Clark University receives $10 million for new climate-focused school
Clark University, a New England Council member, will soon be on its way to establishing a new School of Climate, Environment, and Society, which follows a $10 million from philanthropist and university trustee Vickie Riccardo. The school will seek to produce advanced ways of fighting climate change, resulting from a 2-year interdisciplinary planning effort. The school will draw upon nearly every Clark University department and focus on many new ways of researching climate change mitigation.
The $10 million donation includes the contribution of Riccardo’s daughters, Jocelyn and Alyssa Spencer, who are both Clark alumnae. They hope this donation will kickstart an eventual goal of $75-100 million raised for the school. A dean will be hired once the school starts operations and represents a consecutive donation from the Spencer family following a previous donation of $1 million to Clark for the university’s Little Center and Michelson Theater.
“Clark’s School of Climate, Environment, and Society will offer a truly interdisciplinary approach to addressing one of the world’s most intractable challenges, drawing from nearly every University department,” Riccardo said in the press release. “Clark’s approach will distinguish it from other programs at other universities. Climate is a universal, multilayered, multifaceted challenge. I am tremendously excited about the potential to elevate Clark’s distinctive reach and impact through an innovative and inclusive curriculum, rigorous research program, and outreach collaborations.”
The New England Council congratulates Clark University for establishing this new school.
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