Columbia Business School Receives $25 Million Gift
Columbia Business School Receives $25 Million Gift
Columbia Business School has announced a $25 million gift from alumnus Leon G. Cooperman, chairman and CEO of Omega Advisors and a member of the school's board of overseers, to support construction of new facilities in the Manhattanville neighborhood north of the university's main campus.
Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the facilities will feature multi-functional spaces in which students, faculty, and external constituents can meet and exchange ideas and also will be designed with an eye to broadening the business school's various community engagement programs, including the Columbia Community Business Program, which provides guidance and support to entrepreneurs in West Harlem, as well as several student-run programs that focus on community outreach.
Cooperman, a Giving Pledge signatory, is a longtime supporter of the school. In 2000, he initiated the Leon Cooperman Scholarship for students with financial need, particularly those who graduate from New York City public schools, and in 2007 he established the Leon G. Cooperman '67 Scholarship Challenge, which helped create more than forty need-based scholarships at the school.
"I strongly believe that it is my moral imperative to give others the opportunity to pursue the American Dream, and I actively support institutions that gave me such opportunities," said Cooperman. "The educational needs of leaders and entrepreneurs have evolved, and the new Manhattanville facilities will support Columbia Business School's commitment to preparing the business leaders of tomorrow."
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