Phil Schiller and Kim Gassett-Schiller Donate $10M to Bowdoin College's Coastal Studies Center in Maine

Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller and his wife Kim have donated $10 million to Bowdoin College's Coastal Studies Center on Harpswell Sound in Harpswell, Maine, as a user on Reddit pointed out today. In a press release, Bowdoin explained that the gift will allow it to "substantially expand" the facilities in which students perform ocean research and study environmental education.

Specifically, Bowdoin said that thanks to the gift from the Schillers, the college will be able to add a state-of-the art dry laboratory, convening center, modern classrooms, and housing and dining facilities.

“This extraordinary act of generosity and vision by Phil and Kim Schiller will transform the Coastal Studies Center into a facility where students and faculty from Bowdoin and from other institutions can gather together for concentrated periods to learn from each other and to advance knowledge and understanding about the ocean, marine science and the impact of climate change on marine life.”

Phil Schiller explained the family's donation in a video shared recently by Bowdoin, citing the college's efforts in developing new methods to research and fight against pollution, climate change, and other environmental issues. Schiller himself was born on the east coast in Natick, Massachusetts and graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Boston College. One of his sons, Mark, graduated from Bowdoin earlier in 2017.

In response to the $10 million donation, Bowdoin has named the center the "Schiller Coastal Studies Center (SCSC)." The SCSC is located on 118 acres of land that occupies 2.5 miles of the Maine coastline, and is situated on Orr's Island, about 12 miles outside of Bowdoin's main campus. For more information about the center, and the Schillers' donation to Bowdoin, check out the college's website here.