(Wikimedia Commons)

The Lab, now named the Bittingham Social Enterprise Lab, develops summer internships for students, creates business plans that encourage social change and funds research grants to Marshall faculty, among other services.

The gift will go towards starting two new programs: a Masters program to be announced in the next few weeks, and an intitative supporting students across the university pursuing K-12 education.

"Our biggest focus is on issues concerning poverty alliviation, and how business models work to solve these problems," said Adlai Wertman, a Marshall professor and the founding director of the Lab.

The philanthropic board members of the Bittingham Family Foundation, Scott and Ella Bittingham, are USC alumni.