Dr. Trisha M. Bailey, a 1999 UConn graduate and member of the cross country and track & field teams, has committed a significant lead gift toward the construction of a state-of-the-art student-athlete performance and academic support center on the Storrs campus.
The gift represents the largest cash contribution ever received from a UConn alumnus, and the largest gift dedicated specifically to UConn Athletics. In recognition, the institutional advancement committee of the UConn Board of Trustees recommended naming the facility the Bailey Student Athlete Success Center, pending approval by the full board on Oct. 26.
“Trisha Bailey is an American success story that has its roots in the classroom and in competition at UConn,” said David Benedict, Director of Athletics. “She is the ideal model for our student-athletes to aspire to become champions in all they pursue well after their playing days are over. Her unprecedented and transformational generosity will dramatically elevate the academic, nutrition, and mental wellness needs for all of our more than 600 student-athletes, it also will provide a new home to six of our Olympic sports – five of which are women’s programs.
“On this 50th anniversary year of Title IX, it is an honor to have Trisha’s name on this world-class new facility as an enduring legacy for generations to come,” he added.
The project involves an 80,000-square foot renovation and expansion of the former recreation center and areas within the existing Hugh S. Greer Field House. The facility will house an academic center, clinical space for sports medicine and mental health services, kinesiology teaching space, a rowing practice tank, strength and conditioning apparatus, a communal kitchen and nutrition area, and a multipurpose training and meeting spaces.
New locker rooms and team offices will be constructed for field hockey, rowing, swimming, tennis, and both men’s and women’s track & field. The National C Club will also be housed in the facility. Other improvements include a new entry pavilion and reception area, and a landscaped pedestrian way between the facility and the adjacent George J. Sherman Sports Complex.
Bailey, a native Jamaican who was raised in East Hartford and now resides in Orlando, FL, is a 1999 graduate of UConn’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She also holds both an MBA and Ph.D. in organizational leadership. In addition to being an accomplished student-athlete, she also was involved with Student Support Service from 1995 to 1996.
“It’s not so much the journey that I found to be most important,” said Bailey. “It’s the way I treated those along the way that mattered the most, and when I look at the beginning of it all, UConn was right there.”
Bailey used her UConn experience as the foundation for successful career as an entrepreneur. She founded several companies, including Bailey’s Pharmacy, Bailey’s Medical Equipment and Supplies, Bailey’s Scrubs, Bailey’s Real Estate, Bailey’s Ideal Choice Homes International Real Estate Division, Bailey Charitable Foundation, and Serenity Ranch.
Bailey’s Medical Supplies and Bailey’s Pharmacy are family-owned businesses that are committed to providing compassion and care. They service assisted living facilities, group homes, individual patients, and contract facilities. Their mission is to provide exceptional and quality pharmaceutical products and services.
“Trisha is a real-world example of how philanthropists can be transformative in the lives of people,” said Jake Lemon, President of the UConn Foundation. “This gift will have an incredible impact on student-athletes both now and for many years to come. Simply put, we cannot say thank you enough.”
“The Board of Trustees’ Committee on Institutional Advancement enthusiastically accepted the recommendation to honor Trisha Bailey with the naming of this amazing facility being planned,” added Andrea Dennis-LaVigne, UConn Trustee and committee chairperson. “Not only will her generosity benefit generations of future Huskies in all aspects of their life on campus, it stands as a tremendous example of the passion and commitment UConn alumni feel toward their alma mater.”
View conceptual photos of the Bailey Student Athlete Success Center here.
