$12 Million-Plus Raised For UConn's Dodd Center For Human Rights

STORRS, CT — The UConn Foundation announced Friday that its Dodd Human Rights Impact Campaign has raised more than $12.5 million.

The total "further solidifies the reputation of UConn as a pre-eminent academic institution for the study of, engagement with, and practice of human rights," officials said.

One hundred generous donors contributed to the campaign, including lead donor Bank of America, officials said.

"These gifts come at a critical time in the worldwide fight for justice and human rights," UConn President Radenka Maric said. "The Dodd Center and this support are vital in helping us to fulfill our commitment to educating and preparing the next generation of human rights leaders who will enact positive change in our communities and across the globe."

The money raised for Dodd Impact, the outreach and external programming arm of UConn's Human Rights Institute, "supports interdisciplinary inquiry into the most pressing human rights questions and prepares the next generation of human rights advocates across a range of fields," officials said.

The success of the campaign also generated funds for two endowed chairs: the Christopher J. Dodd Chair in Human Rights Practice and the Wiktor Osiatyński Chair in Human Rights.

The Dodd Center for Human Rights, which houses the HRI, celebrates the life and legacy of Sen. Thomas J. Dodd and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, who served a combined five decades in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate representing Connecticut.

Prior to his election to Congress, Thomas Dodd was the Nuremberg International Military Tribunal executive trial counsel following World War II.