This week saw historic private gifts received by three universities for special health or science initiatives. Announcing the receipt of multi-million dollar donations were the Univeristy of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Tulane University; and Florida Atlantic University.
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (UWM) announced the largest gift in its history – a $20 million donation from the Zilber Family Foundation to UWM’s Joseph J. Zilber College of Public Health.
The gift will fund two endowments: the Zilber Faculty Excellence Fund and the Vera Zilber Student Program Fund. The endowments will enable an expansion of research and will increase both graduate-level and undergraduate scholarships.
“The Zilber Family Foundation’s landmark gift is a vote of confidence in UWM and the college’s future,” said UWM Chancellor Mark Mone in a news release. “It reinforces our pillars of faculty excellence, top-tier research, student access and achievement. This extraordinary gift significantly enhances our ability to recruit and retain top faculty members while accelerating and supporting the students who will become our nation’s public health leaders. Today is one of the highlights of my career, and it’s due the partnership that we have here.”
The Zilber Family Foundation was founded in 1961 by Joseph J. Zilber and his wife, Vera, owners of Zilber Ltd., a residential and commercial real estate firm. Its mission is to improve wellbeing by investing in nonprofit organizations that help ensure personal safety; increase social and economic opportunities; and improve quality of life in neighborhoods.
In 2007, Joe Zilber donated $10 million to support the development of the UW-Milwaukee Graduate College of Public Health, which is Wisconsin’s only accredited school of public health, one of 56 accredited public health schools in the country.
Tulane University
Tulane University reported it had received a $12.5 million donation from long-time supporters Libby and Robert Alexander to support a university-wide data science initiative. As a result of the gift, Tulane’s Data Hub will be renamed the Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science. Connolly is the family name of Libby Alexander, who is a Tulane graduate and member of the Board of Tulane.
The new institute will “enable Tulane students across all disciplines to understand how data shapes our environment, to think critically about data-based arguments and to use data in their studies and careers,” according to the university.
“Understanding data in 2023 is as fundamental a skill as reading, writing and arithmetic, and its role in society will only grow in the coming years, especially with the emergence of artificial intelligence,” the Alexanders said in the university’s release. “Whatever their majors, Tulane students must know how to navigate data, and integrating data science across the curricula will cultivate their data literacy. We are thrilled to play a role in Tulane’s data-centered evolution.”
Libby Alexander earned her bachelor’s degree from Tulane in 1984. She and her husband, Robert, helped build Connolly, Inc. into a leading payment integrity firm. Libby ultimately became CEO of the company and later served as vice chairman of the board of Cotiviti, Inc., the successor company of Connolly, Inc. Robert, who majored in computer science at Boston University, ran his own computer company before joining Connolly, Inc. as its Chief Information Officer.
“If anyone understands the importance of data management and analytics to the present and to the future, it’s Libby and Robert Alexander,” Tulane President Michael Fitts said. “Through their expertise and generosity, they have been instrumental in furthering and developing Tulane’s strategy for implementing data literacy and data science at every level of the university. We’re extremely grateful that the business success they achieved is now helping to drive this initiative at Tulane. Our students will reach new heights academically thanks to the support of this amazing Tulane couple.”
“The Alexander gift will allow us to hire more professors, instructional designers and data scientists,” said Tulane’s Data Hub Executive Director, Patrick Button. They can “help us offer substantial additional programming and services, including establishing a data help desk for students and faculty, providing hands-on support for instructors developing new courses, and facilitating research collaborations,” he added.
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University received an $11.5 million gift from Ann and John Wood of the FairfaxWood Scholarship Foundation. It will establish the FairfaxWood Health and Innovation Technology Initiative, focused on building multi-disciplinary teams that will research the causes and treatment of amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a buildup of abnormal amyloid fibrils in the body. Amyloidosis can affect different organs including the heart, brain, kidneys, spleen and other parts of the body.
A portion of the new gift will be used to establish an endowed “FairfaxWood Chair of Clinical Neurosciences,” who will direct “discovery to cure” initiatives for amyloidosis, and eventually other disorders.
The $11.5 million gift from the Wood family is their fourth contribution to FAU’s College of Medicine and follows a $28 million donation in 2022 that funds medical education scholarships in memory of their son.
“Philanthropy has an increasingly important role in advancing science and supporting vital research initiatives that have implications for people not just locally but across the globe, especially when it involves an illness or condition that is complex, multifactorial and difficult to treat,” said Ann and John Wood. “Amyloidosis in particular, is a disease that has personally impacted our family, and why we decided to invest in this initiative to usher in a new era to treat this disease, hopefully find a cure, and most importantly, provide patients with hope.”
John and Ann Wood established Pres-T-Con, a prestressed concrete business in Trinidad. The firm built bridges, piers and cruise ship facilities throughout the Caribbean. The couple continued to operate the firm from Boca Raton until they sold it in 2005.
“We are eternally grateful to Ann and John Wood for their vision, generosity and continued support of our medical school through this extraordinary gift,” said FAU President Stacy Volnick, in the university’s announcement of the gift. “The FairfaxWood Health & Innovation Technology Initiative will transform the way our researchers and clinicians study and treat amyloidosis and other serious medical conditions that require a synergistic approach to improve health and quality of life.”
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