DURHAM, N.H. — Emmy-award winning television producer Marcy Carsey has donated $20 million to the University of New Hampshire, the second largest gift in the school’s history, to support the creation of a new school for public policy.
The Carsey School for Public Policy will involve work with sociologists, environmental scientists, health care experts, economists, demographers and foresters. It will train future leaders, both in the United States and around the world, to use research to solve problems.
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The gift builds on her 2002 gift of $7.5 million that established the Carsey Institute, which conducts research on vulnerable children, youth, and families and on sustainable community development.
The largest single gift in the university’s history was $25 million given in 2008 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Peter Paul, a 1967 graduate. His gift helped build the new Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, which opened in April.
Carsey teamed up with Tom Werner to form Carsey-Werner and produced long-running and popular shows that included “The Cosby Show,” “Roseanne,” “Third Rock from the Sun” and “That 70s Show.”
After graduating from UNH in 1966 with a degree in English, Carsey began her show business career as an NBC tour guide and was a production assistant on “The Tonight Show” before leaving NBC to become senior vice president of prime-time series at ABC.
Carsey is frequently named as one of the most powerful women in show business.
“It is crucial that we prepare leaders for the government, private and nonprofit sectors who can translate rigorous research into effective policies,” Carsey said. “It gives me great pleasure to express my appreciation and to provide a world-class program in public policy to UNH students.”
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