Michigan State University Receives $500,000 for Business Pavilion from Alumnus

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East Lansing’s Michigan State University’s Broad College Business Pavilion, which is in its second year of construction, has received a $500,000 gift from executive MBA (EMBA) alumnus Frank Yang. The gift will support one of four flexible classrooms in the facility, which is slated to open fall 2019.

“Frank Yang’s gift for the Business Pavilion is a testament to his belief in our commitment to provide the best possible student experience to every Broad Spartan,” says Sanjay Gupta, the Eli and Edythe L. Broad dean. “We are very proud to have someone of Frank’s stature associated with this project. This investment in our students will fundamentally transform the Broad student experience.”

Yang is president of automotive supplier INCODEL Michigan in Romulus.

“The EMBA program at MSU means a lot to me,” says Yang. “The vibrant college culture, strong branding, and networking associated with MSU made a very big impact on me.”

The classroom funded by Yang will be known as the INCODEL Michigan classroom and will be customizable for multiple uses.

The $62-million, 100,000-square-foot facility is designed to serve undergraduate and graduate students. It is also expected to house career services, an entrepreneurship lab, and modernized classrooms.

“This building is not just a space to enhance the student experience. It goes far beyond this,” says Gupta. “The new Business Pavilion is a symbol, a point of pride, and a statement made toward teaching and learning, while ultimately allowing students to achieve Spartan goals and dreams.”

Yang joined the EMBA program after leaving a full-time job because he wanted to start his own business. “The first step of my business plan was to apply for the EMBA program at MSU,” he says.

Originally from China, Yang earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Science and Technology Beijing and a master’s in engineering from Wayne State University. He took many trips to China, Europe, and Brazil during his time in the EMBA program, building his business along the way. Since graduating, his career includes roles in international shipping, the steel industry, and as a global automotive supplier.

In related news, the MSU Federal Credit Union has awarded the MSU Museum $150,000 for a Science on a Sphere, or a spherical screen that displays can be projected onto. MSU will be the first university to house one.

Science on a Sphere has a 5-foot diameter and was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It displays the earth’s four quadrants in 3-D and enables visitors to view atmospheric events on earth, as well as show the galaxy’s other planets and moons in real-time.

The MSU Museum joins 150 other Science on a Sphere locations around the world, including three in Michigan: the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak, the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena, and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.

“For many years, I have been entranced by the SOS systems at museums and science centers around the country. I am thrilled that MSUFCU’s generous gift puts us on the way to bringing this extraordinary system to the Lansing area and to MSU’s campus,” says Mark Auslander, director of the museum. “I am confident that MSU students and our K-12 student partners in the region will develop original, creative presentations to project on the sphere, allowing our visitors to engage in exciting explorations of science, culture, and the arts throughout the world.”

Following the credit union’s gift, the MSU Museum will pursue a fundraising goal of $100,000 in fall 2018 to prepare the gallery for the system. The museum aims to open the gallery in October 2019.