Texas Christian University announced a new endowed fund made possible by a $3 million investment from the Bezos Family Foundation and established in recognition of the College of Education’s centennial year. The endowment will fund an expansion of the college’s research initiatives, fueling the science of learning while bolstering faculty-led research and community-engaged projects that address critical education issues.  

The College of Education Centennial Endowment for Research will also enable the college’s existing centers and institutes to expand their capabilities — this includes the Center for Public Education & Community Engagement, the Andrews Institute for Research in Mathematics & Science Education and the Alice Neeley Special Education Research and Service Institute.   

“We’re deeply grateful for this extraordinary support. It’s more than a financial gift — it’s a vote of confidence in our mission and in the impact our faculty and students are making every day,” said Frank Hernandez, dean of the College of Education. “With this endowment, we’ll continue to invest in the research, innovation and partnerships that define a great college education. As TCU moves toward R1, this funding helps ensure we’re not only expanding knowledge but preparing the next generation of educational leaders to do the same.” 

The Bezos Family Foundation is a private foundation created by Mike and Jackie Bezos and their family. Since 2000, they’ve been driven by a simple but ambitious vision: a world where all young people reach their full potential and meaningfully contribute to society. Their children, Christina Bezos-Poore ’92 and Mark Bezos ’92, serve as directors of the foundation alongside their spouses. Jackie Bezos passed away this year.  

“The TCU community honors Jackie’s legacy and is grateful for the Bezos family’s enduring partnership with the College of Education to support early learning opportunities for all children,” Hernandez said. 

A third gift from the Bezos Family Foundation, the new endowment complements its multimillion-dollar support of the College of Education. The foundation established the KinderFrogs Endowed Scholarship Program, which provides tuition aid for TCU’s youngest Horned Frogs, as well as the Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Early Childhood Education, held by Jan Lacina, an internationally recognized scholar and researcher in literacy, teacher preparation and children’s literature.   

“Our partnership with TCU’s College of Education is a long-term investment in faculty-led and community-driven research that fuels innovation, strengthens faculty excellence and the student experience, and helps shape the future of learning on a national scale,” Jody Rosentswieg, managing director of strategic initiatives at the Bezos Family Foundation, said. 

TCU is supporting centers and institutes, including the Center for Public Education & Community Engagement, by advocating for public education and aims to strengthen it by building partnerships, engaging in various initiatives and promoting research. The Andrews Institute for Research in Mathematics & Science Education provides an environment for innovation and change through research and teaching by TCU faculty and students. The Alice Neeley Special Education Research and Service Institute (ANSERS) works with Starpoint and KinderFrogs, TCU’s two on-campus lab schools. The institute’s faculty conducts research focused on improving academic and social outcomes for students with disabilities in public and private school settings and explores how to best meet the needs of such children. 

The Bezos Family Foundation has recognized itself as the “initial donor” to this fund in hopes that others will contribute any amount at any time. A gift to this fund not only supports research in the College of Education but also aligns with TCU’s pursuit of a Research 1 designation in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.