The University of Delaware has received the largest philanthropic contribution from an individual or family in the University’s 282-year history.
The $71.5 million commitment from Robert L. Siegfried, Jr. and Kathleen Marie (Horgan) Siegfried, along with The Siegfried Group, LLP, will benefit UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. Rob and Kathy are both UD alumni and have been philanthropists to the University for decades. President Dennis Assanis and Lerner College Dean Oliver Yao will welcome the Siegfrieds back to campus to celebrate this generous gift with members of the UD community later this spring. The donation positions the Lerner College among an elite group of U.S. business schools that have received this level of philanthropic investment in student success.
“This is a transformative moment for the University of Delaware and our Lerner College of Business and Economics,” said Assanis. “The Siegfrieds’ generosity will significantly advance Lerner’s critical mission of preparing the next generation of leaders, change-makers and entrepreneurs to make an impact in the rapidly evolving world of business and economics. My wife, Eleni, and I are so grateful to Rob and Kathy for their extraordinary demonstration of leadership and support that will make a meaningful difference to our community for years to come.”
The Siegfrieds’ support will help create Lerner College’s Siegfried Hall, a state-of-the-art, student-centric learning space with modern classrooms, research and teaching labs, a student-run café, and an auditorium. As a hub of activity that will be designed to energize and inspire the academic journey and career aspirations for Lerner students, Siegfried Hall will maximize:
- Student services: A Student Success and Excellence Center will facilitate personal and professional development with student advising and career services.
- Experiential learning: Immersive, experiential learning space will enable hands-on learning through instructional computing labs, public computing space, and generative AI, and more.
- Collaborative programming: Interactive student meeting spaces will integrate technology to facilitate team projects, interdisciplinary research, active learning through case study competitions, club activities, entrepreneurial programming, and remote job interviewing.
- Community connection: The new building will integrate architectural planning considerations designed to foster a sense of community, connecting Lerner students, faculty, staff and alumni in the united pursuit of academic and professional aspirations.
Siegfried Hall will also be the host site of the new Siegfried Institute for Leadership and Free Enterprise, an “idea lab” that will contribute to developing the capabilities and characteristics of effective leadership, while further studying the critical role basic principles of limited government, rule of law, and free enterprise play in supporting individual freedom and leadership. According to Rob and Kathy, “These basic principles are pivotal to free enterprise and align with the foundational values of the United States. The institute will seek to leverage these principles and values to enrich the lives of individuals, their families, and their communities, as well as benefit our national interest.”
The combination of Siegfried Hall and the institute will create a powerful environment to think, dialogue, learn, and develop. Such engagement will create a national profile for the institute as it cultivates the next generation of visionary leaders, equipping them with insight and expertise relevant to economic policies that support and drive free enterprise.
“My time at UD — my incredible professors, the many unique experiences inside and outside the classroom, my vibrant network of friends and colleagues — helped to make me who I am today,” Rob Siegfried said. “To be able to share our success with the business students of tomorrow is an incredible honor. Kathy and I, and our firm, are thrilled to invest in the world-class students, faculty, staff and campus of the Lerner College and the University of Delaware.”
The University will commission the design process for Siegfried Hall this spring, with a goal of breaking ground within the next four years. The campus location for Siegfried Hall will be announced later. To spur additional investment in the project, the Siegfrieds’ gift will serve as matching funds for future Siegfried Hall contributions. As Rob Siegfried explained, this is only the beginning: “Kathy and I hope to share a vision and establish a mission that others will feel compelled to both support and follow. We urge our fellow UD alumni and friends of the Lerner College to get involved and help shape its continued evolution of success in the future.”
Yao echoed the Siegfrieds’ support. “Our vision for the college is to shape and serve the future of business and society by driving impact through an ecosystem of pioneering scholarship and inspirational education—all within an inclusive environment. The new Siegfried Hall will put us on the fast track to achieving our vision.”
“I am always humbled by the generosity of our Lerner community,” Yao continued, “and I hope that Rob and Kathy’s incredible dedication will inspire others. Our community should know that every dollar they contribute to this effort will go directly toward that goal.”
As proud UD alumni and passionate advocates for leadership education, the Siegfrieds have been steadfast in their support of UD students for many years. Before this latest gift, the Siegfrieds had already contributed and/or committed more than $6 million to Lerner College, Horn Entrepreneurship and the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship. Their philanthropy created the Siegfried Youth Leadership Initiative, a unique leadership development program designed for Delaware students in grades 8 through 12, and the Siegfried Fellows program, a highly selective, cohort-based, 10-month immersive program for undergraduate student leaders. They have funded internships for dozens of Lerner College students and created innovative programming to create the next generation of business leaders. The Siegfrieds’ dedication to advancing UD has been evident since their earliest days as alumni – their first gift was a contribution of $25 in 1985.
Jim Dicker, UD’s vice president of development and alumni relations, expressed his gratitude to the Siegfrieds. “Even more than their generosity, what I admire most about Rob and Kathy is their deep belief in the power of opportunity. They know what a UD education makes possible for students, and they want to open that door to others. They have a clear vision for what this latest gift will accomplish, and it’s a vision we all share. Our job now is to make it happen. We couldn’t be more grateful.”
The Lerner College is one of the top business schools in the nation, ranking among the 100 best undergraduate programs and among the 20 best online MBA programs by U.S. News & World Report. The Wall Street Journal named Lerner College one of the top colleges for high-paying jobs in both accounting and finance.
For more information on the Lerner College, or to explore ways to get involved, please contact Angelica Howard, senior director of development, at lernerdev@udel.edu or 302-831-3816.
About Rob and Kathy Siegfried
Rob and Kathy Siegfred graduated from the University of Delaware in 1981 and 1985, respectively. Rob earned his bachelor’s degree from Lerner College with majors in both economics and accounting, while Kathy earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Arts and Sciences with a major in criminal justice. Although Kathy grew up right next door to Rob, the two did not begin dating until 1984 soon after meeting through a mutual friend at a UD football tailgate. They have been married for 38 years, have three children and two grandchildren.
In 1988, after seven years with Ernst & Young, Rob had a dream to start his own CPA firm that would evolve to transform the accounting industry. With support from Kathy, who helped in everything from the beginning, from marketing and HR to accounting and administration, the once small company in Wilmington, DE, has grown into a national firm and today has approximately 1,300 employees based in 18 offices across the country.
An entrepreneur, who is also a CPA, Rob serves as Founder & CEO of The Siegfried Group, LLP, a national leadership advisory and talent delivery firm, which primarily serves large and/or dynamic companies throughout America. He has made it his life’s work—and his firm’s higher purpose—to “help people transform themselves into better leaders to exponentially improve their lives.”
Rob serves on the Lerner College Advisory Board and is co-founder of the Siegfried Youth Leadership Program. Rob is also a member of the UD President’s Leadership Council, and he is a former chair of the Lerner College Advisory Board.
About Lerner College of Business and Economics
The Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics delivers inspirational education and pioneering scholarship, building an inclusive community that beneficially transforms business and society.
Lerner College currently offers 18 undergraduate majors and 18 minors, 10 master’s programs, and four doctoral programs (Economics, Economic Education, Hospitality Business Analytics, and Financial Services Analytics). The Financial Services Analytics doctoral program is an interdisciplinary program reflecting an innovative collaboration among the Lerner College, the College of Engineering, and JP Morgan Chase. Additionally, Lerner College is a key stakeholder in the SWUFE-UD Institute of Data Science, a joint venture between the University and the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE), a highly ranked university in China. Lerner College is AACSB accredited both at the college level and in accounting.
Lerner College’s faculty members are leaders in their fields, innovators in education, and noted advisers to business and governmental agencies at the local, regional, national, and international levels. The faculty comprises 163 members across five departments (Accounting and MIS, Business Administration, Economics, Finance, and Hospitality and Sport Business Management), serving nearly 3,300 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students.