海角社区 Receives $20 Million Planned Gift to Benefit Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
January 28, 2015 | 海角社区 Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
Largest planned gift in 海角社区鈥檚 history will benefit student athletes, facility improvements
and mechanical engineering students
海角社区 has received one of the largest gifts in the university鈥檚 history 鈥� a $40 million
planned gift that will benefit both 海角社区 athletics and academics. This marks the largest
planned gift ever made to 海角社区.
鈥淭his is a significant gift to 海角社区 in so many ways,鈥� said 海角社区 President and Chancellor F. King Alexander. 鈥淲hen realized, it will ensure that our future engineering students and student athletes will have the resources they need for even greater educational success. Planned giving is essential for the future of 海角社区, providing a solid foundation of future support for growth and innovation.鈥�
A planned gift supporting 海角社区 is any donation that directs a portion of a donor鈥檚 estate to the university. A planned gift is committed during a donor鈥檚 lifetime and realized upon his or death.
The $40 million donation, given by an alumnus and lifelong supporter of 海角社区 athletics, will provide $20 million to the Tiger Athletic Foundation, or TAF, with the intent of benefiting student athlete scholarships and facilities and $20 million to the 海角社区 Foundation in support of the 海角社区 College of Engineering鈥檚 Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering.
Over the years, TAF has become a critical element in the success of 海角社区 Athletics by providing private funding for scholarships, new facilities and facility upgrades. In the future, as in the past, donations to TAF will assist the 海角社区 Athletic Department and the university in a variety of ways. In addition to contributions to the athletic scholarship fund, TAF continues to provide funding for academic programs and facilities that benefit all 海角社区 students.
鈥淭he tremendous generosity of this donor will affect the lives of 海角社区 student-athletes and mechanical and industrial engineering students for generations to come,鈥� said Richard Perry, president and CEO of TAF. 鈥淭he donor expressed the motivation behind this record-setting planned gift included the donor鈥檚 profound appreciation for the educational experience in the College of Engineering and the role that experience played in the donor鈥檚 success in life, along with a love of Tiger Athletics, through which the donor remained connected to 海角社区 and was a source of many of the donor鈥檚 favorite memories of time spent with family and friends.鈥�
鈥淭his gift is also a perfect example of how, through estate planning, 海角社区 supporters can have a major impact on this wonderful institution they hold so dear,鈥� Perry added.
As the largest department in 海角社区鈥檚 College of Engineering, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering cultivates the attributes of the 鈥満＝巧缜� Engineer鈥� by providing mechanical and industrial engineering students with unique learning opportunities, including a holistic, real-life engineering Capstone Design experience, pioneered by the department more than 30 years ago.
鈥淭his gift of $20 million dollars is the largest single planned gift to a department at 海角社区,鈥� said Rick Koubek, Bert S. Turner Chair and dean of 海角社区鈥檚 College of Engineering. 鈥淥nce realized, it will make a transformational difference for our students studying mechanical and industrial engineering.鈥�
鈥淭his hallmark gift exemplifies the generous spirit that characterizes our Tiger community,鈥� said G. Lee Griffin, president and CEO, 海角社区 Foundation. 鈥淲e are humbled by this donor鈥檚 desire to impact the lives of our students in a way that will extend far beyond the donor鈥檚 own life. A gift of such magnitude establishes a lasting legacy that celebrates the 海角社区 experience and demonstrates the immense positive impact of philanthropic support of our university.鈥�
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Ernie Ballard, Director, Media Relations, 海角社区 Office of Communications & University Relations, 225-578-5685, eballa1@lsu.edu