California State University, Northridge’s College of Arts, Media and Communication received a $52,000 endowment from real estate investor Robert Barbera to support performances by music students. The endowment will be used to underwrite performances by the college’s major music ensembles, including the symphony orchestra, wind ensemble, Jazz A Band and the Northridge Singers.
The College of Charleston (S.C.) received a $2.5 million grant from the Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust to establish the School of Languages, Cultures and World Affairs on campus.
Columbia Law School (N.Y.) received a $3.2 million gift from Alphonse Fletcher Jr., chairman and CEO of Fletcher Asset Management. The gift will endow a professorship in race and social justice issues. Jack Greenberg, former director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, will hold the initial professorship.
Cornell University (N.Y.) received a $25 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the construction of the 100,000-square-foot William H. Gates Hall. The $50 million facility will hold a lecture hall, faculty offices, classrooms, laboratories, student project spaces and conference rooms.
Furman University (S.C.) received a $3 million grant from the Marshall E. Rinker Sr. Foundation to construct, furnish and endow the north hall of the university’s planned new science complex. The section of the complex will be the main entry for the building and will be called the Marshall E. and Vera Lea Rinker Hall.
Pennsylvania State University received a $300,000 gift from Barnes & Noble to co-sponsor the Penn State Forum Speaker Series. The lunchtime series features leaders and policymakers from several different fields and is modeled after the National Press Club’s Speaker Series.
Prince George’s Community College (Md.) received $23,100 from the Verizon Foundation for Technology as part of the college’s Changing Lives-Building Communities campaign. The donation will provide technology equipment for PGCC’s new High Technology Center.
