UConn Gets Anonymous $3 Million Faculty Research Grant

STORRS, CT — An anonymous donor, "impressed by UConn’s research in ecology and evolutionary biology," has given $3 million to endow two research positions in the university’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the UConn foundation announced Thursday.

The "unprecedented" gift means the University of Connecticut "will be able to recruit and retain two of the best scientists in the field," according to the announcement.

“This gift will elevate the college's already innovative research and education in ecology and evolutionary biology, sciences that are increasingly relevant in the modern world," said Juli Wade, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "Transformative gifts like these help us attract and keep the best researchers and educators, who enrich the entire University and the state of Connecticut."

The gift "speaks directly" to UConn President Thomas Katsouleas's goal of doubling UConn’s research enterprise over the next 10 years. UConn, a top public research university, carries out research within its 14 schools and colleges and 80 research centers and institutes.

The UConn Board of Trustees approved the naming of the chairs Wednesday.

"This is completely unprecedented," said Eric Schultz, professor in ecology and evolutionary biology. "No department in the University has been granted two endowed chairs simultaneously like this. It represents a substantial and absolutely incredible opportunity for us."

Ecology and evolutionary biology faculty and staff investigate and teach about the earth's heritage of biological diversity, an important area of research given the high rate of human-caused extinctions, Schultz said.

The two positions can be used to recruit scholars to the department or to support current faculty members. The chairs are named after the Shakespearean characters Titania and Prospero in honor of the donor, a lifelong student of the Bard.

See more about UConn’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department here.