IMSA Graduate Gives $100,000 to Benefit Illinois Students and Teachers

For Immediate Release, May 2003
For comment, contact Brenda Buschbacher at (630) 907-5033

AURORA, IL - The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) Fund for Advancement of Education has received a gift of $100,000 from Mike McCool, a 1991 graduate.

McCool designated half of his gift to support programs and services for IMSA students and the other half to support The Center@IMSA’s professional development programs for Illinois teachers and enrichment programs for other Illinois students.
Catherine C. Veal, IMSA vice president for advancement, said McCool did this to demonstrate his belief in the value and importance of both of IMSA’s legislative charges - to provide an exemplary education for some of the state’s most talented math and science students and to stimulate excellence in math and science for other Illinois schools. “On campus and throughout the state, IMSA provides valuable and needed services that position Illinois for the future,” McCool said.

McCool made the gift to thank IMSA, Illinois taxpayers and elected officials, and donors to the IMSA Fund for providing the IMSA experience for him and others, Veal said. "Giving back to one of the places that got me to where I am today is a good thing to do, I am fortunate I can do it, and I want to do it," McCool said.

A software engineer now living in California and a former resident of Westchester, Illinois, McCool was on the team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that created Mosaic, the Internet browser used to start Netscape. He now works for Vicarious Visions, a creator of video and computer games.
This is the third six-figure gift IMSA has received from its young graduates. In the other two cases, the donors were not identified because they preferred to remain anonymous.

Located in Aurora, Illinois, IMSA is an internationally-recognized pioneering educational institution created by the State to develop talent and stimulate excellence in teaching and learning in mathematics, science and technology. IMSA's advanced residential college preparatory program enrolls 650 academically talented Illinois students in grades 10-12. More than 16,000 teachers and 23,000 students in Illinois and beyond have benefited from IMSA's professional development and enrichment programs. IMSA serves the people of Illinois through innovative instructional programs, public and private partnerships, policy leadership and action research.