The University of Connecticut will establish an interdisciplinary arts and engineering institute after receiving a $5 million alumni donation.
UConn’s schools of Engineering and Fine Arts will launch the Krenicki Arts and Engineering Institute, which the school is billing as an innovative partnership that will offer courses on subjects like entertainment engineering and industrial design, according to a statement from the UConn Foundation, the university’s fundraising arm.
“You can find pieces of this at some universities, but there is no place that I know of that has brought everything together under one academic institute,” School of Engineering Dean Kazem Kazerounian said in a statement. “Our Institute will be the first of its kind in the country.”
In a statement, School of Fine Arts Dean Anne D’Alleva noted that at least one course that combines arts and engineering — on technical theater — has attracted so many engineering majors that the class size was doubled.
Establishment of the Krenicki Institute will be funded by a $5 million gift from alumni John and Donna Krenicki, the school said. The University will look to match the donation with corporate and other private investment, a UConn Foundation spokesperson said.
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