The University of Massachusetts Amherst Isenberg School of Management received its largest donation to date.
UMass Amherst class of 1971 alumni Douglas Berthiaume and his wife Diana donated $20 million to the university’s Isenberg School of Management — the largest donation the business school has ever received.
The Isenberg School is among the best business schools in the world on U.S. News and World Report, and the Berthiaume family hopes the donation can support faculty, research and innovative spaces where “academic excellence flourishes.”
A portion of the donation — $7 million — will be put toward the creation of additional faculty positions and chancellor professorships, $11.5 million is expected to be used to support doctoral fellowships and a new behavioral research lab and $1.5 million is going to expand faculty research at the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship, according to university officials.
The Berthiaumes, who live in Andover, have a long history of philanthropy at UMass Amherst. The family has previously donated more than $16 million to the university.
“UMass Amherst provided me a remarkable education which opened doors that led to an extremely successful professional life, so I want to give back,” said Douglas Berthiaume. “There’s no question that Isenberg already has top-tier faculty members. It’s my hope that my family’s donation will accelerate faculty excellence and help Isenberg achieve recognition as a world-class business school.”
UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy said, “Doug and Diana Berthiaume have been instrumental in establishing UMass as a hub for entrepreneurial thinking and innovation. Their support has been essential in Isenberg’s success over the past decade and we are deeply grateful for this new support, which will have an extraordinary impact on our students’ success.”
