NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A Christopher Newport Leadership Studies professor has awarded the university $3 million, the largest single donation in the school’s history with a sustainability focus.
On behalf of his family’s endowment, Dr. Benjamin Redekop gifted the amount to honor his parents, Calvin and Freda Redekop.
The contribution of $1 million for each of three years will support programs and infrastructure that save the university money and propel it forward on a path to net-zero environmental health, per a release.
“We here at CNU owe it to all of our constituents to be good stewards of our natural and financial resources, and I am thrilled that the Redekop Family can play a role in making CNU more sustainable, with sustainability defined as ‘the ability for social and ecological systems to thrive together in perpetuity,’” Redekop said.
Redekop also credited President William G. Kelly with inspiring the growth of a culture of sustainability.
“I am deeply grateful to Dr. Redekop and the Redekop Family Endowment for this gift that will have an enduring impact on the University, the community and the Commonwealth,” President Kelly said. “Ben is an effective and admired professor, gives generously of his time and talent to many University endeavors and now, through philanthropy, is moving our campus toward being a model of sustainability. In this region, which includes rivers, bays and an ocean, the Redekop Family Endowment will help us demonstrate that we are a good neighbor, eager to protect our beautiful corner of the world.”