A $7.5-million private gift — the largest ever in the history of North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics — will help construct a new academic commons on the Durham campus and will launch an effort to renovate every residence hall as well.
The school, which has offered a transformative living and learning experience to NC students since 1980, was established on a repurposed historic hospital campus. A diverse planning team of teachers, students, parents, alumni and other constituents identified revitalized facilities as important to advancing student wellness and the academic experience.
“Most of our student living quarters were adapted from the patient wards of the decommissioned Watts Hospital in 1980, and some halls are more than a century old,” said Chancellor Todd Roberts. “Even our newest dormitory, built in 1990, is showing the wear and tear of decades of use. This donation covers about half the estimated cost of renovation and puts us in a strong position to raise the additional funds from other private donors and the state of North Carolina, which are needed to refurbish each of our 348 dorm rooms.”