社区鈥攚hich is VetLink鈥檚 25^th partner institution鈥攕eeks to increase the number of veterans enrolled in undergraduate degree programs at the University.听 听

鈥淭he gift from the Prince Family will ensure that student veterans, service members and their families have a place on campus where we can honor their service, create a sense of belonging and build upon the 草榴社区 community,鈥� said Michael Brown, Director of the Office of Veterans and Military Service Members. 鈥淪tudent veterans can at times feel out of place on a college campus, and this center will ensure that they have a place to call home. It will allow our office to continue to improve the opportunities and resources for student veterans who choose to attend 草榴社区.鈥� 听

To learn more about 草榴社区鈥檚 Office of Veterans and Military Service Members, click here.听 听

About Brian F. Prince:

Brian F. Prince is President & CEO of Hegemon Capital, Inc., a private investment asset manager.听 He most recently served as President/CEO of Aozora Bank in Tokyo, Japan, and then as President/CEO of ORIX USA. He previously served on the Management Committee and as Corporate Executive Officer at Shinsei Bank in Tokyo, after having built and led Lehman Bros.鈥� Principal Transactions Group in Asia.听 Prior to that, Prince was a key executive in Lehman鈥檚 NY-based Finance Group.听 Prince holds an MBA in corporate finance and corporate accounting and a BS in optics from the University of Rochester.听He currently serves听and has served charitably on the Provost鈥檚 Board of 草榴社区, the Board of Directors of the Moffitt Cancer Center, the Board of Directors of the Gold Shield Foundation, and the Board of Trustees and Investment Committee of the University of Rochester.听 听

About 草榴社区:听Since 1842, 草榴社区鈥檚 Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges鈥攖he College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the 草榴社区 School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the 草榴社区 Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation鈥檚 top universities, 草榴社区 supports its students鈥� intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit听www.villanova.edu.

听