Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, has announced a C$30 million ($22.15 million) gift from alumnus Bruce Mitchell (Sc’68, DSc’20) in support of faculty research and graduate student recruitment. 

The gift will help fund the research teams of nine existing faculty members as well as an additional nine faculty members, the recruitment of 54 postdoctoral fellows, boosting the size of its graduate student body, and enhancing the university’s competitiveness in attracting a diverse global pool of graduate scholars through financial support for an estimated 79 graduate students. The university is already home to 35 Canada Research Chairs, 99 Royal Society of Canada members, and a Nobel Laureate–professor emeritus Arthur B. McDonald, co-recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics.

“Research and innovation are powerful forces for positive change, and researchers play a critical role in shaping human knowledge,” said Mitchell, the CEO of Permian Industries. “My hope is that this investment in increasing Queen’s research intensity and graduate student enrolment will lead to discoveries that will benefit the world.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/SDI Productions)