Zucker Family Donates $2.5 Million to the College of Charleston

Zucker Family Donates $2.5 Million to the College of Charleston

In a significant show of support for higher education in South Carolina, the Zucker family has bestowed a generous gift of $2.5 million to the College of Charleston. The largesse is split into two sections – $2 Million for scholarships at the newly formed School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics, and $500,000 for the Zucker Family Challenge on CofC Day over the forthcoming five years.

Fostering Excellence and Diversity in Engineering

With this exemplary scholarship commitment from the Zucker family, the College can make substantial strides towards its vision of a vibrant and inclusive School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics. Endowed with a preference for female and under-represented minority candidates, the scholarships are designed to recruit and inspire budding engineers from across the nation. The goal is to marry rigorous engineering education with a liberal arts curriculum, giving the students an edge in the job market.

Anita Zucker, a renowned philanthropist who received an honorary degree from the College in 2010, highlighted their believed importance of this merger, saying it completes a person. The Zuckers’ fascination and prowess in maths and sciences, coupled with the emphasis on liberal arts, have been the secret sauce to their business success, she admitted.

Zucker Family Challenge Set to Encourage Philanthropy

Apart from allocating funds for scholarships, Zucker has partnered with the university to establish the $500,000 Zucker Family Challenge for the annual CofC Day events. The idea behind this challenge is to both energize the College’s existing donor base and beckon new donors.

During the 2024 CofC Day event that happened recently on March 13 and 14, the Zucker Family Challenge celebrated and matched the gifts of 2,000 donors with an amount of $100,000. This endeavor is set to continue for the next five years.

Zucker Family’s Long-Standing Association with the College

While the monetary contributions from the Zucker family have undeniably bolstered the College’s drive for excellence, Anita Zucker’s involvement goes beyond finances. She is a prominent figure on the President’s Strategic Initiatives Committee, the School of Business Board of Governors, and the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Advisory Board.

The College of Charleston President, Andrew T. Hsu expressed his gratitude to the Zucker family, saying, “We have been so fortunate to have the Zucker family as part of our campus community over the past 30 years”. He further pointed out that the Zuckers’ most recent gift will facilitate the College in providing a talent pipeline to the region’s budding high-tech, manufacturing, and life sciences industries. According to him, they would not be where they are now without committed benefactors like the Zuckers.