STATE UNIVERSITIES
MSU Engineering receives $5 million endowment
Michigan State University’s College of Engineering received a $5 million bequest commitment from alumni couple Gary and Patricia Coffman, which will establish the Gary A. and Patricia A. Coffman Endowed Scholarship/Fellowship. Funds will be split into an endowed scholarship/fellowship for talented students, as well as a discretionary fund for the dean.
GVSU Student Academic Success Center expanding
Grand Valley State University’s Student Academic Success Center was awarded a gift of $200,000 from the Consumers Energy Foundation. The donation will go toward enhancing the Oliver Wilson Freshman Academy, which provides academic and social support from faculty, staff, and peer mentors to help students transition from high school to college. The program will expand to also help upperclassmen with their graduation goals and build community support.
Ferris State trustees approve new degree programs
The Board of Trustees at Ferris State University recently approved four new academic degree programs. These include a Bachelor of Science in Spanish for the Professions, a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Chemistry with concentrations in manufacturing science and fermentation science for the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management for the College of Business. The university plans to begin enrolling students in these programs at the start of the Fall 2015 semester.
PEER INSTITUTIONS
UCLA Anderson receives $100 million donation
The UCLA Anderson School of Management received a $100 million donation from longtime supporter Marion Anderson in honor of her late husband, for whom the school is named. $60 million of the gift will go towards establishing an endowment for student financial aid and fellowships, faculty and research funding, and program innovations to prepare graduates to be leaders in today’s economy. $40 million will provide seed funding for a new building that hopes to advance student’s learning experiences through technologically-enhanced classrooms, by connecting students with faculty and alumni, and by housing research centers and faculty.
MIT establishes five-year, $25M research alliance with Philips
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced an alliance with Philips for an initial term of five years and $25 million to support MIT research conducted in collaboration with Philips Research. The research projects are expected to focus on the company’s core areas of health care and lighting solution technology, while 70 percent of the research funding is expected to support studies on health diagnostics and imaging, and the other 30 percent allocated for lighting research.
