$10M gift boosts quantum science at Cornell
Read the full story by Syl Kacapyr in the Cornell Chronicle.
A $10 million gift from David W. Meehl ’72, MBA ’74 will grow the roster of faculty, students and equipment needed to study the mysterious behavior of matter at atomic and subatomic scales, strengthening the university’s position as a leader in quantum science and technology.
Advances in quantum science are poised to provide a wide range of benefits to society, with potentially transformative applications in energy, communications, medicine and more. Cornell physicists are currently applying knowledge gleaned from many years of studying quantum phenomena to the creation of new materials, sensors and communications networks.
“This gift will enable us to make strategic investments as we continue to elevate Cornell’s outstanding portfolio of quantum research,” said Ray Jayawardhana, the Harold Tanner Dean of the College of Arts and Science and lead dean for the Cornell Quantum Initiative. “The timing is propitious, and we are deeply grateful to David Meehl for his generosity.”
The gift from Meehl – a retired financial officer who spent his career at several accounting firms, food companies and a nonprofit organization in western Pennsylvania – established five endowments, including three named after his late father, James R. Meehl ’48.
Meehl’s gift will fund:
- The James R. Meehl Professorship in the College of Engineering
- The David W. Meehl Graduate Student/Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences
- The James R. Meehl Graduate Student/Postdoctoral Fellowship in the School of Applied and Engineering Physics
- The David W. Meehl Equipment Fund in the College of Arts and Sciences
- The James R. Meehl Equipment Fund in the College of Engineering
