Prime Highlights-
- Utah’s David Eccles School of Business secures a $10 million deanship package, one of the largest for US business schools.
- Cumming Foundation commits $7.5 million to create Ian M. Cumming Endowed Dean, anchoring the $37 million Climb to Excellence campaign.
Key Facts-
- Emma Eccles Jones Foundation adds $2.5 million match for Presidential Endowed Chair held by the dean.
- Flexible funds will support AI initiatives, a Business of Sports program and a first-year student program.
Background-
Utah’s David Eccles School of Business has secured a $10 million deanship package that ranks among the biggest of its kind at any US business school.
The Cumming Foundation put up $7.5 million to create the Ian M. Cumming Endowed Dean. That commitment triggers a $2.5 million match from the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation, which will fund the Emma Eccles Jones Presidential Endowed Chair, a title the school’s dean will hold.
Both gifts sit at the center of Climb to Excellence, the school’s $37 million fundraising campaign running over five years.
The money works as a catalyst fund, so the dean can direct capital toward fresh ideas without waiting. David Cumming, chair of the Cumming Foundation, said his family joins the Eccles family and the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation in a partnership that gives the school resources equal to its goals.
Dean Kurt Dirks said the title honors a respected business leader from the community. He added that flexible funding lets the school back high-impact projects, act fast and launch programs that spark innovation.
The school’s rapid growth has created strong demand for this kind of funding. Past priorities include expanding AI work in classrooms, research and hands-on learning, starting a Business of Sports program built on Utah’s outdoor and sports scene, and growing a first-year program that draws top students from across the country.
The permanent funds also give the school lasting financial strength and help it attract bold leaders in the years ahead.
