William Hill US, America’s leading sports betting company, presented Rutgers University–Newark (RU-N) with a check for $50,000 as a gift toward scholarships for students in RU-N’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing Program. The gift is expected to support dozens of scholarships. 

William Hill presented the check at a press conference held Thursday, June 27, at RU-N’s Alumni Center on Washington Street in Newark. 

“We are proud to present this gift to the Rutgers University–Newark for their Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program,” said William Hill U.S. President of Retail Operations David L. Grolman. “It is important for students to feel comfortable creating their own work and embrace their unique thoughts and skills as they develop professionally and personally.” 

Established in 2007, the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Rutgers-Newark is one of the leading MFA programs in the United States. It is a 36-credit-hour, studio/research program that focuses on 12 credit hours of writing workshop in a declared genre, requires six thesis hours in which students work one-on-one with their mentor professors, and requires 18 credit hours of graduate courses in literature. 

School of Arts and Sciences-Newark Professor Rigoberto González, renowned poet and author who leads the Creative Writing program, stated, “This generous gift comes at a time when the MFA Program in Creative Writing is reaffirming its commitment to working closely with the city of Newark. Our home is vibrant and dynamic, and we are excited to be able to contribute to its cultural energy. We are grateful to be recognized for our various outreach efforts, and appreciative that these funds will further the projects we conceptualize in service to Rutgers University and the Newark community at large.” 

Media Coverage: NY Times | Seattle Times | Tap Into | Washington Post AP News | 13 WREX | My North West | 9 and 10 News | News Observer | The Tribune | CT Post | Meadville Tribune | 27 ABC WKOW | Seattle Pi | Midland Daily News | Miami Herald | Timesunion | Chron | Myrtle Beach Online | Charlotte Observer | SF Gate | Start Tribune | Centre Daily Times | The Philadelphia Tribune | Michigan's  Thumb | Post Register | Merced Sun-Star | Beaumont Enterprise600 City News | News Times | Belleville News-Democrat | The Island Packet | The State Journal | LMT Online | My SA | Winchester Star | The Daily Item | Muskogee Phoenix | The Intellingencer | New Canaan News | Twitter @darrenrovell 

About Rutgers University–Newark 
Rutgers University–Newark (RU-N) is a diverse, urban, public research university that is an anchor institution in New Jersey’s cultural capital. More than 13,000 students are currently enrolled at its 38-acre campus in a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered through the College of Arts and Sciences, University College, the Graduate School, Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick, the Rutgers Law School – Newark, the School of Criminal Justice, and the School of Public Affairs and Administration. RU-N is exceptionally well positioned to fulfill higher education’s promise as an engine of discovery, innovation, and social mobility. It has a remarkable legacy of producing high-impact scholarship that is connected to the great questions and challenges of the world. It has the right mix of disciplines and interdisciplinary centers and institutes to take on those questions and challenges. It is in and of a city and region where its work on local challenges undertaken with partners from many sectors resonates powerfully throughout our urbanizing world. Most importantly, RU-N brings an incredible diversity of people to this work—students, faculty, staff, and community partners—making it more innovative, more creative, more engaging, and more relevant for our time and the times ahead. For more information, please visit www.newark.rutgers.edu

About William Hill 
William Hill PLC is one of the world's leading betting and gaming companies, employing over 16,000 people. Its origins are in the UK where it was founded in 1934, and where it is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The majority of its $2.1 billion annual revenues are still derived from the UK, where it has a national presence of licensed betting offices and one of the leading online betting and gaming services. In 2012, it established William Hill US with a focus on retail and mobile operations in Nevada, which is now the largest sports betting business in the USA. William Hill US www.williamhill.us