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Stephen Ashley’s $55M gift to Cornell will endow CALS Ashley School
Stephen Ashley, chair and CEO of Ashley Management Corp. (Photo by Adam Murtland/provided by Cornell University)
Stephen Ashley, chair and CEO of Ashley Management Corp. (Photo by Adam Murtland/provided by Cornell University)
Stephen Ashley’s $55M gift to Cornell will endow CALS Ashley School
A gift of $55 million to Cornell University by Stephen B. Ashley will establish the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Ashley School of Global Development at the Environment.
The gift, the largest in CALS history, will facilitate a merger of the Department of Global Development and the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment.
Ashley is chair and CEO of Ashley Management Corp., a privately held real estate investment and development firm. Ashley Management operates residential and commercial properties primarily across the Greater Rochester area as well as suburban Buffalo.
He has served on Cornell’s University Council for 55 years and devoted 16 years as a member of the school’s Board of Trustees.
“Steve Ashley’s decades of leadership, advocacy and support for Cornell have had a profound impact on the university,” Cornell President Michael I.l Kotlikoff said in a news release.
“This investment to create the Ashley School is both timely and visionary, allowing us to bring together the expertise in agricultural, life, environmental and social sciences that underpin environmental and human well-being locally and globally.”
Ashley was the recipient of the Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award in 2016, the university’s highest alumni service honor.
“My family has had a strong, multigenerational relationship with Cornell,” he said. “I met my wife, Janice, at Cornell and over the years Cornell has influenced much of my personal and professional life.
“I am delighted to be able to support this initiative, which has been so thoughtfully framed and structured. I appreciate how it creates even stronger collaborations between agriculture, environmental science, economics and research to positively impact communities.”
The concept for the school began with the recognition of shared teaching, research and extension of interests, especially among new faculty in the involved departments.
“The Ashley School will create a dynamic ecosystem for discovery, experiential learning and innovation, transcending disciplines to spark scientific breakthroughs and real-world economic benefits for New York State and the world,” said Benjamin Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS.
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