Western Chancellor donates $5M to Engineering program, names building after Chakma

Jack Cowin, Chancellor of Western University, and his wife Sharon have announced a $5M donation to the university’s engineering program. A WesternU release adds that the university will also name its new engineering facility after outgoing Western President Amit Chakma. According to the statement, the decision was “inspired by Chakma’s leadership and vision to grow Western’s competitiveness on the world stage.” In 2015, Chakma and the university came under scrutiny after it was revealed that he accepted $400K for an untaken administrative leave, bringing his total salary for 2014 to $967K. According to the London Free Press, Chakma was not paid the following year in an attempt to give the money back to the university. WesternU | London Free Press