{"id":2297,"date":"2026-07-16T13:03:56","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T17:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/?p=2297"},"modified":"2026-07-21T16:01:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T20:01:20","slug":"one-million-dollar-grant-from-gene-haas-foundation-powers-new-labs-at-monroe-community-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/16\/one-million-dollar-grant-from-gene-haas-foundation-powers-new-labs-at-monroe-community-college\/","title":{"rendered":"One Million Dollar Grant from Gene Haas Foundation Powers New Labs at Monroe Community College"},"content":{"rendered":"

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK \u2013 July 16, 2026<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Monroe Community College (MCC) and the MCC Foundation are proud to announce a transformative $1 million naming gift from the Gene Haas Foundation. This educational grant will support the naming of two new spaces in the Sydor Optics Advanced Technology Center<\/a>\u00a0(ATC) at MCC set to open for the Fall 2026 semester. The Gene Haas Lab for Tooling and Machining and the Gene Haas Lab for Computer Numerical Control (CNC) will total more than 10,000 square feet of cutting-edge instructional space.<\/p>\n

The Gene Haas Foundation has been a critical supporter of MCC\u2019s Precision Machining and Tooling program, fueling student excellence in the trades for 10 years. Over the past five years, MCC enrollment has steadily increased, and graduation rates are now at a 20-year high. As rates rise, so does the need for expanded student support. This historic gift enables the college to meet that need.<\/p>\n

The new facility will enhance MCC\u2019s curriculum with cutting-edge resources and innovative learning opportunities, preparing our graduates to excel in a competitive job market and meet the demands of the current workforce. With more than 200 employer partnerships, students graduating with an A.A.S. in precision machining fill urgent workforce needs and receive competitive pay. The Gene Haas Foundation\u2019s generous investment ensures students have the tools and training needed to succeed.<\/p>\n

The Gene Haas Labs mark a bold investment in our region\u2019s economic vitality and the future of manufacturing education. This partnership reflects MCC and the Gene Haas Foundation\u2019s shared commitment to providing students with hands-on, transformative educational experiences that align with employer needs and power regional growth.<\/p>\n

Kathy Looman, Executive Director of the Gene Haas Foundation, said, <\/strong>\u201cAt the Gene Haas Foundation, we are deeply passionate about advancing manufacturing education and introducing students to careers in the industry. Since 1999, we have contributed more than $300 million to this effort. We are proud to play a role in advancing MCC\u2019s manufacturing students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. DeAnna Burt-Nanna, President of Monroe Community College, <\/strong>said, \u201cAt MCC, we pride ourselves on being a national leader in forging strong partnerships between community colleges and industry. An investment from the Gene Haas Foundation\u2019s global leadership is incredibly meaningful and underscores our shared commitment to preparing students for success in the future workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Robin Cole, Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development and Career Technical Education at Monroe Community College,<\/strong> said, \u201cMany of MCC\u2019s Precision Machining and Tooling students enter the workforce immediately after graduation. This investment delivers advanced, hands-on training using state-of-the-art equipment, ensuring graduates\u2019 job readiness for these high-demand careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gretchen Wood, Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Monroe Community College and Executive Director of the MCC Foundation<\/strong>,<\/strong> said, \u201cThe Gene Haas Foundation and Monroe Community College have a long-standing partnership, and we are grateful for their years of support for our Precision Machining and Tooling students. We are honored to see our partnership reach the next level, ensuring MCC students have the resources they need for a better future.\u201d<\/p>\n

About Monroe Community College:<\/strong>\u00a0Monroe Community College<\/a>, based in Monroe County, New York, was founded in 1961 and is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With four main campuses, MCC offers more than 100-degree, credit, and non-credit programs. MCC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), is a member of the League of Innovation in the Community College, and is one of ten community colleges participating in the Aspen College Institute\u2019s Unlocking Opportunity: The Post-Graduation Success and Equity Network.<\/p>\n

About the Monroe Community College Foundation: <\/strong>The Monroe Community College Foundation<\/a> is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt not-for-profit organization established in 1983. The MCC Foundation seeks philanthropic investments from private and corporate donors to advance academic innovation and success at MCC.<\/p>\n

About the Gene Haas Foundation: <\/strong>The Gene Haas Foundation, established in Ventura County, California, is dedicated to introducing individuals to and educating them about manufacturing technologies. Since 1999, the Foundation has distributed more than $265 million in grants to schools across the country and internationally, with more than $40 million distributed in 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK \u2013 July 16, 2026\u00a0\u2013 Monroe Community College (MCC) and the MCC Foundation are proud to announce a transformative $1 million naming gift from the Gene Haas Foundation. This educational grant will support the naming of two new spaces in the Sydor Optics Advanced Technology Center\u00a0(ATC) at MCC set to open for the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":718,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,3],"tags":[9,147,49,126,215,21,51,216],"class_list":["post-2297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-news","category-mcc-foundation","tag-mcc","tag-community-college","tag-higher-education","tag-monroe-community-college","tag-monroe-community-college-foundation","tag-optics","tag-philanthropy","tag-precision-machining"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/718"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2297"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2303,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2297\/revisions\/2303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}