A husband and wife who are alums of Rowan University have donated $25 million to preserve and expand the southern New Jersey school's fossil park in Mantua Township.
Ric and Jean Edelman's gift, announced Monday, is the second largest in Rowan's history and the most ever given by alumni of the Glassboro school.
Officials say the funding will help transform STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education and research at the fossil park through hands-on discovery.
Rowan purchased the 65-acre quarry from Inversand Co. for $1.95 million in September 2015. The site has been converted into a search and education lab that contains thousands of 65-million-year-old fossils from the Cretaceous Period.
President Ali Houshmand says the Edelmans' donation will help create a more vibrant park and educational opportunities of international caliber.
