Anonymous Gift Supports Marine Science & Policy Initiative
WEST LONG BRANCH – Tony MacDonald, director of Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute (UCI), has announced that the UCI has received a $5 million challenge grant from an anonymous donor.
The donor has committed $3 million to support a new Marine Science & Policy Initiative, if the university can secure commitments for an additional $2 million by Dec. 31.
The challenge grant will bolster the university’s efforts in the areas of coastal stewardship and conservation, storm recovery and resilience and sustainable ocean use.
The donation marks the UCI’s first challenge grant and one of the largest in the university’s history.
“A challenge grant, especially one of this size, can motivate other donors to contribute to the same goal,” said Jason Kroll, the university’s vice president for external affairs. “Because the gift is conditional, without matching support from our community, we can’t access the $3 million in challenge grant funds committed to support the Marine Science & Policy Initiative.
“With the grant, the UCI will significantly expand its efforts at promoting public awareness of the importance of science-based marine policies and programs,” MacDonald said. “Outcomes of the initiative include increased student research into marine ecosystems and a new partnership with Rockefeller University’s Program for the Human Environment.”
Monmouth University President Paul R. Brown said, “Located just 1 mile from the ocean, we have a special responsibility and unique opportunity to engage our students and our community to support sustainability and proper stewardship of our coastal environment through direct research and policy analysis.
“This challenge grant will have a transformative effect on Monmouth’s continuing leadership on coastal issues and enhance the university’s capacity and long-term commitment to marine science and policy programs,” Brown said.
“The donor’s dedication to preservation of critical waterways and resources is so important, not just for the university, but for our entire region,” Brown added. “The new funds will significantly advance collaborative research efforts to effectively serve the public interest on coastal and estuarine environmental issues.”
Dr. Michael A. Palladino, dean of the School of Science, said he could not think of a “a stronger endorsement of the excellent work of the UCI than this challenge grant. It will significantly enhance the quality and scope of student and faculty research.
“The grant will also support construction of new marine science facilities for the School of Science. The new state-of-the-art facilities, which are already being renovated, will further position Monmouth University as a leader in marine science and policy education, and enhance the quality and scope of student and faculty research,” Palladino said.
“This summer alone, Monmouth University students conducted research on carbon sequestration in dunes, monitored water quality in Barnegat Bay, surveyed the health of oyster reefs in the Hudson River Estuary, and stewarded beach nesting areas for fragile bird populations. This work is having an immediate and practical impact on our environment,” he said.
Later this year, the UCI will celebrate its 10th Annual Future of the Ocean Symposium and Champion of the Ocean Awards Luncheon. The honorees include NOAA administrator and former astronaut, Dr. Kathleen Sullivan, and Wendy Schmidt, the co-founder of the Schmidt Ocean Institute at Stanford University.
Proceeds from the Oct. 30 event will support the Marine Science and Policy Initiative Challenge Grant.
Additional information about UCI and the Marine Science & Policy Initiative is available by visiting www.monmouth.edu/UCI.
Established in September 2005 as one of Monmouth University’s Centers of Distinction, the UCI builds on the University’s program in Marine and Environmental Biology and inter-departmental strengths in marine biology, environmental science, business, economics and real estate, public policy, and the arts and social sciences.
