Donors commit more than $145 million to advance the future of engineering at Northwestern

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Donors commit more than $145 million to advance the future of engineering at Northwestern

Gifts from multiple sources provide support for strategic initiatives through the McCormick School of Engineering

• Link to: Northwestern Now Story

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University has announced gifts from a group of donors totaling more than $145 million to advance the University's vision for the future of engineering. These philanthropic commitments will support the strategic priorities of Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering, which include growing faculty in key departments, expanding facilities to accelerate research and developing advanced curriculum for future engineers.

The group of lead donors who have supported this effort includes:

• University Trustee Peter Barris '73 and Adrienne Barris ('11, '18 P)
• Michael Chung '01 and Hajin Lee
• University Trustee David A. Sachs '81 ('15, '18 P) and the Sachs Family
• University Trustee Gwynne Shotwell '86, '88 MS, '21 H and Robert Shotwell ('19, '20 P)
• Anonymous

These gifts will allow Northwestern Engineering to build upon its current strengths and drive research advances and education in critical areas such as healthcare, sustainability and artificial intelligence. The University aims to add to these investments by raising additional gifts to further the important work of Northwestern Engineering.

Capturing the ambitions of the Northwestern Engineering community, the school's strategic vision identifies priorities spanning how engineering is practiced, how it is taught and how it impacts society. This community-led plan guides new investments to position Northwestern at the forefront of many fields.

"Since its founding 175 years ago, Northwestern has aimed at the highest order of excellence as a complete university," Northwestern President Mung Chiang said. "Thanks to the visionary and generous support from these five donors and their families, starting with the lead gift from Peter Barris, chair of the Board of Trustees, we now have the strongest-ever momentum in advancing Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering to new heights. The impact of these gifts will be transformational for many undergraduate and graduate students and all the faculty in McCormick in years to come as technology continues to transform society."

In the 2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings, the McCormick School of Engineering advanced five places, from No. 17 to No. 12, among undergraduate engineering programs. It also holds the No. 16 position among graduate engineering schools. In recent years, Northwestern Engineering has experienced significant enrollment growth, including a record undergraduate class in each of the past three years. As part of its educational strategy, it has revamped its first-year curriculum and launched new majors in artificial intelligence and AI-enabled decision systems.

At the same time, Northwestern Engineering's research enterprise has enjoyed substantial growth. Engineering plays an increasingly vital role in interdisciplinary research that impacts a range of fields.

"Northwestern's distinctive advantage lies in bringing together scholars with different perspectives to tackle complex challenges," Northwestern Provost Erik Luijten said. "Strengthening engineering expands our capacity to collaborate across the University, allowing researchers to combine technological innovation with insights across the sciences, social sciences and humanities in ways that will be impactful for our students and for the broader society."

Northwestern aims to capitalize on this opportunity through targeted faculty hiring across departments, investment in spaces that will accelerate modern research and education, and programming that supports student learning and collaboration with partners across Northwestern and beyond - all of which will depend on continued philanthropic support to achieve their full potential.

These investments help accelerate research endeavors such as the new Center for Genome Intelligence Engineering (GENIE), a National Science Foundation (NSF) Science and Technology Center at Northwestern that was recently awarded $30 million over the next five years. The University also launched the AI-Driven, Rapid, Experimental Automation Machine (DREAM) Cloud Lab, the nation's first publicly accessible, AI-powered cloud laboratory for protein engineering, which is funded by a recent $20 million NSF award, and a number of Northwestern-led projects as part of the Department of Energy's Genesis Mission.

"We see the engineering school as not an academic silo but a technology engine for all of Northwestern," said Christopher Schuh, dean of the McCormick School of Engineering and the John G. Searle Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. "In addition to reaching a new level of engineering excellence, we wish to further our connections across campus to identify ways in which engineering and technology can drive success in other disciplines and activate partnerships that benefit all of Northwestern."

As engineering remains a priority investment area for Northwestern, additional fundraising will allow the University to continue the school's growth and its role in interdisciplinary research and education.

"Engineering at Northwestern has been on the rise for several years, and this is an ideal time to capitalize on that momentum and take our engineering school - and our University - to the next level," Barris said. "I hope that the commitment Adrienne and I, together with fellow donors, have made will inspire others to join us in supporting the incredible work and unlimited potential of Northwestern Engineering."

Peter Barris received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering and earned an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He joined New Enterprise Associates in 1992 and was the firm's managing general partner from 1999 to 2017 and has served as chairman emeritus since his retirement in 2019. Barris joined Northwestern's Board of Trustees in 2001 and has served as board chair since 2022. He also serves on the McCormick Advisory Council. He and his wife, Adrienne, have supported faculty, research and scholarships across Northwestern through their generous philanthropy. Adrienne Barris serves on the Bienen School of Music Advisory Board.

Michael Chung, a member of the McCormick Advisory Council, earned his bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and management sciences from Northwestern. He currently serves as global co-head of equities at global investment firm Millennium Management and is a member of the firm's senior management team. He brings over 25 years of experience in global finance markets and investment management, having previously held roles at Arrowgrass Capital Partners, Deutsche Bank, and Lehman Brothers.

David A. Sachs is a partner, vice chair and co-founder of Ares Management Corporation and serves as a member on several of its investment committees. Sachs served as head or co-head of the credit group at Ares from the founding of Ares in 1997 until the end of 2007. He joined Northwestern's Board of Trustees in 2011 and is a member of the McCormick Advisory Council. He also serves on the advisory board of the Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Northwestern Engineering. Sachs earned his bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and management sciences at Northwestern.

Gwynne Shotwell is president and chief operating officer of SpaceX. She is a member of the SpaceX Board of Directors and has also served on the National Space Council Users' Advisory Group, the United States Export Import Bank's Advisory Committee and the Federal Aviation Administration's Management Advisory Council. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Shotwell earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics. She has been a member of the University's Board of Trustees since 2016.