The University of St. Joseph in West Hartford is using a $3 million gift from Hartford area auto dealer and school trustee E. Clayton “Skip” Gengras to expand autism and behavorial research, authorities say.
The college said Monday the donation is one of the largest in its 80-year history.
The gift will help finance construction, starting early next year, of an 18,000-square-foot building to enhance the Gengras Center and Institute for Autism and Behavioral Studies, officials said.
The new Center for Integrative Education will be the centerpiece of St. Joseph’s services for children with special needs, with a special emphasis on individuals with autism spectrum disorders, school President Pamela D. Trotman said.
Gengras, CEO of Gengras Motor Cars Inc., chairs St. Joseph’s board of trustees and is chairman of the school’s new fundraising campaign.
St. Joseph this fall became the first Connecticut college to offer a master’s degree in autism and applied behavior analysis.
