{"id":45672,"date":"2026-03-23T12:07:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T16:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=45672"},"modified":"2026-03-23T12:07:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T16:07:37","slug":"ensuring-bus-future","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/articles\/ensuring-bus-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Ensuring BU\u2019s Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin bu-blocks-block-editorial-leadin is-style-side-by-side has-media has-wider has-box has-media-focus-center-middle\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"3544\" height=\"3544\" src=\"\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"A portrait photo of Schiele.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2.jpg 3544w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-636x636.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-710x710.jpg 710w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/03\/Schiele_Staff-Retreat6663-2-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3544px) 100vw, 3544px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\">Courtesy of Michele Schiele<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Ensuring BU\u2019s Future<\/strong>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Michele Schiele (\u201989) returns to her alma mater as senior vice president for advancement<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-categories\">\n\t\t\t<ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/category\/alumni\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlumni\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/category\/com-365\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCOM\/365\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">March 23, 2026<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/authors\/mara-sassoon\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMara Sassoon\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div style=\"display:none;\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-inner js-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t\t<h4>Share<\/h4>\n\t\t<p class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-article-title\">Ensuring BU\u2019s Future<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-article-link\">\n\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" value=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/articles\/ensuring-bus-future\/\" readonly>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<label>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Copy URL:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"js-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Copy<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/label>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>Michele Schiele has led fundraising campaigns for major institutions in healthcare and higher ed, including one for Stanford Medicine that raised more than $1 billion. Schiele (\u201989) traces her passion for fundraising back to the skills she developed as a journalism student at COM.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat I found was that I enjoyed the strategic aspects of nonprofit fundraising, [and] I still got to use all of my skills in terms of interviewing people and then turning that into aligning their priorities with [the organization\u2019s] priorities and then codifying that into a proposal\u2014the equivalent of writing a story,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-yellow-background-left\"><p>In this moment, we want to be sure that we\u2019re focusing on the research that will have the most impact. <\/p><cite>\u2014Michele Schiele<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Schiele returned to her alma mater in June 2025 as BU\u2019s senior vice president for advancement. <em>COM\/365<\/em> spoke with her about her new job and how she is grappling with the challenges facing higher ed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-heading\">Q<span>&amp;<\/span>A<\/h2><h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-subheading\">with Michele Schiele<\/h4><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM\/365:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>What brought you back to BU?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Michele Schiele:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">One of the major gift officers reached out and introduced me to BU in the 21st century. I realized who I am today\u2014all of the opportunities I\u2019ve been able to say yes to\u2014started with BU. I made my first major gift as a result.&nbsp;<br><br>When I noticed that my former colleague [at the University of Chicago], Melissa Gilliam, had been named president of my alma mater, that really sparked my interest in BU\u2019s future.<br><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM\/365:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>You\u2019ve helped launch a research-focused campaign at BU, called \u201cYou Are Why.\u201d What inspired that?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Michele Schiele:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">I started in this role right when the reality of the changing dynamic of government funding for research was ramping up. In this moment, when you have to make choices about where you\u2019re going to invest, our institution decided we are prioritizing convergent research\u2014faculty from different colleges, schools, institutes, centers, units, coming together to solve an intractable problem\u2014because that\u2019s something that BU has done well.&nbsp;<br><br>We want to catalyze convergent research so it goes from being something we did organically to something we\u2019re doing more often and deliberately. In this moment, we want to be sure that we\u2019re focusing on the research that will have the most impact and that we\u2019re continuing to educate future scientists. Our goal is to raise $50 million to support graduate students, the undergraduate research program and seed grants for science faculty and scientists who are working on convergent research ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM\/365:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>What are some of your other priorities?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Michele Schiele:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">How can we be helpful in this moment? We\u2019re answering the question with little \u201cc\u201d campaigns\u2014small, focused initiatives. While the first is around research, the second is going to be around the arts, and the third focused on the student experience. When President Gilliam was inaugurated, she announced six inaugural initiatives. Research is important at BU, but so is tending to humankind, and one of the most effective and impactful ways to feed humanity is through the arts. Focusing on the student experience is also important, because, like research, it is core to our mission.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michele Schiele has led fundraising campaigns for major institutions in healthcare and higher ed, including one for Stanford Medicine that&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25826,"featured_media":45679,"template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"categories":[962,1481],"tags":[1825,1618],"bu-publication":[],"discipline-type":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/45672"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25826"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/45672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45678,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/45672\/revisions\/45678"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45672"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=45672"},{"taxonomy":"discipline-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/discipline-type?post=45672"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=45672"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=45672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}