Investment in the future: Endowment to aid Watson College faculty

As a business leader in the Binghamton region, John Mirabito knows a good investment when he sees one.

That’s why he and his wife, Cheryl, are investing in Binghamton University and Watson College with the new Cheryl and John Mirabito Family Faculty Scholar Endowment.

The financial gift will provide a faculty member at the School of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering with extra funding for research assistants, publications, conference participation, and other teaching and outreach initiatives.

For more than 10 years, Mirabito — former chairman of Mirabito Holdings Inc. — has been a member of the Watson College Advisory Board, which offers feedback from an industrial perspective and makes connections to enhance educational opportunities. Watson students and faculty sometimes offer presentations about what they are working on, and he’s found their projects “very impressive.”

“When you have a named position, it attracts a higher level of talent,” he said. “You want to bring their research to campus and develop it, and they can add to what’s already going on. Who knows what can hap- pen? The sky’s the limit.”

Watson College Dean Atul Kelkar approached the Mirabitos about the idea of an endowment soon after arriving at Binghamton in 2024.

“The Mirabito family’s extraordinary support elevates what we can accomplish at Watson College,” he said. “By investing in our faculty, John and Cheryl are directly investing in the future of our students and the impact of our research. Their generosity creates a legacy that will inspire our academic community for years to come.”

In 2023, the Mirabitos made a gift to benefit the Watson College Scholars Program. In recognition of their generosity, a boardroom in the Engineering Building was named the Krishnaswami “Hari” Srihari Executive Boardroom in honor of Watson’s former dean.

“My wife and I are very proud to support the University, and especially Watson College,” Mirabito said. “We want to help with the continued success and growth, and we think this endowment is another way we can do that. I’m sure there are other people out there who could and would do the same thing, maybe at a larger scale, and hopefully this plants a little seed so they start thinking about it.”