The Board of Visitors announced a gift of $25 million granted to the University by Philip Morris USA in a press conference Friday.
The gift will support tobacco research at the University on addiction and disease and represents "a significant deepening of the partnership" between the two institutions, according to Mike Szymanczyk, chairman and CEO of Philip Morris USA.
Philip Morris USA gave the donation at the University's request, according to Brendan McCormick, senior director of corporate communications at Philip Morris USA.
"Approximately $20 million will support research and projects at the University," Szymanczyk said. "The remaining $5 million will support the expansion of Philip Morris USA's relationship with the McIntire School of Commerce."
The research funded by the gift will concentrate on the cause of tobacco addiction, a study of tobacco related diseases and youth smoking prevention, according to University President John T. Casteen, III.
Philip Morris USA has also donated money to other research institutions in an attempt to "reduce the harm associated with our products," Szymanczyk said.
"Regardless of the economic impact, we cannot ignore the fact that cigarette smoking is addictive and causes serious disease," Szymanczyk said.
The University Medical School has already begun researching how to best prevent cigarette use among youth, according to Medical School Dean Tim Garson.
The Medical School has created a questionnaire that divides Virginia into nine different consumer types used to determine how citizens want to receive their medical education, according to Garson.
"The goal is to provide personalized messages to kids about the harms of smoking. We want to figure out how they want their [tobacco] education and educate them," Garson said.
The Commerce School and the Medical School will work together to study how to effectively inform the public about smoking, according to Commerce School Dean Carl Zeithaml.
"The gift provides us with an opportunity to work with the Medical School in what I believe will be collaborative and ground-breaking research that will focus on the marketing, advertising and communication programs around anti-smoking and the prevention of smoking, particularly in young people," Zeithaml stated in a University press release.
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