Gifts Roundup: Northwestern Lands $10 Million for Genetic Research

A roundup of notable gifts compiled by The Chronicle:

Northwestern University

Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey gave $10 million to establish a center at the Feinberg School of Medicine to study the effects of environmental factors on how genes are activated and expressed.

Researchers at the new Simpson Querrey Center for Epigenetics will investigate how things like emotional experiences, chemical exposure, obesity, exercise, diet and drug therapies can modify genes and cause them to become more or less receptive to new biochemical signals.

The couple founded SQ Advisors, an investment advisory firm, and both serve on Northwestern’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Simpson graduated from the university in 1958.

Upstate Foundation

Sam and Carol Nappi donated $8 million for a new health and wellness complex at Upstate Medical University which will be named for the donors.

The money will also back the expansion of services related to brain health, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Mr. Nappi founded Alliance Energy, and Ms. Nappi is a former psychiatric therapist and serves on the Upstate Medical University College of Nursing Advisory Board.

State University of New York at Potsdam

Donald and Kathryn Kofoed Lougheed pledged $5.25 million for applied learning programs.

Mr. Lougheed started a collection of automobile and recreational-vehicle dealerships in New York and Texas and developed several mobile-home and RV parks.

Ms. Kofoed Lougheed graduated from the university’s Crane School of Music with a degree in music education in 1954, and taught vocal music to elementary and junior-high-school students. She later joined her husband in leading the family’s businesses.

Suffolk University

Brothers Michael and Larry Smith pledged $3 million to back athletics programs and facilities and student scholarships.

The money will go toward construction of new locker rooms for student-athletes and new seating in its basketball gymnasium and to support an endowed scholarship the brothers established in 1987 in memory of their friend, Sheldon Cohen, who lost his life while serving in Vietnam.

Michael Smith graduated from the university in 1961, and Larry Smith graduated in 1965. Together they founded Brookfield Insurance Agency, and Nation Safe Drivers Group.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Ranvir and Adarsh Trehan gave $1 million through their Trehan Foundation, to create the India Fund, which will produce and present Indian programming at the center through 2025.

Mr. Trehan founded SETA Corporation, which provided technology consulting to the federal government and commercial businesses. He sold the company to Aptis in 2004. He serves on the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees.

To learn about other big donations, see our database of gifts of $1 million or more, which is updated throughout the week.