Gift Will Help Establish Named Chair Within School of Architecture

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute today announced a $500,000 gift from Rensselaer alumnus David G. Jepson, Class of 1963, and his wife, Sharon, of Glastonbury, Connecticut. In celebration of his 50th reunion, the Jepsons’ gift will begin to fund The Sharon H. and David G. Jepson ’63 Fund for the School of Architecture, which will lay the groundwork for the establishment of The Sharon H. and David G. Jepson ’63 Career Development Chair in Architecture.

“The creation of a named professorship in the School of Architecture represents a transformative educational opportunity for our program,” said Evan Douglis, dean of the School of Architecture at Rensselaer. “It enables us to bring a distinguished leader from anywhere in the world to the school in support of our commitment to develop cutting-edge research with global impact. The Sharon H. and David G. Jepson ’63 Career Development Chair in Architecture will allow us to add to our faculty an extraordinary scholar who will contribute significantly to the creative and intellectual vibrancy of our highly talented and diverse student body. In addition to our top-tier professional programs in which we prepare students to become future leaders in the architectural profession, we also offer graduate degrees from our internationally renowned research programs: architectural acoustics, LRC / lighting research, and CASE / architectural science and ecology.  We are very grateful to Sharon and David Jepson for their generosity, their vision, and their commitment to the growth of the School of Architecture at Rensselaer.”

“In order to kick off the celebration of my 50th reunion year, I wanted to recognize the significant role RPI has played in my life,” Jepson said. “The education I received at Rensselaer is one of the greatest influences in my life and has allowed for my success. I am hopeful that my gift will enhance the experience of Architecture students by further teaching them about the business side of the profession, which will, in turn, help both the students and the School of Architecture achieve greater prominence.”

Jepson, currently a principal at JCJ Architecture, recently stepped down as chairman of the board. Throughout his career at JCJ Architecture, where he started in 1968, Jepson was influential in the growth of the firm from a small, regional business to one of the nation’s leading architectural practices. In 2000, he received one of his profession’s highest honors with his election to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows. He has also served as chairman of the board of directors of the Construction Institute at the University of Hartford, chairman of the board of trustees of Cheshire Academy, one of the nation’s oldest private boarding schools, and as a board member for the Connecticut Architectural Foundation.  

Jepson has been an ongoing supporter of Rensselaer and the School of Architecture, with an annual gift to support a lecture series within the School, as well as consistent gifts to the Rensselaer Annual Fund.