ASU receives $115 million gift to launch Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures

TEMPE, Ariz., Sept. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizona State University (ASU) has received an unprecedented $115 million donation from the Rob Walton Foundation, the largest philanthropic gift in the university's history, to establish the Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures.

The new school, designed to redefine global conservation science and workforce development, will be housed within the newly renamed Rob Walton College of Global Futures. The donation underscores Walton's decades-long commitment to sustainability and planetary health.

"Rob Walton's longstanding support has been critically important to ASU's leadership and growth in sustainability," said ASU President Michael Crow. "He shares our institutional belief that there is an urgent need to tackle the challenges facing our planet — as well as an unbelievable opportunity to find new solutions by dedicating our time, creativity and resources to the task."

The Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures will offer graduate and undergraduate degrees and certificate programs, and prepare future leaders in biodiversity and conservation science. The school will collaborate with local and global NGOs, governments, Indigenous communities and private-sector partners to create holistic conservation strategies rooted in combining diverse knowledge systems.

Key elements of the initiative include:

• The Rob Walton Chair, for the person who will lead the new school.
• Three named professorships to drive research and education.
• The Rob Walton Scholars Fund, offering full and partial scholarships.

"Nature doesn't recognize borders," said Rob Walton, philanthropist, conservationist and former Walmart chairman. "To protect ecosystems, we need international cooperation, innovative leadership and a skilled workforce."

"The Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures is redefining conservation science to address the challenges of a rapidly changing world," said Peter Schlosser, ASU vice president and vice provost of Global Futures. "Through its central mission of transforming conservation education for a thriving planetary future, this new academic entity is not just preserving ecosystems — it is developing adaptive solutions to ensure sustainable pathways for future generations."

Conservation International chairman emeritus Peter Seligmann, a key figure in the school's creation, highlighted the importance of this cross-sector, globally minded approach.

"Solving the planet's greatest conservation challenges requires the wisdom, innovation and leadership of people from all corners of the world," said Seligmann.

SOURCE Arizona State University - Media Relations