UConn shaped this alumnus’ life. His planned gift ensures it remains part of his story and the stories of future students.

When Paul Grosso ’77 (CLAS) took his first UConn chemistry class, something “just clicked.”

“Chemistry explained so much about the world around us,” he said. “It was possibly the most powerful way of looking at the world.” Paul learned from first-rate professors, one of whom wrote the textbook that set the standard for chemistry education. In an era when many students went home on weekends, Paul spent Friday to Sunday studying on campus between his dining hall shifts.

“The training I got at UConn was absolutely the foundation for the rest of my life,” he said. It set him up for a dream career as an engineer creating medical devices for Boston Scientific, a calling that combines two of the greatest drives for the one-time pre-med student: chemistry and medicine.

His biggest contribution came when he and his team developed a coating for a stent that slowly releases medication over time to prevent arteries from clogging. In addition to being technically challenging and rewarding, creating this innovative product also doubled his company’s sales in one year.

As Paul advanced in his career, UConn continued to remain in his heart. Recently, Paul and his wife, Vicky, a chemical engineer, created the Paul Grosso ’77 and Vicky Hagens Chemistry Endowment, which will provide scholarships to chemistry students. They also included this fund in their estate plans to support students in perpetuity. Paul remembers arriving on campus as a first-generation student from a household where money was tight, having chosen the school for its affordability. He hopes to support high-achieving first-generation college students with financial need — much like the student he once was.

“UConn opened up a whole world to me,” he said.  

“Paul and Vicky’s forward-thinking vision is clearly based in Paul’s own experience here at UConn,” said Department of Chemistry Head Mark Peczuh. “Their gift enables us to support students far into the future, providing a foundation for them to pursue chemistry and become the next generation of scientific leaders.”

Paul and Vicky’s forward-thinking vision is clearly based in Paul’s own experience here at UConn. Their gift enables us to support students far into the future, providing a foundation for them to pursue chemistry and become the next generation of scientific leaders.

— Mark Peczuh, Department of Chemistry Head 

Paul also hopes that by supporting chemistry students, he will help produce more chemistry experts that accelerate urgently needed solutions, from creating sustainable infrastructure to producing technology that powers our modern world.

“There’s still a part of me back in Storrs,” said Paul who keeps up with UConn basketball and has raised Siberian huskies for years to keep a “little piece of UConn,” with him.

“If you’ve taken UConn with you throughout your life and career, and it’s always been a presence in your life, then a planned gift is a way of making sure UConn doesn’t forget you.”

If you’ve taken UConn with you throughout your life and career, and it’s always been a presence in your life, then a planned gift is a way of making sure UConn doesn’t forget you.

— Paul Grosso ’77 (CLAS) 

Your legacy can spark discoveries that change lives. Just as Paul and Vicky are shaping the future of chemistry, you can create opportunities that endure for generations. Explore how your planned gift can make a lasting impact by contacting Clayton Jason at giftplanning@foundation.uconn.eduor 860-942-9850.