The Riccio Gift
About
We're now the Daniel J. Riccio Jr. College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
In 2025, Dan Riccio ’86, ’24MS—a former key leader and innovator at Apple for 26 years—committed $50 million to support immediate and long-term initiatives to fuel innovative research, strengthen academic excellence, and expand access and opportunity for generations of UMass Amherst engineering students. It is the largest gift in campus history. In recognition, the university established the Daniel J. Riccio Jr. College of Engineering.
The Riccio Gift
Riccio Research and Innovation Fund
A launchpad for high-risk, high-reward projects, this endowed fund ($5 million) will play a key role in shaping the future of the college—strengthening its contributions to knowledge, advancing cross-disciplinary collaborations, and fostering innovation ecosystems.
Riccio Scholarships and Fellowships
An endowed fund ($15 million) will help make a world-class education affordable for our engineering students—empowering the thinkers, creators, and leaders who are poised to drive change and positively impact the world.
Professorships, Chairs, and the Deanship
An endowed fund ($20 million) will help us attract and retain top faculty—creating a chair in biomedical engineering; professorships for eight distinguished faculty members; a deanship, as well as faculty fellowships.
The Catalyst Fund
The $10 million catalyst fund provides flexible support for the college's highest priorities, including initiatives that 1) explore the intersection of technology and health; 2) develop engineering-focused design curriculum; and 3) create leadership programming.