The Alvin H. Baum Family Fund, under the direction of the Fund's president Joel Friedman, has made a gift of $1,000,000 to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This gift will endow the Baum Professor in Environmental Change and Sustainability. The University has made plans to conduct a national search for this Professor, who will act as the Director of the newly created Center for a Sustainable Environment, which will be housed in the University Chancellor's Office. In conjunction with this gift, the university will be raising a substantial endowment to support the efforts of the Center.
The Center for a Sustainable Environment is the result of a merger between the Environmental Change Institute, which was also founded by Joel Friedman, and the University's Office of Sustainability. The Center is expected to play a significant role in dealing with local, national and international matters pertaining to sustainability and the environment.
The Alvin H. Baum Family Fund is committed to the causes of health, human services, education, housing, environmental issues and the arts. To view a list of other charitable causes supported by the Fund, click here.