Seton Hall Alum Gives $1.25M for International Programs, Practice Facility

On Dec 15, 2022

Bruce Tomason, co-founder and past executive chair of Velocity Clinical Research, Inc. and managing partner of Summit Healthcare, announced he is donating $1 million to Seton Hall University’s Office of International Programs, and an additional $250,000 to help fund the upcoming construction of a student recreation center and athletics practice facility.

The gift to International programs will help the university realize its goals of increasing access for students to study abroad, expanding the number of international students on campus and establishing initiatives in Rome, Latin America and beyond.

The gift to the practice facility will help the University complete the next step in its 10-year master plan to enhance facilities for all students and athletics programs. The expansion of the recreation center will include a new practice gym for men’s basketball and enhanced resources for women’s basketball and other athletics programs as well as the student body.

“Having served on the board of trustees and the Board of Regents for a total of 17 years, Bruce Tomason has been an invaluable voice in the evolution of university strategy,” noted University President Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D. “His gifts validate our commitment to enhancing two of our top-priority areas: international programs and athletics. We are honored and grateful that he is investing in our students so generously.”

At a recent luncheon with students who will be travelling overseas next year, Tomason recounted how the five years of his career spent working and living in London sparked his appreciation for cultivating a global mindset. “Studying abroad helps students learn how to solve problems,” he noted. “And it opens their perspective on the human experience through the lens of different cultures. It also gives graduates an edge in the job search.”

Tomason’s Seton Hall story is not atypical: a 2nd-generation American born of blue-collar parents and a first-generation college student, Tomason chose Seton Hall because he was familiar with the name, having followed the men’s basketball team since he was in 3rd grade.

“Seton Hall was a natural for me,” said Tomason. “Several members of my family attended Seton Hall and that influenced my choice.”

After he earned his B.A. in economics at Seton Hall and an M.B.A. from Columbia University, Tomason was led to a career in managing and investing in various healthcare and clinical-research businesses. He has held senior executive roles in a wide range of companies, such as Evans Medical Ltd., Alterna LLC, One Call Medical, Inc., Copernicus Group, IRB, and several more in addition to Velocity Clinical Research, Inc.

Now, 15 years later, Tomason has decided to make an even more meaningful gift. “I am committed to what the University represents and what it does for students—particularly for first-generation students like myself, who have an opportunity to go to college,” said Tomason. “That experience in itself—apart from the international experiences—changes the trajectory of people’s lives. I’m a good example of it.”

Currently, Seton Hall’s Office of International Programs offers exchange programs, faculty-led programs and programs offered through third-party vendors. The office recently launched the “Rome Connections” program for first-year students, a criminal justice program in Colombia, an economics program in Bolivia and an interreligious-dialogue program in Israel.

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