In a University of Massachusetts engineering laboratory, a squishy, dough-like substance, made from salt and flour, is used to test bioelectronic circuits that could one day improve patient care.
For biomedical engineering senior Alexandra Katsoulakis, the hope is to develop graphene-based nerve cuff electrodes, supporting nerve regeneration and offering potential solutions for people with spinal cord injuries.
As Katsoulakis and other students, alongside their professors, bring passion and persistence to their studies, they’ll be buoyed by a recent $50 million commitment that marks the largest gift the university has ever received and will be critical to strengthening ties between technology and health care.
“Progress requires support,” said Katsoulakis, speaking at Thursday’s dedication ceremony for the official renaming of the Daniel J. Riccio Jr. College of Engineering.
A month after the donation was announced, Riccio, a 1986 mechanical engineering graduate and former leader and innovator at Apple for 26 years, returned to campus for the hourlong event held inside the Cape Cod Lounge at the Student Union.
Before the event got underway, Riccio, in a brief interview, said he had been away for close to 40 years before being “shocked and amazed” by where the university was in terms of its students, its faculty and its buildings. With new leadership, including Chancellor Javier Reyes, and continued progress, Riccio committed himself to supporting UMass, first serving on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Engineering two years ago.
“I saw that with the right level of investment to the school, which had already come a long way, and through both financial (contributions) and time, that this will be a top 10 engineering school in the United States,” Riccio said.
Most of the gift, or $40 million, is going toward people, he said. This includes support for scholarships for undergraduate engineering students, graduate fellowships and endowed chairs.
The remaining $10 million will create a catalyst fund for three areas. One is developing a design curriculum in conjunction with the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, observing this would put UMass on the map for product design.
“Design has been a key component of Apple’s success,” Riccio said.
The second is creating an engineering leadership program in collaboration with the Isenberg School of Management, and the third is exploring the intersection of technology and health by partnering with UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester.
Riccio said he sees this aspect as improving patients’ lives by creating a “superhighway” between the campuses.
“They can collaborate on a roadmap, leveraging technology and health care, and making patients and humanity better.” Riccio said. “It’s building a bridge between the schools, hopefully a superhighway between the campuses.”
This idea of a “superhighway” was referenced by Reyes in his remarks, calling the gift an historic moment for UMass that fits into the ongoing “Higher Ed for the Common Good” campaign.
Reyes said UMass is committed to collaborations between colleges on campus that will drive innovation in Massachusetts and beyond, and applauded Riccio for offering his experience and knowledge that will drive the university.
“To be honest, this is just the beginning, the first step,” Reyes said.
“This gift does more than rename our college, it redefines our future,” said Sanjay Raman, the dean for the school and a professor of electronic and computer engineering. “Truly revolutionary engineering for all.”
Raman said that when he took the role he knew the potential for the college, understanding that a partner would be needed. He referenced what he termed “Riccio Grit” that every engineering student will carry forward, observing that “at his core, (Riccio’s) still that resilient kid from Revere.”
Meghan Huber, assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering who is the director of the Human Robot Systems Laboratory, said the interdisciplinary work will support design technology and people working together to make the world better.
Huber, too, noted how her students will get the “time, mentorship and personal investment of Daniel Riccio Jr. himself.”
Caitlyn Butler, associate dean and professor of civil and environmental engineering, said the gift will propel UMass into a world-class university, while Mary Burns, vice chairwoman of the board of trustees, said it accelerates the university’s trajectory toward becoming a top-tier engineering destination.
“This is a reminder that UMass produces graduates who excel at the top of their fields,” Burns said.
Riccio, dressed casually and wearing a light blue sweatshirt, concluded the ceremony by saying he is “beyond humble” at the recognition UMass is giving him.
“It’s ridiculously inappropriate for you to be thanking me; I should be thanking you all,” Riccio said.
He added that, “UMass is a school that, without the time I spent here, I would not be the person I am today.”
Riccio and his wife, Diane M. (Casey) Riccio, who live in Atherton, California, and Marblehead, Massachusetts, have made contributions toward biomedical and health research in the past. In 2022, they pledged $15 million to fund ALS and neuroscience research at UMass Chan.
Riccio said that to do great things, one needs vision, resources and leadership, and he hopes that his gift will inspire those components.
Beyond, that, though, he will be offering his time. “I will drive you really hard for the common good, and the good of all,” Riccio said.
As the event closed, an illustration of still-under construction Sustainable Engineering Laboratories building was shown. Riccio joked that he just wants to make sure his name is spelled right when the letters are affixed to it.
“Hopefully no typos,” Riccio said.