February 26, 2020
Harry and Dorothy Mangurian established the Harry T. Mangurian, Jr. Foundation in 1999 to provide support to medical, educational and environmental organizations nationally and internationally. Mangurian, a Florida businessman and former owner of the Boston Celtics, died of leukemia in 2008. His wife died in 2015 after being diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, the third most common form of dementia.
“For two decades, the Mangurian Foundation has helped Ohio State champion human potential — developing leaders and healers while creating healthy, vibrant communities,” said Ohio State President Michael V. Drake. “We are deeply grateful for how this gift advances this important work and creates bright futures for patients, students and student-athletes alike.
The gift includes $5 million for the Interdisciplinary Research Facility in the new West Campus Innovation District. The proposed five-story, 305,000-square-foot laboratory will serve multiple research disciplines, including biomedical, life sciences, engineering and environmental, among others. The building will support both wet lab and computational researchers, and will include the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology.
The remaining $5 million will be divided equally among:
- Drug Discoveries – accelerates cancer drug discoveries at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James and Richard J. Solove Research Institute’s Drug Development Institute.
- Leukemia Research – supports medical research for leukemia, including additional clinical trials, developing novel synthetic microRNAs and purchasing equipment.
- Neurological Disease Research – supports science to advance new diagnostics and treatments for neurological conditions, including Lewy body and other dementias, gene therapy and neuro-inflammation.
- MBA Program – supports the Max M. Fisher College of Business partnership with the Drug Development Institute, including scholarships for business students focusing on drug development.
- Health and Wellness – supports student-athlete health and wellness initiatives with Ohio State Athletics, including upgrading and replacing strength, conditioning and biomechanics equipment and expanding the use of diagnostic, tracking, performance and recovery tools and techniques.
“The Mangurian Foundation has been a longtime, loyal supporter of the university, and their generous gift will have broad, meaningful impact here,” said Dr. Hal Paz, executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs at Ohio State and CEO of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “We’re deeply thankful for their philanthropic investment across the medical center, athletics and our business college. I’m personally thrilled to see the tremendous breakthroughs that will come as a result of this gift.”
This new funding builds on previous gifts from the Mangurian Foundation that have supported brain and human performance research with athletics and Ohio State’s Neurological Institute, along with cancer drug development.
“Our Foundation Board is thrilled to support the collaborative, innovative and groundbreaking research being conducted across the Ohio State campus involving student athletes, business students and medical researchers focusing on cancer and neurological conditions,” said Stephen Mehallis, president of the Mangurian Foundation. “Our goal is to continue to support visionary research that will change and save lives.”
This new gift comes amid Time and Change: The Ohio State Campaign, the university’s largest fundraising endeavor in its 150-year history. It strives to engage one million supporters, an unprecedented level in higher education. The goal is to raise $4.5 billion for three core areas of focus: student success, discovery and healthy, vibrant communities.
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Media Contact: Eileen Scahill, Wexner Medical Center Media Relations, 614-293-3737, Eileen.Scahill@osumc.edu