Gov. Hochul has announced that CUNY will be receiving its largest-ever donation of $75 million from the Simons Foundation.

The Simons Foundation targets its donations to research in mathematics and science. They greatly support researchers working on scientific discoveries in areas such as mathematics, life and physical sciences, autism and neuroscience. Through this funding, CUNY can build new career pathways tailored to students, while creating more faculty jobs in the industry.  

$50 million of the donation will be used for computational science directed toward students studying in the fields of biology, astrophysics and neuroscience. Through this funding, CUNY can build new career pathways tai- lored to students, while creating more faculty jobs in the industry. It is projected to add over 300,000 new jobs in the coming decade. 

This funding will help students studying in these fields receive more job opportunities for them to succeed in their future careers. 

The donation, partly going into CUNY’s computational research, will help reinforce the opportunities for students studying in the related fields by providing advanced tools and resources they can take advantage of. 

Part of this donation will also help support the development of the M.S. program at the CUNY Graduate Center, strengthening the university’s research and innovation capabilities. 

A M.S. program aims to create more opportunities for students interested in pursuing a master’s degree. 

Furthermore, the funding for the CUNY Graduate Center will create new jobs for faculty members and workforce opportunities for students. With this, more students will have the ability to study in this new master’s degree pro- gram building new career path- ways into the advanced computer industry. 

The remaining $25 million of the Simons Foundation donation will be used for CUNY’s participation in the State’s AI project referred to as Empire AI where research of AI’s potential for the economy in New York City will take place. 

In the next five years, this donation will be used to enhance not only the opportunities for students of CUNY, but also NYC. 

While this process may take longer than many students hope, the results of these installments promise to unlock unprecedented opportunities for CUNY students in the STEM fields. 

This is one of the first of many steps in the right direction in creating a more inclusive and diverse community for CUNY students, while developing a more secure lifestyle for students majoring in STEM. 

CUNY is known as the nation’s largest public university, and with this donation, CUNY will transform itself into a university consisting of endless possibilities for all students. 

As CUNY directs its priorities in revamping its community, targeted students will gain more opportunities to benefit their future careers. 

“For many New Yorkers, higher education is critical to pursuing a career and building a brighter future for themselves,” Hochul said. 

“This incredible donation from the Simons Foundation will help expand New York’s role in the future of AI at CUNY, preparing our students to fill the jobs of tomorrow right here in our state.”