Transforming Futures: $10 Million Gift to Empower New England College Students in STEM
Kovacs’ commitment fuels opportunities for NEC students in cutting-edge fields.
Henniker, N.H. – New England College (NEC) students will benefit from an extraordinary commitment by alumnus Austin Kovacs, class of 1960, and his wife, Betty Ann, whose gift will transform the College’s science, technology, and mathematics (STEM) programs. This landmark $10 million gift—the largest in NEC’s history—will give students expanded access to state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge degree programs, and opportunities in fast-growing fields like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, bioscience, information technology, and game theory.
The Kovacs’ investment comes from their belief that a strong foundation in STEM disciplines unlocks lucrative career opportunities for graduates. By enhancing and developing NEC’s STEM programs, their gift will equip students with the skills and experiences necessary to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving job market. Previously, in 2022, the Kovacs’ gifted $1 million to kickstart the first phase of the NEC Science Building renovation. This added $10 million gift reinforces their commitment to STEM initiatives at the College.
“This transformative gift directly impacts our students, both now and for generations to come,” said Dr. Wayne F. Lesperance Jr., President of New England College. “With this support, NEC can enrich the academic and professional experiences of our students, preparing them for the high-demand STEM careers of tomorrow. The confidence and trust that Austin and Betty have placed in NEC are inspiring, and we will ensure their legacy lives on through our shared commitment to STEM initiatives at the College. We are profoundly grateful for their commitment to our students’ success.”
For NEC students, like those in the Computer Information Systems program, this investment creates opportunities to dive deeper into specialized areas and shape their own learning experiences. The Kovacs’ grandson, an NEC graduate, exemplified this by designing a customized program in computer systems when such a degree did not yet exist.
Austin Kovacs, a civil engineering graduate of NEC, had a distinguished career as a senior research civil engineer at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, N.H., where he worked from 1962 to 1995. He became nationally and internationally recognized for his expertise, authoring or co-authoring over 220 technical papers, including 50 journal articles and 54 conference papers. Additionally, he holds two patents on specialized auguring, coring, drilling, and testing devices that he developed. Kovacs is one of the few individuals to have traveled to both the North and South Poles and was honored by having an Antarctic glacier named after him.
Betty Ann Kovacs was the chief operating officer of Kovacs Enterprises, Inc., a supplier of specialized ice drilling and ice coring equipment founded by the couple in 1995. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, the world-renowned equipment has been used on every continent across the globe. Kovacs Enterprises served clientele from a variety of private and government cold regions research communities. Betty used her expertise in logistics to market, sell, and ship this specialized equipment until the Kovacs’ sold the business in 2013.
The Kovacs family’s remarkable contribution ensures that NEC students can pursue similar paths of innovation and discovery. With this gift, NEC students will access new technologies and facilities and gain the flexibility to shape academic programs that align with the ever-changing demands of the STEM landscape. This investment will pave the way for students to enter industries at the forefront of innovation, positioning them for impactful and rewarding careers.
About New England College
Founded in 1946, New England College (NEC) was established to serve the needs of servicemen and women attending college on the GI Bill after World War II. Today, it serves over 5,000 undergraduate, graduate and online students annually. NEC offers more than 50 associate and bachelor’s degree programs, more than 10 master’s degree programs and a doctoral program in Education, all delivered by dedicated and accomplished faculty in the liberal arts tradition and with an emphasis on experiential learning. NEC is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. For more information, visit www.nec.edu.
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Josh McElveen
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josh@mcelveenstrategies.com
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