A major gift from Kenneth A. Pontarelli ’92 BS (Econ) and his wife, Tracey Pontarelli, will fund a new professorship focused on research and teaching in the area of environmental sustainability and finance, based in the Maxwell School. The Pontarellis’ gift and an additional pledge will fund the professorship for five years.

According to Kenneth Pontarelli, the goal of the professorship will be to assure that environmental policy research is well-grounded in realistic understanding of markets and financial mechanisms, so that future environmental policy meets the world’s economic needs and incentives.

"Climate and the environment represent some of the most pressing issues of our day, and both business and government must play a vital role in tackling this challenge,” he said. “Tracey and I are passionate about this field and our hope is this effort will foster student interest and develop the next generation of problem solvers.”

Kenneth Pontarelli is a sustainability investor. He graduated from Syracuse University with a dual degree in economics, from Maxwell; and finance, from the Whitman School of Management, where he now serves on the advisory board. He also holds an MBA from Harvard University. He worked for Goldman Sachs, first in investment banking and later in the company’s Merchant Banking Division, which is responsible for the direct private equity investing business of the firm. He has served on the boards of a number of private and public companies

According to Dean David Van Slyke, the Maxwell School expects to begin a search for the first Pontarelli Professor this fall.

06/03/19