Alumni pledge $2m for science building

Robert (left) and Richard Mahoney and their spouses have pledged $2 million towards the planned $80 million integrated science building.

he planned construction of an integrated sciences building received a major boost this week as two husband-wife alumni teams announced their pledge of $2 million for the project.

     The pledge was made by Kathleen and Robert Mahoney, both of whom graduated in 1970; and Barbara and Richard Mahoney, who graduated in 1955. Robert Mahoney is a University trustee and vice chairman of Citizens Financial Group. Richard Mahoney is a distinguished executive in residence at the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy at Washington University in St. Louis and retired chairman and chief executive officer of the Monsanto Company.

     The gift, the first major private contribution for the science facility, highlighted the first day of a two-day celebration marking the inauguration of John Lombardi as the 27th chancellor of the Amherst campus.

     "Like many of our fellow alums, the Mahoney brothers were our family's first generation to attend college," Robert Mahoney said. "UMass was not just our first choice; it was our only hope for a college degree. As President Bulger says about UMass -- 'It's all there.' It was there for us then and through this gift I know it will continue to be there for young scientists in the years to come."

     "The integrated sciences building will place UMass in the forefront of research institutions that are making valuable discoveries by breaking down the artificially created barriers between chemistry and the life sciences," added Richard Mahoney. "It is a sobering thought that we are only now following the lead provided by nature -- mankind, animals, and plants got there first."

     President William M. Bulger said, "We are forever grateful for the gifts that the Mahoney family has provided to the University of Massachusetts. This family has demonstrated, time and again, an appreciation of the educational opportunity that the University of Massachusetts provides to its students. This gift will create opportunities for a new generation. It is a fitting tribute on this day as we celebrate a new era in the University's proud history and call attention to the University's role in the Commonwealth, nation and world."

     Lombardi also paid tribute to the Mahoneys.

     "The Mahoney family has made an important and direct contribution to the core function of the University -- teaching and research," he said. "Our students and faculty, and the citizens of Massachusetts, will be the beneficiaries. The Mahoneys have laid a cornerstone of UMass Amherst's academic imperative. We are delighted and thankful, and we will honor this generosity by carefully nurturing the integrated sciences building to its full potential.''

     The $80 million, 140,000 square foot science facility is intended to harness teaching and research expertise in the fast-emerging life sciences. Interdisciplinary teams of students and researchers in chemistry, biology, animal science, neuroscience and other disciplines will come together in the facility's classrooms and laboratories to teach, learn and discover.

     The Mahoney family's interest in the sciences dates back to their college days. Robert, Richard, and a third brother, William, were all Chemistry majors. As part of an effort to attract major contributions to the project, the Mahoney family gift will be matched by $2 million in University capital funds. The University is expecting to raise $20 million from private sources for the project.

     The project is a critical component of the Western Massachusetts effort to develop its life sciences capacity. The University has been working with state and federal officials and the Baystate Medical Center to develop the life sciences industry of the region.