Alum gives $3 million to Chapman University

ORANGE — A Chapman University graduate gave $3 million to her alma mater to help the university start a new teaching academy, university officials said.

The academy will be named after its benefactor, Donna Ford Attallah, who graduated from Chapman in 1961 and taught in Cypress public schools for 40 years.

The academy will focus on training teachers in grades kindergarten through high school as well as "studying education in the larger social context — how teaching must adapt to fit the needs of a changing society,'' said Don Cardinal, dean of the College of Educational Studies, which will
include the new academy.

Some of its programs will begin in the spring semester, but the academy will not officially open until the fall.

Keep up with LAist.

If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.

Subscribe

Attallah graduated with a degree in education from Chapman, and with her late husband, has made other donations to the university, Chapman officials said.

After her spouse's 2005 death, she gave $1.5 million to Chapman to build the Fahmy Attallah Piazza in his memory.

"We always felt our education put us where we were — we never had children, so we wanted in some way to give back to young people and to support their quest for a fine education,'' Attallah said.

She also gave credit to Chapman President Jim Doti.

"His enthusiasm for Chapman is infectious, and he inspires you to give and give again,'' she said.