The Board of Trustees for Michigan Technological University voted to approve construction
of the Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness. This facility will provide students
with approximately 90,000 square feet of modern campus wellness programming and holistic
care.
Alumnus and philanthropist Chang K. Park ’73 has given Michigan Tech a transformational
$55 million gift to fully fund the construction of a new facility to support student
health and well-being. It is the largest gift given to the University in its history.
Aligned with Michigan Tech’s Be Well Initiative, the Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness will allow the University to bring
together services that until now have been spread across more than 30 locations on
campus.
“It’s a historic day for Michigan Tech as we recognize the incredible generosity of
Chang Park for this extraordinary gift in support of student wellness,” said Michigan
Tech President Rick Koubek. “The new Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness provides
centrality for student well-being, allowing students to benefit from the full integration
of physical, mental and emotional health in one facility.”
A Comprehensive Approach to Student Well-being
The Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness, with an ethos of “Benevolence to All,”
is designed to support the four pillars of Michigan Tech’s Be Well Initiative — Live
Well, Play Well, Connect Well and Recharge Well. Each pillar is reflected in the building’s
design:
- Live Well: Spaces for clinical counseling, therapy, telehealth and a medical clinic
- Play Well: A large fitness and exercise floor with fitness equipment for all skill levels
- Connect Well: Communal areas, group rooms and a welcoming campus “living room”
- Recharge Well: Rooms for meditation and prayer, quiet lounges and other restorative spaces for stress
reduction
The facility, to be located between the Memorial Union and Administration buildings,
will advance student emotional, physical and mental health, with dedicated space for
instructional areas, a fitness center, locker rooms, group training rooms, a medical
clinic, outreach and prevention offices, and accessible wellness amenities throughout.
“The Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness will be transformational for Michigan
Tech and our students,” said Laura Bulleit, vice president for student affairs. “We
have several years of data that show the need for additional mental and physical health
support. We also have anecdotal data directly from our students that point to the
need for convenient spaces for them to meet their physical fitness goals. The new
wellness center will fulfill each of these needs.”
“I’d like to thank Mr. Park for his exceptionally generous gift and for his support
for our current and future generations of students,” said Bill Roberts, Michigan Tech’s
vice president for advancement and alumni engagement. “His generosity ensures that
Michigan Tech students will have access to the resources they need to be healthy,
well and successful in all they do.”
A Vision Inspired by Experience and Opportunity
Park, who graduated from Michigan Tech in 1973 with dual degrees in electrical engineering
and engineering administration, has credited his education — and the support he received
from Michigan Tech faculty and staff — as foundational to his life trajectory.
After immigrating to the United States from Korea as a teenager, Park attended high
school in New York City, where he worked through the challenges of learning a new
language and adapting to a new culture. He recognized his personal growth from such
early challenges and subsequent encounters as he advanced his professional and business
careers and encouraged graduating students to remain venturesome in his 2024 Commencement address at Michigan Tech.
“Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and face new challenges,” said
Park. “You will be amazed to discover the vast pool of untapped talents that you never
knew you had within you as you struggle to overcome the challenges. This is how we
all grow in our life.”
Park built an impressive career that spanned engineering and international finance,
ultimately founding Universal Remote Control, Inc., now a global leader in home automation
and control systems.
Guided by his values around education, human rights and economic justice, Park established
the Chang K. Park Foundation to reduce human suffering and expand people’s opportunity
to realize their full potential. He summed up these values at the conclusion of his
commencement speech to the graduating students.
“What I found from my own life experience is that there are certain immutable values
that are cherished in our society,” Park said. “They are decency, integrity and humility.
Make these three your core values that define who you are. It is like building your
life on a solid rock as a foundation. You will not only be blessed in so many ways
in your life, but you will also become a blessing to so many others. I believe this
is the true meaning of life that we all strive for.”
“I am grateful to have this opportunity to address students’ needs to advance their
mental, emotional and physical health for many years to come.”
Momentum for Student Mental Health
Michigan Tech was recently named to the 2026 Mental Health Services Honor Roll by
The Princeton Review, one of only 30 institutions nationwide recognized for a strong
commitment to supporting student mental health and well-being. The Chang K. Park Center
for Student Wellness builds on that momentum by expanding campus capacity for integrated
care, strengthening prevention and awareness efforts, and creating purposeful spaces
that support the whole student.
“We want to see every student succeed, but we know success doesn’t happen if our students
aren’t taking the time to focus on their overall health and well-being,” said Bulleit.
“I am incredibly grateful to Mr. Park for his generous and thoughtful donation. To
have an alumni donor who not only sees the need, but also supports our vision for
caring for the whole student, is absolutely a dream come true.”
The Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness is expected to open in fall 2028.
Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
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