Shonda Rhimes is making history at Dartmouth.

The Emmy-winning producer, showrunner, and author has pledged $15 million to fund a new undergraduate residence hall that will bear her name. When it opens in 2028, it will be the first building at Dartmouth named after a woman and the first named after a Black alum.

“It’s an opportunity to show how formative my college experience was for me. It’s also really beautiful to be able to place some legacy on the building—to give back what was given to me and to leave something behind,” Rhimes said in a statement. “And at a time when it feels like people are questioning the value of higher education, it feels important to put my money back into higher education.”

Rhimes graduated in 1991 and has stayed connected to her alma mater, serving on its Board of Trustees and supporting major initiatives, including the reopening of the Hopkins Center for the Arts, where she performed and directed as a student.

“It’s an opportunity to show how formative my college experience was for me, she continued. “It’s also really beautiful to be able to place some legacy on the building—to give back what was given to me and to leave something behind. And at a time when it feels like people are questioning the value of higher education, it feels important to put my money back into higher education.”

The five-story Shonda Rhimes Hall will house 123 upper-level students in apartment-style suites, with space designed to encourage creativity and wellness, including a studio, soundproof rooms, and even a grand piano in the common area.

“This extraordinary gift is pivotal for Dartmouth at this time,” Dartmouth President Beilock said. “It will directly enhance the student experience while reimagining a key part of campus. I’m grateful to Shonda, who has made a career of creating inclusive worlds where any one of us can be the protagonist of the story. We are honored that her name will grace this building and be a beacon of welcome to the generations of Dartmouth students who will write their own stories here with that same expansive sense of possibility.”

Construction is set to break ground early next year and will open in 2028.