TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 12, 2017) – Pam and Les Muma, whose landmark philanthropy has made a transformative impact on the University of South Florida, announced a new major gift of $15 million to benefit three areas of the university they already support: business, athletics and health. The couple made the surprise announcement during an event Saturday night at Amalie Arena celebrating the USF: Unstoppable campaign’s historic achievement of raising $1 billion.
“Pam and I are extremely excited to make this new investment in the university,” said Les Muma, who graduated from USF in 1966 with a degree in business and served as chair of the USF: Unstoppable campaign from 2006-2013. “We’re in the business of formatively shaping young people and preparing them for the future.”
The gift will provide $5 million to the Muma College of Business, $5 million toward the construction of the recently announced USF Football Center that will include an indoor practice field, $2 million to create the new Pamela Muma Women’s Health Center at USF Health, $1 million to USF men’s basketball, $1 million to USF women’s basketball and $1 million to the USF men’s golf program.
“We are so thankful for all that Pam and Les have done for USF,” USF System President Judy Genshaft said. “Their support has helped power the transformation of USF, and has made a tremendous difference for our talented students, phenomenal faculty and campus infrastructure. Their gift also sends the important message that the campaign isn’t over as we continue on our path as one of the leading public research universities in the country.”
The Mumas, who remain the top individual donors to USF, have now given a total of more than $56 million to the university, including the largest single gift in USF’s history of $25 million to name the Muma College of Business in 2014.
“Pam and Les understand USF’s impact on the community and how the lives of our students are transformed through philanthropy,” said Joel Momberg, CEO of the USF Foundation. “Their long history of support has created a unique legacy that continues today with yet another transformational gift that underscores their generosity… Unstoppable.”
The Muma’s gift added an exclamation point to the billion-dollar milestone: USF is now one of only three U.S. public universities founded since 1956 to raise that amount in a single campaign (along with the University of California San Diego and the University of California Irvine). The USF: UnstoppableCampaign was launched in 2009, and the initial fundraising goal was reached in 2013 in spite of a recession. The drive toward a billion dollars began four years ago, and has exceeded that goal with seven months still remaining in the campaign.
“I am deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to this amazing accomplishment,” Genshaft added. “The university has experienced unprecedented growth in the last decade as a result of the campaign. The number of privately funded scholarships available to our students is at an all-time high. We’ve built new laboratories with cutting-edge equipment, enabling our students and faculty to innovate and make meaningful contributions to research. Our student-athletes are performing in facilities that rival the very best in the NCAA. And the impact of the support we’ve received is far-reaching.”
Among the USF: Unstoppable campaign highlights:
- A total of $1,034,668,903 raised to date
- $122 million for scholarships and fellowships
- $115 million for faculty and program support
- Nearly 200,000 individual donors, including Judy Genshaft and her husband, Steve Greenbaum, who created the Genshaft/Greenbaum Passport Scholarship program with a $1 million gift.
- Global Experience: More than 12,000 USF students studied abroad during campaign
- USF Foundation endowment currently totals $442 million
New Facilities / Named Colleges / Named Programs and Centers
- Collier Student Success Center
- Corbett Soccer Stadium
- Golf Center
- Gonzmart Family Plaza
- Monsour Executive Wellness Center
- Morsani College of Medicine
- Carol and Frank Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare
- Frank Morsani Football Complex
- Muma College of Business
- Pam and Les Muma Basketball Center
- Patel Center for Global Solutions
- Lynn Pippenger Hall at the Kate Tiedemann College of Business (USF St. Petersburg)
- Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy
- Sembler Family Fountain and Plaza (USF St. Petersburg)
- Vinik Sport & Entertainment Program
- Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications
About the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, established in 1956 and located in Tampa, is a high-impact, global research university dedicated to student success. The USF System includes three, separately accredited institutions: USF; USF St. Petersburg; and USF Sarasota-Manatee. Serving more than 49,000 students, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.6 billion and an annual economic impact of $4.4 billion. USF is ranked in the top 30 nationally for research expenditures among public universities, according to the National Science Foundation. In 2016, the Florida Legislature designated USF as “Emerging Preeminent,” placing USF in an elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.
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