Melinda Gates

Duke put its money where its service-learning mouth is with the debut of DukeEngage, which will provide funding for every undergraduate's summer service projects. That initiative only became possible with the largess of Duke alum Melinda French Gates' (and her somewhat illustrious husband's) Gates Foundation. Over the past academic year, the Foundation has donated $71.5 million to the University-add that to the $30 committed in 2002 toward the construction of the French Science Center. Pretty good for a former Duke sorority girl (French is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta).