Howard University has received a record gift in support of its College of Engineering and ... [+]
Three universities — Howard University, Case Western Reserve University and the University of Washington — have recently reported receiving historic gifts, each one for the enhancement of academic programs. Collectively, the gifts are worth $25 million.
Howard University
On June 5, Howard University reported that Autodesk Inc had made a $5 million gift to Howard’s College of Engineering and Architecture, making it the largest unrestricted donation in CEA’s history. This gift will be used to equip Howard’s new Design and Make lab, scheduled to open this fall as a center for interdisciplinary teaching and research.
“We are immensely grateful for Autodesk’s gift to Howard’s College of Engineering and Architecture,” said Howard University president Ben Vinson III. “Howard is a leader in graduating Black engineers, and this gift will expand our ability to provide our students with the best and latest resources throughout the course of their education here. This is increasingly important to us as competition for entry-level jobs continues to increase and as the need for tech and AI skills becomes all the more critical.”
Autodesk and Howard have enjoyed a university-industry partnership for the last six years, which has led to curriculum development and training of the university’s mechanical engineering students. “All of these efforts will be used for the long-term development and sustainability of establishing a diverse engineering workforce,” added Nadir Yilmaz, Ph.D., P.E., professor and chair of Howard University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.
University of Washington
Last month, the University of Washington School of Nursing announced a $10 million bequest from UW chemistry professor emeritus Larry R. Dalton and his wife, Nicole A. Boand. The gift is the largest in the history of the UW School of Nursing.
The donation will be split, with $8 million going to fund scholarships. The remaining $2 million will be used to expand clinical education, including the recruitment of clinical nurse educators who can provide on-the-job training for students.
Both programs will be named in honor of Boand, a registered nurse, who said, “this gift is what makes the end of my life worthwhile,” in the university’s announcement.
Washington is projected to have the greatest need for nurses of all 50 U.S. states by 2035, according to a 2022 report from the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis.
“The intention of our gift is to support the extended development of training in a clinical setting matching the student’s choice of specialization, including providing appropriate training supervision,” Boand added. “This would provide the nursing student with deepened clinical experience in their area of preference, so they enter their nursing career fully prepared to provide the best care for their patients.”
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University has received a $10 million donation alumnus Kevin Kranzusch for support of the computer and data sciences department in the university’s Case School of Engineering.
Kranzusch and his wife, Lynne Bosworth, have made two prior $5 million gifts to Case Western to establish the department and endow two professorships and a graduate fellowship.
This third gift will be used to fund four initiatives:
- a $3 million endowment fund for faculty project startup funds, teaching needs and curriculum development;
- a $2 million increase in the Kranzusch Fellows Fund;
- $2 million to create a third endowed professorship;
- and $3 million to create an endowment for student success.
“Phase three is primarily about the students,” said Kranzusch, vice president of NVIDIA, a technology company that designs Graphics Processing Units. “I want to make sure the department can be sustained over time and that the students—both undergrad and grad—actually see the benefits of it. That means bringing in yet another professor, increasing the fellowship grants and funding student activities like student travel, student meetings and probably a lot of student pizza parties—building up that feeling of belonging in the department to make sure it’s all coming together.”
“We appreciate Kevin and Lynne’s continued support for the computer and data sciences department and their commitment to student success,” added Case Western Reserve University President Eric W. Kaler, in the announcement. “The impact of their initial two investments on enrollment demonstrates the clear demand for expanding computer and data sciences coursework and research. This significant third gift will further strengthen and solidify the department’s long-term success.”
The Kranzusch gift marks the second major donation received by Case Western this month. On June 6, it announced it had received a $20 million donation from the Tinkham Veale Foundation for its new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building.
