STATE UNIVERSITIES
$15M gift to MSU supports basketball, students, Detroit
Michigan State University alumni Dan and Jennifer Gilbert recently announced a $15 million donation from their family foundation to impact and elevate student success and one of the nation’s elite basketball programs. The Gilberts’ gift will support a new addition and renovation of the Breslin Center at MSU that will enhance the fan experience for the more than 500,000 people who attend basketball games and other events there each year.
EMU language testing center honored as best new center in the nation
Eastern Michigan University’s International English Language Testing System center was recently recognized for “Best Audit-New Test Center” in the nation from the parent IELTS organization. IELTS is an intense English language proficiency assessment for people who want to study or work in foreign locations where English is commonly used. The EMU IELTS center is a part of the EMU English as a Second Language Program.
PEER INSTITUTIONS
IU professors receive $1.8M NSF grant to protect internet security
Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing researchers have received $1.8 million from the National Science Foundation to ensure that common household appliances, which are increasingly connected to the internet, remain secure. Professors at the school will use the grant to advance cybersecurity of the “internet of things,” a term that describes integration of online connectivity into a growing list of everyday items.
University of Minnesota opens new Bee and Pollinator Research Lab
Bee and pollinator researchers at the University of Minnesota are ready to take their research to the next level in a new, state-of-the-art Bee and Pollinator Research Lab. After a multiyear fundraising campaign and building construction, the university takes another step toward discovering solutions every day to protect bees, which in turn will help to protect our food supply and human health.
Penn State alumnus’ $1M gift endows internships, study in D.C. program
A Penn State alumnus who made his mark in Washington, D.C., has provided support for Penn State students to complete internships and study in the nation’s capital. A $1 million gift from alumnus Stanley Degler will support a semester-in-residence program conducted by the College of Communications in Washington, D.C. Established by the College of Communications 21 years ago, it has served more than 1,200 students.
— Compiled by Meg Bauer, The University Record
