janet jai, A’67, known for her fusion of poetry, activism and visual art, continues to inspire creativity at the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts through a significant gift in her memory to fund numerous activities and supports for students.
An English major during her time at Duquesne, janet jai blended text and image in service of identity, justice and artistic experimentation. In 2021, she established the Women’s Voices are Important fund. This new gift builds on that legacy.
Scholarship aid, course-based excursions to museums and galleries, and programming that brings visiting artists and writers to campus will all be supported through the fund. It will also strengthen initiatives like the Coffee House Reading Series, establish the janet jai Prize and provide summer funding for students to attend off-campus creative programs.
A portion of the gift will preserve and house the janet jai archives on campus.
“We have a lot of students doing compelling projects that really speak to the kind of interdisciplinary work that janet herself championed,” said John Fried, associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in English, Department of English and Theater Arts. “We’re so pleased to have the gift and to be able to honor such a remarkable alum.”
With its support for emerging writers, the janet jai Memorial Endowed Fund will give students the tools to reimagine our world and nurture creative courage for years to come.
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July 14, 2025