Marquette University has received a $2 million gift from alumnus Nanda Alapati to support undergraduate and graduate research in biological sciences.
Alapati, a 1982 graduate of the Opus College of Engineering, made the gift in honor of his father, Dr. A. Krishna Kumaran, who served as a professor in Marquette’s Biological Sciences Department for nearly 30 years from 1969 to 1997.
The funding will support student field experiences and laboratory work, travel by students and faculty to industry and professional conferences, laboratory and scientific equipment, and research assistants.
The gift is also expected to provide seed funding for promising collaborative research projects. Seed funding can help researchers generate preliminary data that strengthens applications for larger federal research grants.
Marquette’s Biological Sciences Department focuses in part on understanding how biological systems respond and adapt to changing environments. Research supported by the new funding could contribute to work involving ecosystem resilience, the adaptation of disease-causing organisms, and the effects of external stressors on human health.
The university said the gift will create additional opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to work alongside faculty and participate directly in the research process.
The contribution also extends Marquette’s recent fundraising momentum. Fiscal year 2025 represented the largest fundraising year in university history, with $159.3 million in new gifts and confirmed pledges.
Fiscal year 2026 marked the fifth consecutive year in which Marquette received more than $100 million in contributions from alumni, parents, and friends, while also producing the highest number of donors in university history.
Alapati’s gift is intended to extend the research-focused legacy of his father, who emphasized both teaching and scientific inquiry throughout his career at Marquette.
KEY QUOTES:
“My father believed that, in addition to teaching, a professor’s role was to push the boundaries of knowledge through research and inspire students to engage in research themselves. As a teacher, he really enjoyed challenging his students, raising their level of curiosity and making them think.”
Nanda Alapati, Marquette University Alumnus
“This gift is huge in its impact and provides greater certainty at an important moment for our researchers. The potential impact and return on projects that build on seed funding is massive. The investments required for research are continuous and sustained, and this gift will help build a foundation for future discovery.”
Dr. Martin St. Maurice, Chair Of The Biological Sciences Department At Marquette University
“This generous gift will create transformational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to work alongside our accomplished faculty and immerse themselves in the process of discovery.”
Heather Hathaway, Acting Dean Of The Klingler College Of Arts And Sciences
