Richard Treibick, a member of the University's Board of Trustees, has donated $1 million on behalf of the Treibick Family Foundation to support three key areas at UConn - the School of Business Administration, the Division of Athletics, and human rights research. The gift is the largest ever from a University trustee.

The Treibick Foundation's gift includes $600,000 to establish a new program to conduct technical research and development in electronic commerce at the School of Business. The business faculty includes a number of well known experts in this emerging field, and the Treibick Electronic Commerce Initiative will be a crucial resource for their continued success.

"Electronic commerce will have a dramatic impact on the way business is done for years to come," said Treibick, an executive of Cable Holdings Inc. of New York City. "This initiative will bring cutting-edge ideas, products, and services to the business community, as well as help ensure that UConn's business graduates are prepared to compete in the increasingly high-tech workplace."

Jim Marsden, head of the department that will house the project, says the program will offer fresh insights on issues related to the initial viability, growth potential, and market durability of e-commerce initiatives in both the business-to-business and business-to-consumer arenas. Current faculty-led research projects include electronic market performance, Internet pricing of electronic products, electronic supply chain management, data/computer security, and workflow management.

The Treibick gift also includes $200,000 to establish a scholarship fund for academically gifted student-athletes in the women's tennis and women's crew programs. This portion of the gift reflects the Treibick family's conviction that a strong women's athletics program helps distinguish UConn.

The final $200,000 will be added to a previous gift from the Treibick Foundation to help support a priority initiative, the Dodd Program for the Study of International Justice and Human Rights. This program will sponsor teaching, research, and outreach on these important issues. The Treibick fund will support the gathering and dissemination of information to students, faculty, scholars, and the general public worldwide via a website and electronic discussion group.

In addition to his financial investment, Treibick supports the University through his volunteer leadership. He has been a trustee since 1993. He is actively involved in marketing and private fundraising for the university through his role as chair of the Board of Trustees' Institutional Advancement Committee, as well as his membership of the UConn Foundation Board of Directors.

President Philip E. Austin said, "As chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee, Richard Treibick has been a strong leader in our successful drive to enhance private fundraising. No one is more sensitive to the correlation between private giving and institutional excellence. With this gift, Mr. Treibick demonstrates that his commitment to the University's transformation is personal as well as official, and gives us an important resource to help that transformation proceed."

Treibick has been self-employed since 1961 in the real estate, investment and communications systems businesses.