Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) in Geneva, New York, has announced a $5 million gift from alumnus Kevin Stein (’88) and his family in support of a new integrated science center. 

The commitment will anchor the development of the facility. Stein’s previous support for HWS includes establishing the Dr. Kevin M. Stein ’88 and Family Endowed Summer Science Research Fund, which provides funding to students who spend the summer months on campus working intensively with a faculty member.

Stein said HWS is where he found mentors and developed close relationships to faculty who were instrumental to his career. Stein is president, CEO, and director of TransDigm Group Inc., a global producer, designer, and supplier of aerospace components, systems, and subsystems to commercial and military programs around the world. 

“You want to make sure that an institution like HWS has the resources it needs to support this kind of faculty and these students, who can become the next top-notch scientists and problem solvers of the future,” said Stein. 

“Our faculty and students will benefit tremendously from the new science center,” said Hobart and William Smith president Mark D. Gearan, “and the Stein family’s support for the life-changing teaching, mentorship, and research opportunities that take place at the colleges.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/fizkes)