Celebrated inventor donates $2.5 million to Howard Community College
Celebrated inventor donates $2.5 million to Howard Community College
COLUMBIA, MARYLAND, Aug. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Howard Community College (HCC) President Daria J. Willis joined philanthropists Thomas P. Clement and Wonsook Kim in accepting a $2.5 million donation from the family. The gift is the largest single donation in the college’s history.
Clement, a renowned inventor and entrepreneur, and Kim, an internationally awarded visual artist, will support HCC’s School of Engineering faculty and students with grants, upgraded equipment and resources to build public and private partnerships in the college’s interdisciplinary STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programming.
“We are grateful to Thomas and Wonsook for their warm and timely support of our faculty and students,” Willis said. “We envision labs, learning spaces and training opportunities that will expand the curiosity and potential of our community. I couldn’t be more excited about our relationship with this family and the long-term outcomes this gift will bring.”
Clement is the founder, president and CEO of Acroventions Laboratories and holds over 75 patents for surgical devices for laparoscopic, cardiovascular, neurological, oncological and otolaryngological procedures. He began his undergraduate studies at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Massachusetts before earning his bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and psychology from Purdue University and Indiana University, respectively. He is a board member of KoreanAmericanStory.org and the author of the autobiography Dust of the Streets.
Kim is an artist known for her figurative imagery in surreal landscape painting. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art and fine art from Illinois State University and was named “Artist of the Year” by the United Nations in 1995. Her work has been featured in over 100 exhibitions in 14 countries.
In 2019, the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts was named in her honor, the first college in the United States to be named after an Asian woman.
“I am honored to support Howard Community College with a gift that we believe will be a foundational part of helping students here in Howard County achieve their dreams,” said Clement. “I know firsthand the value and support that goes into community colleges, and we believe Dr. Willis’ vision for the future of HCC will increase that value for many students for years to come.”
Since Dr. Willis was named HCC’s fifth president in 2021 and the first African American to serve in that role, the college has received the two largest donations in school history. In the last six months, the college has raised more than $3.5 million in major gifts and more than $5 million in the last two years.
ABOUT HCC
Since 1970, Howard Community College (HCC) has been a preferred choice for students and families in Howard County, Maryland. As a public community college, HCC offers associate degree and certificate programs, as well as professional development and continuing education training, to nearly 22,000 credit and non-credit students annually. HCC is the 2019 recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s only presidential-level honor for organizational excellence.
Facilities
CONTACT: Jarrett Carter Howard Community College 443-518-1800 [email protected]
