Northwestern University Trustee Steven A. Cahillane ’87 and Tracy Tappan Cahillane ’88 (’17, ’19 P) have made a $10 million gift toward the renovation of the Donald P. Jacobs Center on the University’s Evanston campus, kick-starting a plan to turn the building into a hub for research, learning and student activity. The new facility will expand Northwestern's capacity to innovate in the social sciences and global studies.
One of the University’s strategic priorities, the renovation project will transform the interior of the building, a currently underutilized space, and significantly enhance the surrounding grounds. Located in the heart of campus on Sheridan Road, the Jacobs Center was built in phases between 1972 and 2001 and previously housed the Kellogg School of Management. Construction will begin this year and is expected to be completed in 2026.
“We are so grateful to Steve and Tracy for their incredible love for Northwestern and for their wonderful generosity,” Northwestern President Michael Schill said. “Their continued support has greatly benefited our exceptional students and faculty, and this gift will advance our vision for more deeply integrated scholarship, learning and student experience. Our social sciences and global studies programs are some of the best in the world, and they will now have ample space to thrive on the Evanston campus.”
The renovated building will be the new home of the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, the School of Education and Social Policy, the Institute for Policy Research and several departments within the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences: anthropology, linguistics, political science and sociology. Additionally, the Weinberg College Center for International and Area Studies and the college’s Program in Global Health Studies will move into the space.
Bringing these exciting intellectual areas together will create distinct hubs for the social sciences, policy and global affairs, bolstering opportunities for innovative partnerships and discoveries across schools and disciplines.
“Northwestern is committed to finding solutions to society’s most pressing issues through interdisciplinary research, and this initiative furthers our efforts to foster greater collaboration within the social sciences and global studies,” Northwestern Provost Kathleen Hagerty said. “Having so many world-class scholars in the same space will create natural connections that never before would have been possible and will lead to exciting new research endeavors.”