Husson Receives $1.5 Million Grant From Harold Alfond Foundation For School of Technology and Innovation
August 06 2024 - 2:51PM
Husson University has received a $1.5 million, three-year grant
from the Harold Alfond Foundation to support innovative
experiential learning that prepares students for cutting-edge
careers of tomorrow.
The grant will be used by the School of Technology and
Innovation, providing salary support for faculty, marketing funding
to reach prospective students and scholarships. The school offers
degree programs in extended reality, computer information systems,
software development and business analytics. It’s intended to help
the division grow, educating more students.
This is the third Alfond grant received by Husson for the School
of Technology and Innovation. An initial $2.2 million Alfond grant
was awarded to Husson University in 2022 to support the unique
academic programs in existing and emerging fields of technology. An
additional grant of $500,000 was awarded in 2023 for continued
support.
“The Harold Alfond Foundation has been an incredible partner in
building our School of Technology and Innovation programs. As we
continue to build momentum and attract new students who want to be
trained for jobs in emerging technologies, we are developing a new
workforce that will help shape the future economy in Maine and
beyond.” said Husson President Lynne Coy-Ogan.
Located in the Husson University College of Business’s new
Harold Alfond Hall, the school is home to the iEX Center, where
extended reality students and faculty work with augmented and
virtual reality technologies to develop real-world applications for
educational, entertainment and business needs.
“We are very grateful to the Harold Alfond Foundation for their
continued support of our high quality and experienced faculty and
staff who are experts in these emerging technologies. With their
support, we will continue to grow and expand the School of
Technology and Innovation,” said College of Business Dean Marie
Hansen. “Importantly, we are also able to offer four-year
scholarships to students interested in majors that will make them
among the first experts in these emerging technologies.”
In addition to working with technology in classes, the School of
Technology and Innovation has been building partnerships in the
community so students can gain valuable experience working with
clients. The creation of an augmented reality application called
Project Java, for instance, is being used to create an informative
and interactive Husson campus tour. The school is working with
partner organizations to use that same technology to create similar
tours of nature centers in Maine. Students in SoTI programs have
also interned with companies including Bangor Savings Bank, Capital
One and the Maine Revenue Service.
“Husson’s cutting-edge STEM programming gives students
real-world experience applying advanced technologies to business,
educational, and social challenges. We, at the foundation, see
Husson’s innovative approach as critical to providing our students
and our state with talented graduates ready to leverage emerging
technologies and participate in the growing STEM ecosystem,” said
Greg Powell, executive chairman of the Harold Alfond
Foundation.
Founded in 1950, the Harold Alfond Foundation furthers the
philanthropic legacy of Harold Alfond, the founder of Dexter Shoe
Company and a longtime supporter of Maine communities in which he
and his family worked and resided. He ensured that his philanthropy
would live on by committing nearly all of his wealth to the
Foundation, which continues to support charitable causes in the
State of Maine. Consistent with Harold Alfond’s own giving pattern
and philanthropic principles, the Foundation favors education,
healthcare, youth development, and other selected charitable
causes. For more information, visit the Harold Alfond Foundation
website.
For more than 125 years, Husson University has prepared future
leaders for the challenges of tomorrow through innovative
undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering
affordable classroom, online and experiential learning
opportunities, Husson offers quality educational programs in areas
including technology; business; health and education; animal care;
legal studies; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; and
communication. For more information about educational
opportunities, visit Husson.edu.
- Harold Alfond Hall at Husson University
Sarah Walker Caron
Husson University
207-992-4925
caronsa@husson.edu