The College of William & Mary has received a $50 million gift that will fund scholarships for … [+] students in its Batten School of Coastal and Marine Sciences.
William & Mary has received a $50 million gift from Dr. R. Todd Stravitz and the Brunckhorst Foundations associated with his family. It’s the largest private scholarship gift in the institution’s history.
The new R. Todd Stravitz Scholars Program will provide full tuition support for students pursuing a recently approved bachelor’s degree in coastal and marine sciences at W&M’s Batten School of Coastal and Marine Sciences. The first cohort of students in that program will begin their studies this fall.
“We are deeply grateful to Dr. Stravitz and the Brunckhorst Foundations,” said President Katherine A. Rowe, in a university news release. “This gift removes financial barriers, allowing the brightest minds to access the learning and tools needed to address our planet’s urgent problems. These future trailblazers will craft solutions that safeguard ecosystems, economies, and the communities that depend on them around the globe.”
The new gift follows last July’s announcement that William & Mary had received a $100 million gift to establish the Batten School of Coastal and Marine Sciences. That donation by Jane Batten, a Virginia-based philanthropist, was the largest ever in the college’s 331-year history and was aimed at helping the school become a leading center for research and expertise on coastal resilience and marine science.
“When I was a student, a degree like this didn’t exist, and I want to create the pathway for today’s students to experience the best of William & Mary so they are prepared for the greatest challenges of their generation,” said Stravitz, a 1982 William & Mary alum and an heir to the Boar’s Head Provisions Co. fortune, founded by his great grandfather, Frank Brunckhorst.
“Our best hope for solving the environmental crises we face is educating young people to care for and improve our planet,” Stravitz said. “Programs like this are critical to our future, and I’m honored to support this vital mission.”
Stravitz, a hepatologist in the Department of Internal Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, served as the medical director of liver transplantation at VCU Health’s Hume-Lee Transplant Center for a decade. In 2022, he arranged for his family’s foundation to make a $104 million gift for the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health at VCU. That gift was the largest in VCU’s history.
The Brunckhorst Foundations are committed to several important global causes, including medical research and environmental sustainability. According to the announcement, “the foundations have been an important partner in supporting the Batten School & VIMS’ efforts to promote resilience, conservation and education for the last several years.”
The Stravitz gift coincides with William & Mary’s Year of the Environment, which is focused on advancing sustainability and conservation efforts on campus and furthering the university’s impact around the world.

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