Prominent UM alumni announce $1M gift
Significant renovations are underway in the Stu Clark Graduate School at the I.H. Asper School of Business thanks in part to a $1 million gift from Dr. Arni Thorsteinson and Dr. Susan Glass, both UM honorary degree recipients and alumni.
In recognition of their transformative donation to the Front and Centre campaign, which is supporting renovations on the fifth floor of the Drake Centre, the building’s student centre has been officially named the “Arni Thorsteinson and Susan Glass Student Commons.”
“Drs. Thorsteinson and Glass are influential philanthropic leaders in the Winnipeg community and great friends of the University of Manitoba and the Asper School of Business. Their generosity over the years has had a profound impact on the lives of our students,” says Dr. Gady Jacoby, Dean and CPA Manitoba Chair in Business Leadership, Asper School of Business.
Dr. Arni Thorsteinson [B.Comm. (Hons.)/71, LL.D./09] and Dr. Susan Glass [B.Comm./67, LL.D./15] have donated to UM for the past 40 years, supporting the construction of the Drake Centre and the Nursing Capital campaign, as well as supporting research chairs and the Hartley T. Richardson Student Support fund. They have also contributed their efforts to the Front and Centre campaign, serving on the President’s Campaign Team.
This recent gift is updating the teaching and learning environment in the I.H. Asper School of Business by creating a dedicated space for graduate students and staff in the Stu Clark Graduate School that supports its programs for learning, study and administration.
“Investments like this improve the student experience, helping them reach their potential and become the next generation of leaders,” said Drs. Thorsteinson and Glass. “As UM B.Comm graduates, we cherish our relationship with the school and the University of Manitoba, and are thrilled to be able to contribute in this way.”
This sentiment was echoed by MBA student Emily Sanders, who spoke at the event about her time as an undergrad student, spending late nights in the Drake Centre. She said that when she returned six years later, she was amazed to see the changes to the library, study areas and atrium.
“With your generous gift,” she said to the donors, “these positive changes will continue to be made for the Graduate Program. Your financial contribution allows the Asper School to increase the number of classrooms for the Graduate Program, encourage increased collaboration by way of breakout pods and active learning facilities, and allow us to connect to business leaders globally with next generation technology, among many others.”
At today’s celebration, fellow B.Comm graduate and Chair of the Front and Centre campaign, Paul Soubry, announced that, with this gift, the campaign has reached $369,507,253.00 toward its $500 million fundraising goal.