Chapel Hill, N.C. — The founder of pharmaceutical services company Quintiles Transnational Corp. have agreed to donate $50 million to the University of North Carolina.

Dennis Gillings and his wife, Joan Gillings, have pledged the money to UNC's School of Public Health, Chancellor James Moeser announced Wednesday. The gift is the largest donation in UNC's history, and the university will rename the school the Dennis and Joan Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Dennis Gillings is a former UNC biostatistics professor and a current member of the school's Advisory Council. He serves as the chairman and chief executive officer of Durham-based Quintiles.

"The Gillings' gift will be transformative," School of Public Health Dean Barbara K. Rimer said in a statement. "We at the school and the Gillingses share a commitment to solve public health problems in North Carolina and around the world, and we want these solutions to come faster and be more sustainable."

The donation will allow the school to create Innovation Laboratories, which will focus on solving major public health problems, such as delivering clean water to many people in developing countries,  Rimer said.

The pledge put UNC over its $2 billion goal for the Carolina First Campaign. The drive, which will end Dec. 31, supports UNC's effort to become the nation's leading public university.

"This history-making commitment exemplifies what we aim to achieve with Carolina First," Moeser said in the statement. "It will greatly extend the university's ability to innovate public health solutions across North Carolina and around the world. UNC is committed to global education, and our School of Public Health is one of the best in the world."