CEDAR FALLS — The state Board of Regents on Nov. 16 approved a UI request to change the name of the Department of Biomedical Engineering to the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering in recognition of a contribution from the Carver Charitable Trust.

The UI made the request for a name change following a $12 million gift from the Carver Charitable Trust, bringing its total contributions to the College of Engineering to a record-breaking $15 million.

“Over the past two decades, the Carver Trust has provided the department with support,” UI interim Provost Sue Curry said. “This transformational commitment will allow our department to pursue its goal of becoming a global leader in the area of pulmonary and respiratory biomedical engineering.”

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The Carver Trust was originally established in honor of Roy J. Carver and his wife, both of whom made significant contributions to the UI during their lifetimes. Because of their contributions to medical research, the UI Carver College of Medicine adopted their name.

The grant is primarily a tool for the Biomedical Engineering Department to continue making developments in the field of pulmonary and respiratory biomedicine, such as seeking solutions for lung disease and other respiratory diseases, including bronchitis and asthma.

In addition to research, the gift will benefit the department in recruiting qualified, advanced faculty members and enrolling graduate students.

“This initiative extends beyond the department to foster important collaborative opportunities across campus,” Curry said. “It will help the department expand its doctoral program, retain our current outstanding faculty members, and enhance research.”