Former TCNJ president donates $4M to college, boosting student research

Gift anchors public launch of $76M fundraising campaign

A former president of The College of New Jersey has made a $4 million donation to the school, marking one of the largest private gifts in its history and providing a major boost to undergraduate research.

The gift from R. Barbara Gitenstein and her husband, Donald Hart, includes $3 million dedicated to supporting undergraduate student research, a key priority for the college.

An additional $1 million will be split between two previously established funds: the Gitenstein–Hart Sabbatical Prize and the R. Barbara Gitenstein–Donald Hart Library Endowment.

College officials announced the donation Saturday as part of the public launch of a broader $76 million fundraising effort, “The Campaign for TCNJ: Elevating Excellence.” The campaign, which will run through June 2028, has already raised more than $41.8 million, surpassing the halfway mark before its public debut.

“The excellence that we’re looking to elevate through this campaign has much to do with the academic transformation that Bobby led during her tenure,” TCNJ President Michael A. Bernstein said in a statement, referring to Gitenstein.

The six-year campaign aims to expand scholarships, strengthen student and faculty research, support leadership and study abroad programs, and improve athletics and campus facilities.

For students like Lynne Abraham, a member of TCNJ’s Cooperman Scholars program, those investments can be life-changing. Abraham, who is graduating this year, is headed to Harvard Medical School as a post-baccalaureate research fellow and plans to pursue a career in neuroscience.

“Financial support isn’t really just about covering costs, it’s about creating access,” Abraham said. “It’s about giving us the freedom to say ‘yes’ to opportunities that shape our futures.”

Officials said the campaign’s early success will also allow construction to begin later this year on a $2 million annex to the campus Music Building. Funded entirely through philanthropy, the project will create a permanent rehearsal space for student music ensembles.

The campaign is the second comprehensive fundraising effort in the college’s history.