Bridgewater College establishes third named school for sciences, engineering with Coffman gift

Bridgewater College is pleased to announce the establishment of its third named school: the Greg L. and Betty P. Coffman School of Natural Sciences.

The gift from Greg ’70 and Betty Coffman of Harrisonburg is a significant milestone within Connections: The Campaign for Bridgewater College, the college’s current fundraising campaign. The Coffmans’ gift will support faculty development, classroom and laboratory improvements and expanded opportunities for student research among the school’s five academic departments: Biology and Environmental Science, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Engineering and Physics, Math and Computer Science and Psychology.

According to Meg Flory Riner, vice president for institutional advancement, the Coffmans’ gift will positively impact every facet of the school and raise the profile of Bridgewater. She said she also expects the gift to have a positive impact on recruitment.

“We are thrilled to become the Coffman School of Natural Sciences and are very grateful that Greg and Betty have honored us with this gift. Funds from this gift will enable our faculty to stay current with technology, software and curriculum needs that will help us prepare our students to meet the demands of 21st-century careers,” Dr. Philip Spickler, dean of the Coffman School of Natural Sciences, said.

The Coffmans have been passionate about education for their entire adult lives. Greg Coffman graduated from Bridgewater in 1970 with a degree in biology and taught briefly before embarking on a decades-long career in the pharmaceutical industry. He served on the Harrisonburg City School Board for 20 years, where he led the establishment of the Massanutten Regional Governor’s School for Environmental Science and Technology and the Harrisonburg High School Fine Arts Academy. After retirement, he served as board chair of the Lifelong Learning Institute at James Madison University (JMU) and taught classes in history, archaeology, astronomy and religion.

Betty Coffman is an alumna of JMU with a degree in music education. She taught elementary school music for four decades and was the first music teacher to receive the Virginia Governor’s Award for Excellence in Economic Education. She served as president of the Virginia Elementary Music Educators Association and chair of Virginia’s Music in our Schools Month and also authored a music teacher’s resource book for special needs and early childhood education. In 2001, she was named the Virginia Elementary Music Teacher of the Year.

Greg said he and Betty are strong proponents of a liberal arts education, and he attended Bridgewater over other colleges for that reason.

“I chose BC because it was a liberal arts college with outstanding credentials in biology,” Greg said. “It’s very satisfying to see the liberal arts tradition continuing and thriving.”

They said they are grateful for the opportunity to give back to Bridgewater and hope their gift will ensure access to life-changing educational opportunities in the field of natural sciences for generations to come.

“We look at this as a real honor,” Greg said. “Neither of us ever expected we would be able to have this kind of impact on the lives of so many.”

Bridgewater President Dr. David W. Bushman said the college is appreciative of the Coffmans’ gift, “a symbol of their devotion to learning and recognition of the transformative power of a Bridgewater College education. The Coffmans’ decision to name the School of Natural Sciences ensures the College will continue to enhance the lives of students for decades to come.”

Bridgewater has two other named schools: the Bonnie Forrer and John Harvey Rhodes School of Arts and Humanities, established in 2021, and the Rev. Wilfred E. and Dr. Joyce A. Nolen School of Business and Professional Studies, established in 2023.

Connections: The Campaign for Bridgewater College has raised 96 percent of its $35 million goal.

Founded in 1880, Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college in the Central Shenandoah Valley. Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,450 students pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergraduate majors and minors, and four graduate programs housed within three distinct schools.