A record-breaking gift to Florida Gulf Coast University could help change the trajectory of health care education in Southwest Florida.
FGCU announced June 13 a $22 million gift from the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Charitable Foundation toward the development of cutting-edge instructional technology at the university’s Marieb College of Health & Human Services. The pledge is the largest in the university’s history and will span nine years.
FGCU President Aysegul Timur called the gift a defining moment for the university and for the Marieb College of Health & Human Services — “one that elevates the trajectory of FGCU for generations to come.”
The $22 million pledge builds on Elaine Nicpon Marieb’s previous gifts of more than $17 million to FGCU between 2011 and 2022. In recognition of her support, the College of Health and Human Services and Marieb Hall are named in her honor. Together, Marieb and her foundation have contributed a total of $39 million to the university.
FGCU officials said the latest donation also will provide naming rights for Academic Building 10, an expansion of Marieb College, with construction scheduled to begin in fall 2026.
Marieb, who died in 2018, was a scholar, educator and philanthropist renowned for her study of anatomy and physiology. She wrote or co-wrote more than 10 bestselling textbooks, earning her recognition as one of the most-read female authors in college courses. Marieb had a home in Sarasota and became familiar with FGCU, ultimately serving on its advisory board and receiving an honorary doctorate from the university.
According to the Marieb Foundation, she committed nearly her entire fortune to advancing education and health care training, pledging millions of dollars to institutions, including FGCU, Holyoke Community College, Mount Holyoke College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“This is yet another example of the legacy and philanthropic spirit of Dr. Elaine Marieb,” Timur said. “This $22 million gift from the Marieb Foundation will expand opportunities for our students, our faculty and their research efforts. This gift powers innovation, and through this donation we will be able to further enhance the state-of-the-art instruction occurring here in Marieb College, which is our community’s top training facility for health care.
“This will not only positively impact patient care services here in Southwest Florida but across the state and nation.”
Dr. Larry Antonucci, president and CEO of Lee Health, the largest health care system in Southwest Florida, said the implications of the gift are many for the future of the health care workforce.
“I think the impact of this gift really can’t be overstated, not just for the university but for the health care community and the community at large because of these technologies and the innovation that we know will be needed over the next five to 10 years,” Antonucci said. “Having this type of training will make the transition to our health system so much easier.
“We want to have their students working with the same technology that we have in our system, so the growth of Marieb College has been really important to us. This is going to just make it so much better moving forward.”
In making the presentation, Libby R. McHugh, a Marieb Foundation trustee, said the foundation “sees a tremendous opportunity to further Dr. Marieb’s legacy.”
“FGCU has proven itself to be a leader in academic innovation and a champion of student success,” McHugh said. “Our collaboration is founded on a shared vision that prioritizes forward-thinking approaches to education, fosters resilience and prepares future caregivers and health care leaders for the challenges ahead.”
Shawn Felton, dean of Marieb College at FGCU, called the support by the late Marieb and her Foundation transformative.
“The commitments have forever changed the trajectory of our college, allowing FGCU to become a regional leader in health care education,” Felton said. “Through this latest gift, we will expand on our technological advances, ensuring our students are equipped with the very latest knowledge needed to excel in this fast-paced and advanced world and further expand Dr. Marieb’s legacy.”
According to FGCU, Marieb College enrolls about 2,700 students each year in 15 degree programs spanning nursing, social work, rehabilitation sciences, health science and counseling. The college features simulation laboratories, top-of-the-line rehabilitation equipment and holographic technology, giving students hands-on learning and skills.
FGCU cites 100% first-time licensure pass rates in six healthcare programs, including the college’s School of Nursing, where for the second consecutive year, graduating students achieved a 100% pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination of Registered Nurses . The university said that nearly 100% of Marieb graduates are employed within six months of graduation.
The latest donation will also provide naming rights for Academic Building 10, an expansion of Marieb College. Construction of that building is set to begin in fall 2026.
