Isenberg Receives Record $20 Million Gift from Douglas and Diana Berthiaume

The Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has received a $20 million gift from Douglas ’71 and Diana Berthiaume to support faculty excellence. The Berthiaumes are the most generous cash donors in UMass Amherst history and this extraordinary gift is the largest cash donation ever to Isenberg.

The gift will enhance excellence in three principal areas in recognition of the ongoing need for faculty support, ground-breaking research and innovative spaces where academic excellence flourishes — $7 million for creation of endowed faculty positions and chancellor professorships to attract and retain top talent; $11.5 million for endowed support for doctoral fellowships and a new behavioral research lab; and $1.5 million for expanded faculty research at the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship.

The Business Innovation Hub at the Isenberg School will be named in honor of the Berthiaumes, pending anticipated approval from the UMass Board of Trustees.

The Berthiaumes live in Andover and have a long history of philanthropy at UMass Amherst, having earlier given more than $16 million to the university. In 2014, they established the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship with a $10 million gift. Douglas Berthiaume is a founding director of the UMass Amherst Foundation and served as co-chair of UMass Rising, the university’s previous record-setting philanthropic campaign. The retired chairman, president and chief executive officer of Waters Corporation, a Milford, Mass.-based company, Douglas Berthiaume also serves as chairman of the Boston Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UMass Amherst in 2005.

“UMass Amherst provided me a remarkable education which opened doors that led to an extremely successful professional life, so I want to give back,” said Douglas Berthiaume. “There’s no question that Isenberg already has top-tier faculty members. It’s my hope that my family’s donation will accelerate faculty excellence and help Isenberg achieve recognition as a world-class business school.” 

UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy said, “Doug and Diana Berthiaume have been instrumental in establishing UMass as a hub for entrepreneurial thinking and innovation. Their support has been essential in Isenberg’s success over the past decade and we are deeply grateful for this new support, which will have an extraordinary impact on our students’ success.”In addition to supporting faculty excellence, this most recent gift will also increase Isenberg’s impact on business theory and practice by supporting the creation and dissemination of outstanding faculty scholarship and research. The money will establish Isenberg as a leader in offering transformative programs, supported by high-quality teaching, instructional innovations and state-of-the-art technologies.

“We are deeply grateful to the Berthiaumes for this incredible gift,” said Anne P. Massey, dean and Thomas O’Brien endowed chair. “Their decision to support our efforts to attract and retain top faculty through endowed positions and the creation of a behavioral research lab will help us advance Isenberg’s research reputation among the best business schools. Moreover, their gift of $7.5 million in support of our doctoral program is not only crucial to faculty research, but also our efforts to develop the next generation of scholars and educators.” 

Arwen Staros Duffy, vice chancellor for advancement, said, “As UMass Amherst continues to rise in the college rankings, we must be committed to supporting our faculty and students. This generous gift from the Berthiaume family helps us expand upon our reputation for excellence and reinforces UMass as the destination of choice for students and faculty across the world.