ASU Receives $250,000 for Permanent Endowment Fund from Diageo North America!
News Date

Alabama State University Receives $250,000 for Permanent Endowment Fund from Diageo North America!
• Initiative to include the creation of an internship platform to help drive diversity across the industry.
Alabama State University (ASU) has received a $250,000 donation from Diageo North America to create a permanent endowment fund and provide financial aid grants to talented students across different disciplines and majors. This is part of a broader innovative program that Diageo North America announced to support 25 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), focused on building opportunities to develop future leaders and help shape a more equitable society. The initiative is expected to benefit thousands of students over the years across the country.
Diageo scholarships will support a minimum of 10 students each year in perpetuity that meet specific criteria, including being a full-time ASU student, maintaining a 2.7 GPA and meeting the University’s general scholarship requirements with preference given those majoring in engineering, chemistry, marketing or communications.
“We are excited about this new partnership with Diageo North America, a leader in the beverage industry. This gift will help Alabama State University provide additional support for our students as we prepare them to enter their chosen professions as transformational leaders,” said ASU President, Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr. “Diageo North America recognizes the significant and historic contributions that the nation’s HBCUs have made in producing graduates who make an impact both nationally and internationally. We appreciate their generosity in making this donation.”
With a goal of helping to change the complexion of the industry, Diageo North America has also committed to taking a step to build a pipeline of talented leaders through an internship platform over the coming years and Alabama State University will be part of it. The company will provide opportunities for ASU students to gain valuable work experience at a fast pace that could help them with their future career aspirations or jump-start their career in the consumer goods industry.
“We are proud to partner with these esteemed institutions and to do our part to help shape a more equitable society by providing opportunities for future leaders,” said Debra Crew, president, Diageo North America. “This initiative further deepens Diageo’s commitment to making a long term and sustainable impact on underrepresented communities.”
This initiative was created by working closely with Diageo North America’s African Heritage Business Resource Group (A.H.E.A.D.) to focus on the priorities and actions, along with the right partnerships, to make the most meaningful impact in the Black community.
ABOUT DIAGEO NORTH AMERICA
To learn more about Diageo's work to support the communities where it operates, including company values, visit www.diageo.com.
About Diageo North America
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Casamigos and Don Julio tequilas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and their products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, their people, brands, and performance, visit www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Follow at Twitter and Instagram for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA.
DETAILS ABOUT ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1867, Alabama State University is a comprehensive, regional institution offering students from across the nation and around the globe a world-class education. ASU’s learning experiences are holistic and are designed to develop intellectual, as well as social, moral, cultural and ethical values. ASU graduates are equipped with the skills, insights, attitudes and practical experiences that will enable them to become well-rounded, contributing citizens; fully qualified to take their places in their chosen professions and in service to humanity.
Over the past 15 years, ASU has experienced tremendous growth, both physically and academically. State-of-the-art academic facilities now grace the campus. High-demand programs have been established and cutting-edge research is being conducted by ASU faculty and students. With a focus on a global initiative, the campus has a more diverse population while maintaining its proud heritage as one of the nation’s leading Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs). We offer the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science, as well as master’s and educational specialist degrees.
The University also offers the Ph.D. in microbiology, the Ed.D. and the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy and Law, the Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy and the Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics.
For more information about ASU, visit www.alasu.edu.
News media contact: Kenneth Mullinax, 334-229-4104.
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