The four-year donation will help the computer science department expand its gaming capabilities and also create a Zynga Scholars program to help students develop their game development skills.

This is the latest in a series of $ 1 million or more donations to the university over the past year, including $ 5 million from Google announced in June to help A&T prepare more students from minorities to careers in science and technology.

Zynga, known for games like Farmville and Words With Friends, established a social impact fund in June 2020 with a $ 25 million investment to be used for charitable and educational purposes.

“The fund’s goal is to increase diversity and inclusion within Zynga and the games industry,” wrote CEO Frank Gibeau in a letter to employees released last year as part of a GamesBeat article.

GamesBeat reported that the creation of the fund was “part of Zynga’s response to recent protests against police brutality and racial injustice affecting members of its gaming community, employees and others.”

“We are honored to work with and recognize the College of Engineering at NC A&T through Zynga’s Social Impact Fund as one of our key academic partners in a joint effort to elevate the representation of black people in the health care industry. game, ”Gibeau said in an A&T press release. .