Cornell U. and U. of Texas at Austin Each Land $10 Million

A roundup of notable gifts compiled by the Chronicle:

Cornell University

The late Sam Fleming and his wife, Nancy, gave $10 million to establish and build the Samuel C. Fleming Molecular Engineering Laboratories, which will be used for research on drug design and delivery, biomedical diagnostics, and the discovery of new materials.

The gift was already in the works when Sam Fleming died earlier this month. He was chairman emeritus of Decision Resources, a company that analyzes the global biopharmaceutical and managed health-care markets. A Cornell alumnus, he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Cornell in 1962.

University of Texas at Austin

David Booth pledged $10 million to build the Giant Magellan Telescope, the world’s largest telescope, which is being built at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile in partnership with 11 other universities.

When completed, the telescope will allow scientists to explore the origins of chemical elements, the formation of the first stars and galaxies, the characteristics of planets that orbit other stars, and how dark matter and dark energy work.

Booth co-founded and serves as executive chairman of Dimensional Fund Advisors, an Austin, Tex., investment firm. Booth has given significant gift to a number of other nonprofits and appeared on the Chronicle’s annual Philanthropy 50 list of the biggest donors twice in the last decade.

Washington University in St. Louis

Walter Metcalfe Jr. and his wife, Cynthia, pledged nearly $4 million to the School of Medicine to endow the work of Dr. Joan Luby, a child psychiatrist whose research team studies how adversity and neglect, as well as nurturing and support, in early childhood affect the developing brain.

Walter Metcalfe Jr. is chair emeritus of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, an international law firm. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the university in 1960.

Bucknell University

Lance and Julie Crenson Fritz committed $3 million to endow Bucknell’s dean of students post and to expand student support services in the areas of alcohol and drug-abuse prevention efforts, and to help students struggling with depression and anxiety.

Lance Fritz leads Union Pacific, a global freight railroad corporation. The couple graduated from Bucknell in 1985 and said in a news release that they are donating the money because they believe students today are dealing with stressors not seen 30 years ago.

“The pressures students face are much different than the pressures we faced, and in many circumstances those pressures are increased or have become more targeted and focused,” said Lance Fritz in the news release. “It can be really hard for students today to build self-esteem and feel like they belong.”

Doylestown Health Foundation

Marvin and Dee Ann Woodall donated $2.5 million to support the new Center for Heart and Vascular Care at Doylestown Hospital, which will be named for them, and to match donations from other donors.

Marvin Woodall is a scientific adviser at Boston Millennia Partners, which provides financing to health-care and other companies. He is a retired president of Johnson & Johnson’s Interventional Systems division and led the team that developed balloon expandable stents.

Springfield Area Educational Foundation

Nicholas and Katherine Giuffre gave $1 million to renovate the cafeteria and bus drivers’ lounge at Springfield High School, in Pennsylvania, and name them after the couple’s mothers.

Nicholas Giuffre retired as CEO of the Bradford White Corporation, a water-heater manufacturer in Ambler, Pa. His mother, Chickie Giuffre, worked as a lunch lady in the Springfield High School cafeteria, and he graduated from the school in 1974. Katherine Giuffre graduated from the high school in 1977. Her mother, Kay Voglesong, was a bus driver.

To learn about other big donations, see our database of gifts of $1 million or more, which is updated throughout the week.