A $1.5 million gift announced Thursday will help Kansas University hire leaders for its planned School of Public Health.

The gift will come from the Kansas Health Foundation, a private philanthropy organization based in Wichita.

It will serve as a “lead component” in KU Endowment’s effort to raise funds to recruit a dean and other leaders for the new school, endowment spokeswoman Lisa Scheller said.

The new School of Public Health, the formation of which was approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in 2010, is planned to span KU’s campuses in Lawrence, Overland Park, Wichita, Salina and Kansas City, Kan. It will also spur collaboration among other Regents institutions and public health agencies throughout the state, according to a release.

In that release, KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said the new school, and the gift from the Kansas Health Foundation, would help residents across the state.

“KU’s School of Public Health will strengthen the public health workforce statewide and give communities the research and guidance they need to improve the lives of their residents,” Gray-Little said. “These benefits will be statewide, and benefit Kansans wherever they live.”

The donation is part of KU Endowment’s $1.2 billion “Far Above” fundraising campaign.