University alumnus Glen Tullman ’81 has honored his time and relationship with the University with a generous gift of $6 million. Tullman majored in Economics in his time at the University, and is now a Chicago-based healthcare services entrepreneur. He has founded several companies, with the latest one, Transcarent, being launched this past March.

Tullman’s relationship with the University has been nurtured over the years by psychology and animal behavior professor Douglas Candland. After giving a speech about entrepreneurship at the University 10 years after graduating, Candland inspired Tullman to make a difference and make helping people a guiding principle in his companies.  

Tullman’s donation will be apportioned in three areas of need. Three million dollars will be given to endow a discretionary fund for the newly named Douglas K. Candland Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. This will support high-impact educational activities in the college.

Karl Voss, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, looks forward to the opportunities this donation will provide. On the University’s website, Voss is quoted as saying, “This gift will allow us to move forward with programming and activities that make a significant difference in the educational experiences of Bucknell students and that will encourage the kind of relationships Glen and Doug have benefited from and enjoyed for so many years. The naming of this gift for Doug is a remarkable form of recognition for a faculty member whose career has had a broad and positive impact on the Bucknell community.”

The second $2.5 million apportionment will be used to create the Douglas K. Candland Fund for Civic Action to honor the professor’s years of service as a teacher, scholar and mentor. The income from the fund supports civic and community-engaged learning activities. 

Faculty and students look forward to the positive effects this will have on the support of civic engagement at the University. The donation came in great timing to support the Engaged Bucknell initiative, which has upcoming goals for 2025. The University’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts will also benefit thanks to the support from the gift.

Candland founded the University’s Animal Behavior Program in 1968, and the third portion of the donation, $500,000, will be given to endow the ongoing costs of operating its animal care facility. The gift provides a fixed endowment to support the Animal Behavior Lab, which is in operation 24/7 with four species of primates in residence.

Tullman’s gift to the University will help many people, including many students, faculty and staff. It will also help residents of the surrounding communities of the University. The gift will allow students to access more diverse and engaging educational experiences.