A $15 million commitment from local businessman
and philanthropist
Dan Treadaway
Institute Communications and Public Affairs
The man who gave Atlanta the largest aquarium in the
world has helped secure an eight-figure commitment for
Georgia Tech’s Nanotechnology Research Center
Building (NRCB).
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Bernie
Marcus, delivering the spring
commencement address last month. |
Bernie Marcus, the civic leader and philanthropist
whose vision and investment made the Georgia Aquarium
a reality, is also founder of the Marcus Foundation
and serves as chairman of the board. The Marcus Foundation
recently announced a $15 million commitment for the
Nanotechnology Research Center Building. The commitment
was triggered by the state of Georgia’s recent
allocation of $38 million for the facility, which completes
the state’s total project commitment of $45 million.
“We are delighted to make this commitment for
Georgia Tech’s Nanotechnology Research Center
Building,” said Marcus. “Nanotechnology
holds such amazing promise for truly revolutionizing
many facets of our lives, specifically in medicine,
while having the added benefit of economic development.
The discoveries that will be possible as a result will
prove the wisdom of this investment. I am pleased to
partner with the state and Georgia Tech in making this
research facility a reality.”
Marcus, who was the featured speaker at Georgia Tech’s
Spring Commencement exercises, has focused the Foundation’s
philanthropic efforts on medicine, Jewish causes, free
enterprise and children.
“As a son of Russian emigrants to our country,
Bernie Marcus represents one of America’s great
stories of what determination, hard work and intelligence
can accomplish in our great country,” said President
Wayne Clough. “In spite of setbacks, he realized
his dream late in life as a businessman in creating
The Home Depot and leading it to a level of success
undreamed of. In retirement, he once again is demonstrating
his passion for life through his good works and philanthropy.
He inspired our graduates at our May commencement with
his insights, an address given in the shadow of the
remarkable Georgia Aquarium, built because of his support
and vision.
“This complex man, however, also is committed
to helping conquer the diseases that plague mankind,”
Clough continued, “and we are proud to announce
the grant of $15 million from the Marcus Foundation
towards Georgia Tech’s Nanotechnology Research
Center Building. This generous commitment will be used
to build this unique facility that will open the doors
for studies that focus on using breakthroughs from nanotechnology
to fight cancer and other diseases.”
The Nanotechnology Research Center Building will have
30,000 square feet of cleanroom research space, one
of the nation’s largest and an essential element
of nanotechnology research.
The potential of nanotechnology is unprecedented because
it will produce materials 10 times stronger than steel
but much lighter in weight, digital storage units the
size of sugar cubes that can hold all the information
in the Library of Congress, and tiny medical devices
that can detect individual cancer cells and target them
with specialized treatment.
Coupled with a $5 million commitment from the Woodruff
Foundation last year, the Marcus Foundation’s
commitment pushes the total private funds for the project
past the $20 million mark, the minimum amount required
to begin construction. The total private funds goal
is $40 million.
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