Photo courtesy of Cape Cod Community College.
WEST BARNSTABLE – Cape Cod Community College recently received the largest single donation by an individual in the academic institution’s history.
Maureen Wilkens is contributing $5 million towards the construction of the College’s new Science and Engineering Building.
The new $38 million building will allow faculty to better teach STEM related subjects.
College President John Cox said receiving the generous donation was a “wow” moment for the school.
“To see that level of commitment to move us forward with our Science and Engineering Building truly was a great moment in the history of the college,” Cox said.
Wilkens and her late husband Frank have been generous donors to the college in the past. The Wilkens established an endowed scholarship to annually fund the education of single parents. Maureen has also supported the renovation of the college’s Nursing Lab.
“The College is so important to the community. It provides outstanding higher education opportunities for our neighbors on the Cape and Islands and beyond,” Wilkens said. “A new science building has been needed for a very long time.”
The record donation was made by Wilkens after discussions with school officials following the funding commitment from the state.
The state secured $25 million in funding for the building in a bond bill that was signed by Governor Baker in July.
The college is contributing $3 million to the facility.
The donation from Wilkens will fulfill half of the $10 million Cape Cod Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. capital campaign.
“This is really the propellant, if you will, to really energize our efforts moving forward to make sure we are able to garner the $38 million in total that we are looking at,” Cox said.
Cox said the new building is an investment for the next few generations of STEM students at the college.
“We are looking at creating a teaching and learning environment that’s really built around the notion of modularity,” Cox said. “As technology changes over time we want the ability to adapt to that more easily than what we would be doing now if we had to tear down some concrete walls and bricks.”
Cox said the donation for Wilkens has provided a green light for the college to move forward.
“We are looking at this as about a three-year cycle between the planning, the construction and the furnishing,” he said.
The school expects the building to be ready in 2022.
By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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