Seton Hall University announced a transformative $10 million estate gift from the late Sylvia and Thomas Tencza, M.S. ’64/Ph.D. ’66 of Wallington. This generous bequest will establish the Thomas Tencza, Ph.D. Endowed Professorship in Chemistry.
The award will also support research and strategic priorities within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. It will be the first endowed professorship for the department from which Tencza graduated more than 50 years ago.
“Endowed faculty attract graduate students who want to learn from and collaborate with scholars of the highest caliber,” said Jonathan Farina, dean of Seton Hall’s College of Arts and Sciences. “This extraordinary gift will ensure that Seton Hall’s chemistry and biochemistry programs continue to thrive, particularly the Ph.D. program, where grant-funded research and publication are key to student success. Gifts like this enable Seton Hall to offer sustainable, affordable, hands-on learning, meaningful research and mentorship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.”
Thomas Tencza was among the first graduates of the university’s Ph.D. program in chemistry during the 1960s. Following his service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he built a distinguished 34-year career at Bristol-Myers Squibb in Hillside, where he served as senior director of product development. Over the course of his tenure, Tencza secured nine patents and played a key role in the development of well-known medications including Excedrin, Bufferin and NoDoz.
After Thomas Tencza died in 2012, Sylvia Tencza Tencza (née Tlusty), who died in September 2024, honored her husband’s memory by deepening her engagement with his alma mater. She often said Thomas credited his success in life to the education he received at Seton Hall.
Committed to supporting his dream of advancing student success in the field he loved, she championed the creation of the endowed professorship. In recognition of her devotion and generosity, the university awarded her an honorary doctorate.
“The pride and gratitude that unifies our alumni transcends into our classrooms and our labs and brings extraordinary resources to our students. Tom, and by extension Sylvia, have created a legacy that touches all of us at Seton Hall, and the impact will last forever,” said Jon Paparsenos, vice president of university advancement.
