Siena College receives $35M donation

Siena College is the recipient of a $35 million gift from Das Nobel ’06 and Nipa Nobel, co-founders of MTX Group (MTX), one of the country’s top technology consulting firms that has been credited with serving as a pioneer in digital transformation and artificial intelligence with the mavQ AI platform.

The announcement of their gift, which came as a surprise to the Siena community, was shared on Dec. 14 during a special campus event. Representatives in attendance included the Nobels, NYS Deputy Secretary for Education Daniel Fuller, U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko, NYS Assemblyman Phil Steck, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, Colonie Town Supervisor Paula Mahan and Siena President Chris Gibson, Ph.D.

“Das Nobel is a shining example of what a Siena College graduate can achieve when he or she dreams big,” Gibson said. “His career achievements are impressive by any standard, but it is the dedication that he and his wife, Nipa, show to MTX's employees through their people-first approach to business, and to the community through the Nobel Foundation, that illustrates what it truly means to be a Siena Saint. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity, which will transform the way Siena prepares our students for their own careers.”

The Nobels’ donation, which will fully fund the expansion of Siena’s science complex with the construction of Nobel Hall and the renovation and expansion of Roger Bacon Hall, is the largest one-time gift in Siena’s history and is one of the most substantial private donations ever made to a college or a university in New York State.

“The foundation I received at Siena College enabled us to give back to my alma mater in a way that will impact new generations of leaders,” said MTX Founder and CEO Das Nobel. “I am proud to be a Siena alumnus and hope this contribution will inspire current and future students to dream big. The expansion of the college’s science complex and the building of Nobel Hall will inspire students to collaborate and make their dreams a reality, just as I did.”

The new Nobel Hall will feature specialized laboratories along with designated spaces for collaborative and active learning. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2022, with an intended completion date of 2024. More than 40 percent of Siena students and 11 STEM-related academic programs will benefit from an additional 40,000-square feet of space, to be located behind Roger Bacon Hall and the Morrell Science Center on the Siena campus.

Both Das Nobel and Nipa Nobel immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh in their teens. Das graduated from Siena in 2006 with a bachelor of science degree in computer science and the goal to found his own company. He serves as CEO of MTX and spearheaded the development of the Maverick Quantum (mavQ) Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform, which powers much of the company’s work with its partners in 35 states.

The Nobels’ dedication to developing MTX as a culture-focused, people-first organization earned them recognition as the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneurs of the Year for 2021. Leading MTX’s growth as a brand, MTX Chief Brand and Culture Officer Nipa Nobel also helps guide the strategic vision of the College as a member of Siena’s Board of Trustees.

“Siena holds an incredibly special place in Das’ heart and in mine, and we are so grateful for the ability to give back to this institution,” Nipa Nobel said. “Siena has had such a positive impact on our family and on the communities where its alumni work and live. Das and I fully support Siena’s approach to creating future leaders, whose education is steeped in a commitment to serving others and in the liberal arts.”

The Nobel Foundation will be instrumental in supporting the MTX and Nobel pledge program.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, MTX served an integral role in providing emergency response solutions for clients across the country, including developing the vaccine management platform for three of the country's biggest cities — New York, Chicago and Houston.

Siena College has experienced record enrollment growth in each of the last three years, with 30 percent of students majoring in programs introduced within the last six years, including significant expansion in the health-care space and the addition of new graduate programs. In contrast, nationwide enrollment has seen a decline of more than 3 percent  from fall 2019 to fall 2020, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. Siena was recognized as the No. 1 college in New York state for job placement in each of the last three years, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, and was selected in 2021 as one of the Top 10 Catholic colleges in America through an aggregate ranking compiled by College Consensus.