By Charlotte Hsu (contact)

Mon, Aug 18, 2008 (2:08 p.m.)

The College of Southern Nevada Foundation today announced the largest donation in the college's 37-year history -- $8.2 million from the Engelstad Family Foundation to bolster the school's health sciences program.

Over a convocation luncheon of chicken and chocolate cake at the Las Vegas Hilton, hundreds of college staff and faculty members listened as CSN Foundation chair Robbie Graham outlined details of the gift.

The money will pay for a two-story, 10,000-square-foot addition to a health science building on CSN's West Charleston campus. The school's cardiorespiratory sciences program will occupy that space, which is scheduled to open in 2010 and will include teaching labs.

Also included is money for new faculty and faculty training, research and planning for a bachelor degree program for respiratory and cardiac care education, and $1 million for a scholarship endowment for health sciences students.

"A decade of shrinking public funding has created strong need for private funds to support public education," Graham said.

"This gift will jettison the quality of our health sciences program to the top of national rankings ... Our students will receive better training, and our community, better care," she said.

CSN will name its school of health sciences the Ralph & Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences. Ralph Engelstad, the gaming executive who built and owned the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino, died in 2002 of lung cancer. Betty Engelstad is his widow.

The announcement drew a standing ovation at the luncheon. It was welcome news at a time when deep budget cuts have dampened morale at the college.