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For Leif and Seija Carlsson, �鶹Ů�� isn’t just a place they work or studied — it’s where they built their lives. Now, they’re giving back, with a $1.5 million estate gift to fund scholarships and handson opportunities for the next generation of ocean and mechanical engineers and biologists — students who remind them, perhaps, of themselves.

“This university has been very good for both of us,” said Leif Carlsson, Ph.D. “�鶹Ů�� is very vibrant with a great diversity of students, and it has been inspiring to work with them. It’s a very good feeling to make this gift.”

It’s a sentiment nearly four decades in the making. Leif Carlsson is the J.M. Rubin Foundation Professor in the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering within the College of Engineering and Computer Science. He has been a professor at �鶹Ů�� since 1987. Seija Carlsson is an alumna who graduated from the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science with a degree in biology in 1996. She built a career in the chemistry labs of vitamin and supplement manufacturer Rexall Sundown, Inc.

Their gift creates two named scholarship endowments: the Leif Carlsson Engineering Scholarship Endowment for ocean and mechanical engineering majors, and the Seija Carlsson Biology Scholarship Endowment for biology students. A portion will also fund student clubs and competitive teams — including Owls Racing, the Marine Robotics Club, the Human Powered Submarine Team and the Aerospace Experimental Association — giving students a chance to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and test it on the world stage.

In recognition of the gift, the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering conference room in the Engineering West building will be named the Leif Carlsson Conference Room.

“Few people embody the spirit of the Florida Atlantic community quite like the Carlssons. Dr. Carlsson has spent four decades as a dedicated faculty member, leaving a lasting mark on countless students, while Mrs. Carlsson’s connection to �鶹Ů�� as an alumna spans more than 30 years,” said �鶹Ů�� President Adam Hasner. “Their gifts — which place Dr. Carlsson among the university’s most generous faculty donors of all time — honor that deep bond and carry the Carlsson legacy forward to future generations, making an impact in the vital fields of engineering and biology at Florida Atlantic.”