FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Charla Stevens Kucko, (585) 273-4806

Rochester, N.Y.-April 20, 2007-The University of Rochester has received a pledge of $1.5 million from Pittsford, New York residents Michael and Diane Jones to establish an endowed professorship in the Simon Graduate School of Business.

The Michael and Diane Jones Professorship will be awarded every five years to a faculty member whose work successfully exemplifies the business school's mission.

“Michael Jones and his wife, Diane, have again demonstrated their deep commitment to building a great university,” said President Joel Seligman. “They believe that a university's excellence rests on the quality of its faculty, and the Michael and Diane Jones Professors will make many contributions to teaching and research excellence of the Simon School. All of us honor Mike and Diane's great affection for the University of Rochester and are truly grateful for it.”

Michael Jones is president and C.E.O. of Pittsford-based Clover Capital Management Inc. The investment advisory firm, which he co-founded in 1984, manages approximately $2 billion in client assets. He is a current trustee and graduated from the University in 1976 with a dual bachelor's degree in biology and psychology.

“My wife, Diane, and I are very pleased to contribute to the legacy of this fantastic business school,” says Jones. “I've been a beneficiary of Simon School graduates at Clover Capital Management. We employ five, and I hope to employ more in the future. An institution begins and ends with great faculty who have made their mark on academia, and we are committed to supporting the recruitment of top-notch faculty.”

“This philanthropic gift from Michael and Diane Jones will help us to continue to attract and retain valuable members of our faculty,” says Simon School Dean Mark Zupan. “The growing international reputation of our faculty will be a testament to Michael and Diane's foresight and generosity.”

 

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The Simon School prides itself as the place Where Thinkers Become Leaders™ and is currently ranked among the leading graduate business schools in the world in rankings published by the popular press, including BusinessWeek, U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Forbes. For example, in the most recent BusinessWeek poll, the Simon School was ranked among the top 30 business schools in the United States. The Financial Times recently rated the School 4th in the world for finance 6th in the world for both accounting and managerial economics. More information about the Simon School is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.simon.rochester.edu.

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