Long-planned UW-Madison engineering building nets $75M donation

A long-planned engineering building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is getting a boost with a $75 million donation.

The donation — the largest single gift in the College of Engineering’s history — comes from brothers and UW-Madison alumni Marvin and Jeffrey Levy. The pair are making the donation in honor of their late brother Phil, who graduated from the university in 1964.

The donation was announced Wednesday at an event at Bascom Hall on campus.

“Through this gift, we can ensure the College of Engineering will remain on the leading edge and educate an ever-expanding number of talented engineers for generations to come,” Marvin Levy said in a formal statement. “Our family deeply appreciates the vital role engineering plays in driving innovations that advance our society and contribute to people’s quality and enjoyment of life. Jeff and I view support of this new engineering building as a gift to the state of Wisconsin.”

University leaders have been working to build a new engineering building for years, looking to expand a program that was forced to turn away applicants because of space constraints in existing facilities. According to past statements, about 8,000 students apply to engineering programs each year, but the campus can only admit around 1,200.

Although the new building was the university’s top priority, it was stripped from the state budget last year. Funding was finally unlocked as part of a deal promoted by Republican legislators approved by the Board of Regents to limit DEI staffing at system universities. 

Gov. Tony Evers signed the bill allowing the university to move forward with construction of the $347 million project in March. Under that plan, the state will pay $197 million toward the project, with the remaining balance coming from private giving. The Levy’s pledge covers half of the $150 million the university was seeking in private donations.

Construction is expected to begin next year.

With the Levy’s gift, the university announced the building will be named the Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center, saying it will be the new centerpiece of the College of Engineering campus.

According to a statement from the university, the eight-story, 395,000 square-foot building  will allow the College of Engineering to expand its enrollment.

Phil Levy, who died in 2021, was graduated from the university with an English degree. He went on to become an interior designer and founded Phillip Levy Fine Furniture and Interior Design in Madison. He was active in the community and with the university, and established the Phillip A. Levy Design Excellence Fund that led to the school’s Master of Science in Design + Innovation program, offered jointly with the College of Engineering.

Editor’s note: This story will be updated.