Texas A&M brings in $2 million more for new Fort Worth campus
July 11,2024
See full Fort Worth Report article by Shomial Ahmad here.
Texas A&M Fort Worth’s dream of building a 3.5-acre urban college research and innovation campus downtown just got a multimillion-dollar infusion of cash.
The Ryan Foundation, started by the family of prominent Fort Worth businessman Thomas M. Ryan, announced Thursday that it would award $2 million to aid in the construction of the campus.
“We are pleased to be a part of this project, which will make such a huge impact on Fort Worth over the next decade and beyond,” said John P. Ryan Jr., chair of the Ryan Foundation board of directors.
Texas A&M Fort Worth is in phase one of its philanthropic fundraising efforts.
“It's a big undertaking. It will involve this massive investment from Texas A&M, cities and contributing counties,” said Robert Ahdieh, chief operating officer of Texas A&M Fort Worth. “But then, an important piece of the equation is philanthropy.”
The Ryan family owned several food and finance companies and is interested in supporting the health care and education sectors. The donation, Ahdieh says, also signals support from key Fort Worth foundations for the vision of Texas A&M Fort Worth.
“The Ryan Foundation is this long-established, thoughtful, systematic contributor to key initiatives that go to the heart of Fort Worth’s continued growth, prosperity and development,” said Ahdieh.
The donation follows other major gifts this year. In May, the Amon G. Carter Foundation donated $10.75 million, including $5 million in cash and 0.8 acre in downtown Fort Worth valued at $5.75 million. In February, the Sid Richardson Foundation committed $2.5 million to support engineering programs at Texas A&M Fort Worth.
The eight-story Law & Education Building is currently under construction and will be a hub for a wide range of disciplines, including a new law school facility and space for biotechnology, business, engineering, health sciences, medical laboratory sciences, nursing and virtual production. The building is expected to be complete in late 2025 and occupied in early 2026.
The campus' second multi-unit facility, the Research & Innovation Building, is currently in the design phase. It will house academic programs in science and technology and corporate partners, facilitating collaboration between academic experts and industry talent. It will also house regional offices of several Texas A&M System agencies. A third building, the Gateway Building, will serve as the university’s main entrance and house space for meetings and small events.
Shomial Ahmad is a higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report, in partnership with Open Campus. Contact her at shomial.ahmad@fortworthreport.org.
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Location Mentioned: Texas A&M Fort Worth