An Indian-American doctor couple, Drs. Kiran C. and Pallavi Patel, have
donated $12 million to the University of South Florida in a new endowment aimed
at creating the Patel College of Global Sustainability.
The endowment would expand on nearly a decade of world-leading applied
research to advance sustainability around the globe and improve the lives of
the world's most vulnerable people, according to the Tampa, Florida based
university. Pending approval from university panels, the new college will
elevate the work of the Patel School of Global Sustainability to a new level
that allows it to build on its far-reaching portfolio of projects focused on
improved urban systems, water and transportation.
The gift is the Patels' latest contribution to the ongoing USF:
Unstoppable fundraising campaign. The new endowment brings the Patel's
contributions to USF to $25,798,329 through a series of donations and state
matching funds in which the Patels have focused attention on sustainable global
development and health care.
Past giving has supported the Dr. Kiran C Patel Endowment Fund; the
construction of the Patel Centre for Global Solutions; the Dr. Kiran Patel
Centre for Global Solutions Operating Fund and USF Health. Since 2010, the Patel School of Global
Sustainability has served as a graduate-level programme in the education of new
engineers, entrepreneurs and environmental managers to lead sustainability
projects around the world. "The Earth is God's gift to humanity and we
believe that the current generation must ensure that while meeting our present
needs, we do not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their
needs," the Patels said in a joint statement.
USF President Judy Genshaft commended the Patel’s for their leadership
and influence in helping shape USF, now a Top 50 research university, with an
international perspective that has become a hallmark of its applied research
programmes.
Born in India, Pallavi Patel and the Zambia-born Kiran Patel first met
while studying medicine in Ahmedabad, India. Both doctors received their
advanced specialisations in New York at Columbia University; he in cardiology,
and she in paediatrics. As the successful founders of a physician-owned and run
managed care plan, the Patels have earned a reputation for generosity for
developing and funding a variety of programmes in health, education, arts and
culture.
Times of India
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