The Levy surname will grace a second UW-Madison building, as prolific Madison-area philanthropists Marv and Jeff Levy have pledged $75 million in support of the College of Engineering’s new building.
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The site of a planned engineering building is seen from across the street at Engineering Hall on Engineering Drive at UW-Madison. On Wednesday, UW-Madison leaders announced a $75 million lead gift for the building from prolific Madison philanthropists Marv and Jeff Levy, who are also funding $20 million for a College of Letters and Sciences building just a few blocks to the east.
An updated rendering of UW-Madison's new College of Engineering building shows the addition of its name, Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center. The building is named for the late 1964 alumnus Phillip A. Levy, who was not an engineer, but was a talented interior designer and gave much of his time and money at other areas at UW-Madison. Marv and Jeff Levy, prolific donors to UW-Madison in their own right, gave the lead donation of $75 million for the building.
Ian Robertson, dean of the UW-Madison College of Engineering, said Wednesday that UW-Madison's engineering students and staff are "drivers of economic and social progress" for the state.
UW-Madison's new engineering building design, as it would look from the northwest angle along Campus Drive, in this March 2024 rendering.
Marv Levy, right, next to his brother, Jeff, speaks during a press conference announcing their donation of $75 million for UW-Madison's new engineering building. Marv Levy emphasized the importance of private philanthropy for UW-Madison. While state support and tuition are important, he said, they can't come close to meeting the needs UW-Madison has as a top research university.
Jeff and Marv Levy, at left, get a standing ovation, with UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin and Ian Robertson, dean of the College of Engineering, during an event announcing the Levys' donation of $75 million to the College of Engineering’s new building. The Levys, who have donated millions to UW-Madison through building projects and other initiatives, say they're not picky when it comes to where the money goes: As alumni, it's more important to support UW-Madison where it needs help, Marv Levy said.
The planned site of a new engineering building on Engineering Drive is already under construction, as UW-Madison is upgrading the utility infrastructure to support the building. That project was intentionally added to a prior state budget to prevent delays.
The new 340,000-square-foot Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center building will allow the College of Engineering to add another 1,000 students once it's completed. This past year, the college received 9,711 applicants to its school but had room to accept 1,350 students.
Areas of the former green space where the Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center building will be built are already blocked off as construction crews prepare the site and upgrade the utility lines that will support the building. The new building will allow the college to add 1,000 new students to its ranks, chipping away at the gulf between the number of seats they have and their nearly 10,000 applicants.
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin called Marv and Jeff Levy's $75 million gift for the new College of Engineering building a "transformative" gift not just for UW-Madison, but for the state of Wisconsin. "It will allow us to reach new levels of excellence in education and discovery, and fundamentally improve our ability to innovate for the public good in our proud Wisconsin Idea tradition," Mnookin said.
