News Feature

Business School

October 4, 2007

Donations to Columbia Business School were led by a $25 million challenge grant from Arthur J. Samberg BU’67. Designed to help recruit faculty in burgeoning subject areas and strengthen existing faculty, the fund will endow professorships by matching donations for faculty chairs. The Samberg Fund has already matched five gifts of $1.5 million each—from Bill Lambert BU’72, S.T. Lee, William von Mueffling CC’90 BU’95, Puan Sri Datin Chook Yew Chong Wen, and Capital Group employees led by Andy Barth CC’83 BU’85 and Bill Hurt.

Russell L. Carson BU’67 donated $10 million to be used at the School’s discretion. A portion of the gift will reinforce the Samberg Challenge’s focus on faculty by supporting new Business Practice Partnerships, allowing faculty to team with corporate leaders through sabbaticals, internships, and research partnerships. It will also be used to significantly grow the School’s Social Enterprise Program.

Henry R. Kravis BU’69 also donated $10 million to be used at the School’s discretion. Among other things, the Kravis gift will underwrite CaseWorks, a new center for case study development. CaseWorks will advance the development of a Columbia Business School case model, focused on short pieces with strong quantitative and analytical data, and modeled on real-time decision making.

Leon Cooperman BU’67 funded a $5 million matching program to expand the School’s endowed financial aid resources. Twelve alumni have already donated between $75,000 and $150,000 each to establish new scholarships of at least $150,000.

Arnold Chavkin CC’74 BU’77 and Laura Chang BU’77 donated $3 million to establish the Chavkin-Chang Professor of Leadership, which will be held by a senior faculty member who embodies the School’s commitment to leadership in business. The chair is currently held by Professor Michael Morris, director of the new Program on Social Intelligence.