Dallas Couple’s Historic Gift to the University of Mississippi Bolsters STEM Education

Mashburns’ Major Donation Dedicates a Chemistry Lab in Their Honor

University alumnus Waddell Mashburn and his wife, Sally, have made a groundbreaking $250,000 donation to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). This generous gift to the school is primarily aimed at helping finance the new state-of-the-art Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation.

Impacting STEM Education Positively

The impressive Dallas couple’s contribution will bolster the teaching of lab courses, especially chemistry, housed in the building, facilitating the procurement of advanced equipment and instruments. By supporting the availability of these crucial resources, the couple is setting a new standard in enhancing STEM education on the Oxford campus.

“I feel privileged to be in a position to contribute to a school like Ole Miss, which inspires me greatly,” expressed Waddell Mashburn, a 1969 Ole Miss College of Liberal Arts graduate who now owns Dallas-based Mashburn Commercial Realty.

Largest Single Construction Project in Oxford Campus History

In 2020, Hattiesburg brothers, Jim and Thomas Duff, committed $26 million to the construction of the STEM building that spans 202,000 square feet. This monumental contribution stands as the largest single construction project in the history of the Oxford campus and is a significant impetus to STEM education in the region.

“I’d been thinking about doing something for the university for a couple of years,” Mashburn added, “My primary interest was in mathematics and science, which I thought would be an appropriate area to contribute to.”

Sally and Waddell Mashburn Chemistry Lab

The couple’s substantial gift will be honored with the naming of a chemistry lab in the new science building as the “Sally and Waddell Mashburn Chemistry Lab”.

Sharing her thoughts, Sally Mashburn, a Southern Methodist University graduate, said, “I want to commend Waddell on his decision to make this gift. It’s imperative for our future.”

A Standout Facility by Summer

The Duff Center, on completion this summer, will house lecture halls and labs dedicated to chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, and even computer science. A lower student-instructor ratio will be maintained, and various disciplines will be spread throughout the building to promote interdisciplinary learning and teaching.

“We are deeply grateful to Waddell and Sally for this significant investment, which will enhance our world-class faculty’s ability to educate our students in the natural sciences,” remarked Lee Cohen, dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Mississippi.

Positive Effect on Future Students

Waddell Mashburn hopes that his gift will encourage students to make the most of the facility and inspire them to pursue careers in related areas. “The technological detail that is being implemented on the construction of the STEM facility is beyond anything I have seen,” he said.