News Summary
George Mason University has announced the renaming of its School of Computing to honor a $20 million donation from the Kimmy Duong Foundation. This significant contribution aims to enhance computing and technology education and is part of a larger trend of universities receiving multimillion-dollar donations. The donation will create endowments for student scholarships, particularly benefiting those in nursing, education, or journalism. GMU’s President expressed gratitude for the support, emphasizing its transformative impact on educational opportunities.
Fairfax, Virginia – George Mason University (GMU) is set to rename its School of Computing to the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong School of Computing following a historic $20 million donation from the Kimmy Duong Foundation. This substantial contribution aims to bolster the university’s initiatives in computing and technology education.
The donation is part of a broader pattern of significant financial support for universities, with GMU, Creighton University, and the University of San Diego each receiving multimillion-dollar donations in the past week. GMU’s donation is particularly impactful, with the potential total reaching $36 million due to eligibility for matching funds from Virginia’s Tech Talent Investment Program.
The Board of Visitors at GMU voted unanimously to honor the donation by renaming the School of Computing. This initiative will create three endowments specifically aimed at supporting student scholarships and success initiatives in the College of Engineering. Among these, two endowments will be dedicated to scholarships for students within the college, while the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong Scholarship Endowment will prioritize support for students majoring in nursing, education, or journalism.
GMU President Gregory Washington acknowledged the importance of the donation, expressing gratitude to Kimmy Duong and Long Nguyen for their generosity. Their commitment is seen as a reflection of the challenges and successes faced by students at GMU, emphasizing the transformational role that such financial support can have on educational opportunities.
Kimmy Duong, who was born in Vietnam, has a remarkable personal history. After earning her BS in economics and law from the University of Saigon in 1966, she worked for IBM until her departure from Vietnam in 1975. Arriving in the United States with only $30 to her name, Duong eventually joined Pragmatics, where she served as vice chairwoman and CFO. In 2015, she established the Kimmy Duong Foundation, focusing on health, education, and welfare initiatives both in the U.S. and Vietnam.
This is not the first time Duong and Nguyen have contributed to GMU; they previously made a $5 million donation in 2009 to establish the Nguyen Engineering Building. Their continued support underscores their commitment to enhancing educational resources and opportunities for future generations of students.
In recent trends of philanthropy within higher education, Creighton University received a $10 million bequest from Elno Zikmund and Tillie Zikmund for unrestricted scholarships, highlighting a growing recognition of the need for financial support in academic pursuits. Similarly, the University of San Diego announced a $10 million donation from Dan and Phyllis Epstein through their Epstein Family Foundation, aimed at supporting military-connected students. Epstein emphasized the importance of this initiative and the need for community support in acquiring matching funds.
A special ceremony was held at GMU on April 25 to honor the $20 million donation from the Kimmy Duong Foundation, attended by Dean Ken Ball and other university officials, who highlighted the transformative impact such contributions have on the educational landscape.
In her address during the ceremony, Duong expressed gratitude for the numerous opportunities presented to her in America and the crucial role that education plays in shaping individuals’ lives. This donation not only reflects her commitment to education but also aims to pave the way for students to achieve their dreams and overcome challenges similar to those she faced.
The recent financial boosts to various universities indicate a growing trend of philanthropic support aimed at enhancing educational initiatives and providing vital resources for students across different fields of study.
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Additional Resources
- Northern Virginia Magazine: George Mason University Renames Its School of Computing
- Forbes: George Mason, Creighton, and San Diego Receive Major Naming Gifts
- WTOP: Kimmy Duong Foundation Donates $20M to George Mason University
- Wikipedia: George Mason University
- Encyclopedia Britannica: George Mason University
