About the Riccio Gift
Transformational Legacy
A distinguished alumnus of UMass Amherst and one of the university’s most dedicated supporters, Dan Riccio has built a transformational legacy of philanthropy, innovation, and leadership. His lifelong commitment to advancing research and fostering excellence is exemplified through extraordinary generosity and active engagement. With this pivotal $50 million gift to UMass Amherst, the largest gift in campus history, Riccio signals a new era of innovation and impact for New England’s top-ranked public engineering program. In recognition of Riccio’s generosity, the university will establish the Daniel J. Riccio Jr College of Engineering.
Lasting Impact
University leaders share how this transformative $50 million gift will fuel innovation, research and student success.
Chancellor Javier Reyes
Sanjay Raman, Dean, Riccio College of Engineering
Dean Raman + Dan Riccio
About Daniel J. Riccio Jr.
Dan Riccio ’86 ‘24MS is a respected leader, recently retired from Apple Inc, who over the past three decades played a lead role in creating the most innovative products in the world. After joining Apple in 1998, Riccio built Apple’s Product Design team and developed its world class product development process leading the team to deliver category defining products including the Mac, iPhone and iPad. Dan then transitioned to leading Apple's Hardware Engineering team to deliver all Apple’s groundbreaking new products that pushed the boundaries of innovation for the next two decades. Prior to Apple, Dan held engineering roles at Compaq and Digital Equipment Corporation.
Outside of his distinguished career, Riccio has received:
- 2025 Distinguished Achievement Award from UMass Amherst for his leadership in designing, developing and engineering nearly all of Apple’s products for almost 30 years
- 2022 College of Engineering Distinguished Achievement Award for his impact on technology and philanthropic contributions to the university’s research mission
- Honorary degree at UMass Chan Medical School’s 48th Commencement in recognition of his visionary leadership and philanthropic impact
Dan in the media
- IB Times: Who Is Dan Riccio? Apple Transitions Hardware Leadership Role from Bob Mansfield
- MIT Fireside Chat with Dan Riccio: Former Apple Executive Shares Reflections on his Journey
- Dan Riccio shares insights on leadership, effective teams and developing innovative products at the Riccio-MIT Graduate Engineering Leadership Program.
Elevating the University and its research
Stephen Karam, UMass Board of Trustees Chair
Marty Meehan, President of the UMass System
Sanjay Raman, Dean, Riccio College of Engineering
Sundar Krishnamurty, Vice Provost for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Creativity
Megan Huber, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Jim Lagrant, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
The Riccios and Philanthropy
Dan and Diane Riccio are deeply committed to transformative philanthropy, driving meaningful change across education, healthcare, and community initiatives. Their contributions have advanced access to cancer clinical trials, fostered leadership development through engineering education, supported groundbreaking neurological and dementia research, and provided critical resources for family housing. Through their charitable efforts, the Riccios have consistently demonstrated a passion for creating lasting impact and improving lives.