University President the Rev. Robert A. Wild delivered his annual presidential "State of the University" address Tuesday afternoon in the Alumni Memorial Union ballroom.

In the address, Wild announced a $5 million gift from Marquette alumni Jim and Kelly McShane for the College of Engineering.,”University President the Rev. Robert A. Wild delivered his annual presidential "State of the University" address Tuesday afternoon in the Alumni Memorial Union ballroom.

In the address, Wild announced a $5 million gift from Marquette alumni Jim and Kelly McShane for the College of Engineering. Wild said the McShane's gift will be used to establish an endowed chair in Construction Management in the college.

"This impressive gift will allow Civil Engineering to bring in a top-flight professor to provide intellectual and professional leadership for this new academic program," Wild said.

Wild also re-emphasized his commitment to building the university's endowment. In last year's presidential address, Wild announced his goal to have Marquette's endowment reach $1 billion within the next seven years.

According to Wild, the endowment stands, as of the end of last year, at $328 million dollars.

Wild said the $1 billion goal is "possible and also necessary."

Read Thursday's Marquette Tribune for a full report.

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