http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/feb/10/billionaire-helps-fund-mu-energy-research/
The founder of an apparel company has given the University of Missouri $5.5 million to study new sources of clean energy. Sidney Kimmel, founder and chairman of The Jones Group — which includes brands such as Anne Klein, Nine West and Gloria Vanderbilt — donated the money through his charitable foundation. Kimmel, who has never been on MU’s campus, said in a statement that he chose the university because it is has research capacity across several fields and is interested in benefiting society. It is the largest gift from a private individual who has no ties to MU, said Catey Terry, a spokeswoman in the development office. The money will be used to create the Sidney Kimmel Institute for Nuclear Renaissance, SKINR, which will involve researchers from the MU Research Reactor and physics, engineering and chemistry departments. Mostly, MU scientists will be trying to figure out why excess heat has been observed when hydrogen or deuterium interacts with materials such as palladium, nickel or platinum under extreme conditions. Researchers don’t know how the heat is created, nor can they duplicate the results on a consistent basis. “It’s a chance to turn cold confusion to real understanding and opportunity,” said Rob Duncan, MU’s vice chancellor for research. -- Daniel Rocha - RJ [email protected]
