Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the donor of the funds to CU Boulder in the headline. The headline has been updated.
Ball Corp. and its philanthropic arm, the Ball Foundation, have donated more than $1 million to the University of Colorado Boulder.
Ball Corp.’s gift of $1 million will go toward supporting the new Aerospace Engineering Sciences building, which will open Monday. The Ball Foundation also donated $104,000 to go toward scholarships, with the hope of drawing more diverse students to the university.
“I am incredibly proud of the partnership with the Ball Corp. mostly because the Ball Corp. embodies the kind of characteristics that we want to instill in our students,” such as integrity, ethics and sustainability, said College of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Bobby Braun.
This is the largest donation that Ball Corp. has made to CU Boulder to date, according to company spokeswoman Renee Robinson.
The company has a “significant need for engineering talent,” Robinson said in an email. These donations will support the expansion of aerospace engineering at the college, which will help build the future workforce, she said.
The larger gift is for capital and will help pay for the new aerospace building. The university has an “aerospace campaign” that runs through Dec. 31 to offset costs for the new building, Braun said, and it has received several large donations so far
The scholarship funds will be funneled through the BOLD (Broadening Opportunity through Leadership and Diversity) Center in the engineering school for the BOLD Participation Scholarship, and the EXCEL Scholars Program in the Leeds School of Business. The BOLD Center provides support through peer mentorship, community events and tutoring for engineering students to help them persist to graduation, and the EXCEL Scholars Program picks out promising students who are first-generation college students, from underrepresented groups or who are low income to attend the university.
Braun said he would argue that the BOLD Center is “at the heart of our college” because it focuses on supporting students and retaining them.
“It’s a safe place in our college for any student, regardless of where the student comes from, regardless of their strength in engineering prior to arriving,” he said. The BOLD Participation Scholarship is available to students who are active in the BOLD Center’s community.
Robinson said that diversity and inclusivity is important to the company.
“We’ve found, and many studies have proven, that diverse individuals and teams help to bring a variety of ideas to the table and creates a more innovative mindset, which allows us to bring the best solutions to our customers, and drives growth and value throughout our global organization,” she said.
CU Boulder has worked with Ball for more than 60 years. The two organizations partner up for senior engineering design projects, student professional development and NASA contracts. The company also supports CU Boulder students through mentorship and other activities, which Braun said is a demonstration of the company’s values.
“Ball Corp. and Ball Aerospace have been connected to the campus for a long time,” he said. “They really walk the walk.”
Braun said he would argue the college exists to support the state, both through education and supporting the industry, and the aerospace industry is strong in Colorado.
“The fact that the aerospace industry felt good about contributing to the aerospace building, it means that they feel good about the growth of our college,” he said. “By growing our footprint we can educate more students and grow the pipeline.”