AMHERST, Mass. — UMass Amherst received its largest-ever donation from a former Apple executive and UMass alumnus, who gifted the school $50 million in support of scholarships, fellowships, professorships, and new initiatives on campus.
The donation made by Daniel Riccio, a 1986 graduate of the university and one of Apple’s top former hardware executives, marks a pivotal moment for the commonwealth’s flagship public research university, signaling a new era of innovation and impact, according to UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes.
“We are deeply grateful to Dan for his transformational gift and commitment to the future of engineering at UMass Amherst,” Reyes said in an announcement. “His forward-thinking philanthropy and belief in our research and the impact of a UMass education will elevate the entire campus and empower UMass engineering students to shape their environment and the world for generations.”
In recognition of Riccio’s generosity, the university will establish the Daniel J. Riccio Jr. College of Engineering. A naming celebration will be held later this fall.
“As a proud alum, I’ve seen UMass Amherst, including its College of Engineering, become a world-class institution over the past 20 years. While UMass has come a long way, I believe it has untapped potential and with the right level of investment and support, its best days are yet to come,” Riccio said in a statement shared by the university. “This said, I’m excited to make this gift and partner with UMass to take the College of Engineering to the next level and build on its mission of revolutionizing engineering and making the world a better place.”
The university said $40 million of Riccio’s gift will support scholarships for undergraduate engineering students, graduate fellowships, a chair in biomedical engineering, professorships for the recruitment and/or retention of eight distinguished faculty members, a deanship, and faculty fellowships.
The other $10 million will go to the Daniel J. Riccio Jr. College of Engineering’s highest priorities: Exploring the intersection of technology and health by partnering with UMass Chan Medical School, developing a design curriculum in conjunction with the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, and creating an engineering leadership program in collaboration with the Isenberg School of Management, the university said.
Gov. Maura Healey said the historic donation is a “monumental step forward” in lengthening the Bay State’s lead in research and innovation.
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