The University of Minnesota has announced a $5 million gift from the Ecolab Foundation in support of environmental sustainability research and education. A cornerstone of the Ecolab Foundation gift is $2 million for the establishment of an endowed chair for the Institute on the Environment (IonE), a Consortium member, to ensure sustainability thought leadership for years to come. The contribution will count toward Driven, an ambitious fundraising effort that has a $4 billion goal. The Ecolab Foundation will also invest more than $1 million in undergraduate scholarships in science, engineering, and other environmental and sustainability-focused majors and minors, providing renewable awards of $7,500 for diverse and talented students beginning in their sophomore year. "Public-private partnerships are essential to making real progress on sustainability and addressing the impacts of climate change,” said Jessica Hellmann, director of IonE, who will become the first Ecolab Chair for Environmental Leadership. “The global economic impact of climate change and other stressors make this work truly imperative, for Minnesota and around the globe.”