In This Section:
Class of '56 to support University Archives
MassMutual establishes Hartford Huskies scholarships
$1.25 Million Boehringer Ingelheim gift endows pharmacy chair
Gift will help to gather, preserve and provide access to unique historic materials
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| Photo: Peter Morenus |
| Jon Shea ’07 (CLAS) processes additions to the University Archives, at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center. |
In celebration of UConn's 125th anniversary, members of the Class of 1956 gift committee have created an endowment supporting the University Archives, housed in the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, for its 50th reunion gift campaign.
The Class of 1956 Archives Endowment Fund is expected to generate income that will be used to gather, preserve and provide access to historic University materials ranging from official documents to other objects of unique research and scholarly value, such as program materials and publications.
The collection consists of thousands of University publications, periodicals, photographic images and selected artifacts in a variety of formats.
A $125,000 goal has been established for the fund, and $70,000 has been raised to date through the efforts of the individual members.
"The University has a rich history that we strive to preserve and make available to a wide audience interested in learning more about the growth of a great public institution," says Tom Wilsted , director of the Dodd Research Center.
"This effort illustrates what a difference significant gifts from alumni can make in shaping our future."
Wilsted says proceeds from the endowment also will enable the Dodd Center to promote wider knowledge, appreciation and use of the Archives by students and scholars through outreach activities and to develop public programs, exhibitions, conferences and similar events.
The Class of '56 gift committee includes Ray Neag '56 (CLAS), Thomas Wolff '56 (CLAS), Lionel Olmer '56 (CLAS), '00 (CLAS) and Bill Ratchford '56 (CLAS), each with a long history of philanthropic and volunteer support for UConn.
A new scholarship program will assist 60 academically talented Hartford high school graduates who might not otherwise have had the chance to attend the University of Connecticut.
MassMutual Hartford Huskies Scholars is a partnership between the Hartford Public Schools, UConn, and the MassMutual Foundation for Hartford, Inc.
The program was launched in May with a $584,000 contribution by the MassMutual Foundation.
The scholarship program will eliminate some of the barriers to college facing Hartford public school graduates and support the city's goal of increasing by 25 percent the number of Hartford youth attending four-year colleges.
Students will receive four years of financial support and academic fees assistance including books, computer, leadership conference fees, lab fees, emergency travel funding, study abroad fees, and tutorial fees.
They also will receive four years of academic advising and four years of social support to enhance their overall college experience.
"This is an innovative and exciting program that gives Hartford students exactly what they need to succeed: opportunity," says Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez.
The program will focus on the recruitment, retention and graduation of low-income, first-generation Hartford students admitted to the University through UConn's Student Support Services program.
"As Connecticut 's flagship public university, UConn endeavors to open its doors to every academically qualified student in the state," says President Philip E. Austin.
"We are proud of our progress in maintaining a student body that is culturally and economically diverse, and the MassMutual Hartford Huskies Scholars program will take us an important step forward."
"This new program was designed to fulfill a specific need in Hartford , where so many students deserve the opportunity to continue their education at Connecticut 's flagship university," says Ronald A. Copes, executive director of the MassMutual Foundation and corporate vice president of community relations for MassMutual.
"We've helped foster a culture of academic achievement in Hartford . By helping send 60 new students to UConn, we're taking the natural next step in opening doors to education."
The first 15 Hartford students to enter UConn this fall have been selected.
"I've always dreamed of going to UConn, but I never would have made it there without this kind of support," says Crystal Cruz, who graduated from Hartford Public High School in the spring.
"I know some day I'll be back here talking to future students about how education made a difference in my life, and I'll always be grateful to MassMutual, UConn, and the Hartford Public Schools for making it happen."
$1.25 Million Boehringer Ingelheim
Gift Endows Pharmacy Chair
A $1.25 million gift from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., will establish the nation's first endowed chair in mechanistic drug toxicology at the UConn School of Pharmacy.
Mechanistic toxicology is the study of how foreign compounds such as drugs, environmental pollutants, and industrial chemicals exert their potentially damaging effects on cells and tissues.
The field is widely regarded as the next frontier for drug development and medical breakthroughs because of its potential to greatly reduce the number of drugs that fail to meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety standards during the extensive clinical trial period.
"The cost of drug development is skyrocketing because so many drugs fail in pre-clinical and clinical studies as a result of safety concerns," says Peter Farina, senior vice president of development for Boehringer Ingelheim.
"This partnership between the state's flagship public research university and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., positions the state of Connecticut at the forefront of this dynamic and rapidly developing field."
The chair is expected to attract a nationally recognized researcher who has made significant contributions to the field.
The chair holder will investigate new processes for evaluating experimental drugs and predictive methods for identifying compound toxicities and educate students on how to successfully apply these techniques to develop potentially safer and more effective medications.
"The creation of this endowed chair in mechanistic toxicology-the first of its kind at any research institution nationwide-raises our national profile and firmly establishes our standing among this country's elite schools of pharmacy," says Robert McCarthy, dean of pharmacy.
"Boehringer Ingelheim's investment in UConn and in the field of mechanistic toxicology will help to accelerate the next round of medical breakthroughs and ultimately lower the cost of life-saving medications."
With the establishment of the new chair, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., is expanding its existing collaborations between the company's scientists and UConn faculty and students.
The firm previously donated $250,000 to name a laboratory in the new Pharmacy/Biology Building that specializes in dosage forms and contributed $1 million to endow two faculty positions in clinical pharmacology and immunology at the UConn Health Center.
Total gifts and commitments from the company are nearing $4 million.
UConn has a total of 55 endowed chairs and 17 endowed professorships.