$50 million new gift from Daniel and Diane Riccio to university will support immediate and long-term initiatives, fuel innovative research, strengthen academic excellence, and expand access and opportunity for generations engineering students
Daniel J. Riccio Jr.—a former key leader and innovator at Apple for 26 years—has committed $50 million to support immediate and long-term initiatives to fuel innovative research, strengthen academic excellence, and expand access and opportunity for generations of UMass Amherst engineering students. It is the largest gift in campus history.
The gift marks a pivotal moment for the commonwealth’s flagship public research university, signaling a new era of innovation and impact for New England’s top-ranked public engineering program. In recognition of Riccio’s generosity, the university will establish the Daniel J. Riccio Jr. College of Engineering. A naming celebration will be held later this fall.
“We are deeply grateful to Dan for his transformational gift and commitment to the future of engineering at UMass Amherst,” said UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes. “His forward-thinking philanthropy and belief in our research and the impact of a UMass education will elevate the entire campus and empower UMass engineering students to shape their environment and the world for generations.”
“As a proud alum, I’ve seen UMass Amherst, including its College of Engineering, become a world-class institution over the past 20 years. While UMass has come a long way, I believe it has untapped potential, and with the right level of investment and support, its best days are yet to come,” said Dan Riccio.
“This said, I’m excited to make this gift and partner with UMass to take the College of Engineering to the next level and build on its mission of revolutionizing engineering and making the world a better place.”
The largest component of the Riccio gift ($40 million) will support scholarships for undergraduate engineering students, graduate fellowships, a chair in biomedical engineering, professorships for the recruitment and/or retention of eight distinguished faculty members, and a deanship, as well as faculty fellowships.
Additionally, the endowed Riccio Research & Innovation Fund will play a key role in shaping the future of the college, strengthening its contributions to knowledge, advancing cross-disciplinary collaborations, and fostering innovation ecosystems.
A $10 million catalyst fund will provide flexible support for the Daniel J. Riccio Jr. College of Engineering’s highest priorities, including three prospective areas of investment:
1) exploring the intersection of technology and health by partnering with UMass Chan Medical School;
2) developing a design curriculum in conjunction with the College of Humanities and Fine Arts; and
3) creating an engineering leadership program in collaboration with the Isenberg School of Management.
“This donation marks a monumental step forward in lengthening our lead in research and innovation. In Massachusetts, we believe in making investments to help cure diseases, fuel our economy, and drive us forward,” said Governor Maura Healey.
“I am thankful to Dan Riccio for strengthening UMass Amherst’s research and engineering departments, which is great for our students and universities and great for Massachusetts.”
“Massachusetts has always been a beacon of academic excellence, and this historic donation will empower UMass Amherst, our students, and our innovators to shape the future.
Today’s gift ensures we remain at the forefront of engineering and scientific discovery,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll.
“It is important to invest in research and innovation to help move society forward and improve the quality of life for all our residents.”
Riccio and his wife, Diane M. (Casey) Riccio, Ph.D., have given generously to support revolutionary biomedical and health research in the past.
In 2022, they pledged $15 million to fund ALS and neuroscience research at UMass Chan Medical School.
“I am deeply grateful to Dan Riccio for this monumental gift in support of the UMass Amherst College of Engineering and its special community of faculty, staff, and students,” said UMass Board of Trustees Chair Stephen Karam.
“To have this enormous contribution come from an alum makes it even more meaningful for UMass Amherst, and we look forward to his continued engagement with the university in the years ahead.”
“This enormously generous philanthropy from Dan Riccio—a proud UMass Amherst graduate—is an investment in the future of UMass Amherst, the College of Engineering, its world-class faculty, and the thousands of students whose lives will be transformed there,” said Marty Meehan, president of the UMass system.
“This is the largest gift in UMass Amherst history, and all of us at UMass are honored that the College of Engineering will now bear Dan’s name and benefit from his continued leadership and engagement.”
“This endowed support for the students and faculty of the Riccio College of Engineering will strengthen this college’s legacy of excellence in the decades ahead,” said UMass Foundation Board of Directors Chair Robert J. Manning.
“On behalf of the UMass Foundation, I want to express my deepest appreciation to Dan for his inspiring act of philanthropy and for sharing his time and talents with the university.”
Riccio’s transformative gift will be further amplified through $25 million in institutional resources, including matching funds made available from a UMass endowment matching program.
The university’s commitment will be directed to the Riccio endowments, strategic faculty recruitment, and enrollment of talented graduate students in the Riccio College of Engineering.
The gift comes at a time when the College of Engineering is actively focusing on expanding access to high-impact experiences for its students and ensuring that teaching and research at the school embraces the multitude of disciplines and perspectives that intersect with engineering.
Increased financial support for new academic programming and faculty-led research initiatives will help position the college as the first choice for top students and scholars worldwide.
“Dan’s exceptional generosity will change the trajectory of the college’s future by supporting more opportunities for aspiring engineers and the faculty-student teams working on today’s most pressing problems,” said Sanjay Raman, who will now serve as the Daniel J. Riccio Jr. Dean of Engineering.
“As a highly respected leader in the technology industry, Dan has provided us with invaluable perspectives and guidance through his work on the Dean’s Advisory Council. I look forward to embarking on this exciting new chapter for the college with him.”
“Dan’s gift reflects his belief in UMass Amherst and the College of Engineering to create meaningful change, and it will have a profound impact on the college, the university, and its students,” said UMass Amherst Foundation President Arwen Duffy.
“At a time when universities face unprecedented cuts to research funding and student support, his visionary philanthropy stands as a bold counterforce. His support will empower UMass Amherst to expand discovery and innovation and prepare the next generation of engineering leaders while advancing its role as a catalyst for social and economic progress.”
Riccio is a respected leader, recently retired from Apple Inc., who over the past three decades played a lead role in creating the most innovative products in the world.
After joining Apple in 1998, Riccio built Apple’s Product Design team and developed its world-class product development process, leading the team to deliver category defining products including the iMac, iPhone, and iPad.
Riccio then transitioned to leading Apple’s Hardware Engineering team to deliver all Apple’s groundbreaking new products that pushed the boundaries of innovation for the next two decades.
Prior to Apple, Riccio held engineering roles at Compaq and Digital Equipment Corporation.
Riccio has been an active member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Engineering since 2023. In April 2025, he was recognized with the College of Engineering Outstanding Alumni Award, and in May 2025, he received the UMass Amherst Distinguished Achievement Award.
Riccio holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in manufacturing engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Diane M. (Casey) Riccio, Ph.D., earned her doctorate in cell biology from the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School in 2003. She currently works to raise awareness of and funds for dementia care, support, and research with the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern California and Northern Nevada, where she is on the board of directors.
The Riccios live in Atherton, California, and Marblehead, Massachusetts.