The Skoll Foundation has committed $5 million to enable the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health to study public health threats brought on by pandemics and educate a new generation of adaptive and technologically adept public health professionals.

The gift will fund the Ending Pandemics Academy in the Global Health Institute at the college and create the Jeff Skoll Endowed Chair in Ending Pandemics. Additionally, the Zuckerman College of Public Health will receive intellectual property and assets that aid in the research of communicable and chronic disease.

"I am grateful for the Skoll Foundation’s partnership with the University of Arizona. The university's research contributions were significant during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am confident that together we can advance pandemic preparedness and public health even further,” said University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella.

In 1999, Jeff Skoll created the Skoll Foundation to build a sustainable world of peace and prosperity for all. The Skoll Foundation "catalyzes transformational social change by investing in, connecting, and championing social entrepreneurs and other social innovators who together advance bold and equitable solutions to the world's most pressing problems," according to its website. 

In 2014, the Skoll Foundation funded the nonprofit Ending Pandemics and named as president Dr. Mark Smolinski. Smolinski, an epidemiologist who uses digital tools to solve public health challenges, was a member of the first class of U of A Master of Public Health graduates in 1994.

"The COVID-19 pandemic woke up the world to the ongoing danger posed by new-and existing-infectious diseases," said Marla Blow, president and chief operating officer of the Skoll Foundation. "Skoll incubated, then spun off, Ending Pandemics to encourage innovation and global collaboration in disease surveillance. We're proud to support Ending Pandemics' move to a perfect permanent home, the University of Arizona, with its long history of impact."

The Skoll Foundation's gift will build on a growing relationship between Ending Pandemics and the college. In 2023, Global Flu View, a digital platform developed by Ending Pandemics that visualizes data from participants worldwide to report and track the spread of disease, was awarded to the Zuckerman College of Public Health.

"We are deeply grateful for this Skoll Foundation gift and Skoll's vision to build a better world," said Dr. Iman Hakim, dean of the Zuckerman College of Public Health. "These funds will enable us to take the amazing portfolio of knowledge, expertise and tools developed by Ending Pandemics and use it to train the next generation of digital epidemiologists to use technology and AI to promote public health, stop the spread of disease and meet tomorrow's public health challenges." 

The gift will fund the Ending Pandemics Academy, a digital epidemiology education and research program within the Global Health Institute, which provides applied global educational opportunities to equip students with the skills and tools necessary to become culturally competent public health professionals capable of addressing any global public health challenge.

"The Skoll Foundation's generosity comes at a pivotal moment, as AI is reshaping how we deliver care and protect communities from emerging threats," said Jennifer Barton, interim vice provost for health programs. "This gift will help prepare the next generation of public health professionals to meet critical health challenges in Arizona and beyond."

The Jeff Skoll Endowed Chair in Ending Pandemics will be part of the Eminent Scholars program, a state-funded program designed to provide funding to match philanthropic investment for the recruitment and retention of exceptional faculty at Arizona universities. The Eminent Scholars program is managed by the Office of the Provost and the University of Arizona Foundation to support the state's and university's goals for research and education.

"This investment is about equipping the next generation of public health leaders with the tools, technology and expertise to protect communities worldwide," said John-Paul Roczniak, president and CEO of the University of Arizona Foundation. "We're proud to support the University of Arizona in this critical work to create a healthier, more resilient future for all."

The gift also is part of the Fuel Wonder campaign, the university's $3 billion fundraising effort. Gifts already made to the campaign are giving every student access to a cohesive ecosystem of support, powering new insights into the human immunome and transforming research in areas including cancer, engineering, space sciences and the humanities.