David McNelis, the deputy director of the Carolina Environmental Program and chairman of the Graduate Education Advancement Board, has pledged $2.5 million to the CEP in his will.
McNelis has pledged the contribution along with his wife, Gladys.
The money will establish the McNelis professorship, administered by the CEP, in the School of Public Health's Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering.
It also will set up graduate fellowships in the field and undergraduate scholarships for on-site research projects through the CEP.
Tony Reevy, associate director for advancement of the CEP, said the program mainly focuses on undergraduate and graduate studies and research.
He said the program also deals with on-site research in various parts of North Carolina and the world.
"It's a multidisciplinary part of UNC," Reevy said.
McNelis said the donation is intended to benefit the University and the environment in general.
He added that the specific types of research that will be funded and possible candidates for professorships have not been considered yet because money probably will not be available in the near future.