The funds support student scholarships and faculty chairs, the school’s cutting-edge new building, Engineering VI, and research programs across all seven engineering departments. The $42.6 million surpassed the school’s previous record of nearly $37 million, set in 1999-2000, when Henry Samueli ’75, MS ’76, PhD ’80 and Susan Samueli made a landmark $30 million gift.
The overwhelming majority of the 2014-15 gifts came from alumni and corporate supporters of the school.
“This terrific fundraising effort is a tribute to our alumni and friends, and to the impact the school is making,” said Vijay K. Dhir, dean of UCLA Engineering. “Our partners are playing a vital role in ensuring that UCLA Engineering will continue to provide a world-class education, perform cutting-edge research and serve the state of California and the world for decades to come.”
In 2014-15, several donors committed to gifts in excess of $1 million. They include:
• B. John Garrick MS ’62, PhD ’68, who with his wife Amelia committed $9 million to support Engineering VI and the B. John Garrick Institute for the Risk Sciences
• Jim Easton ’59 and Phyllis Easton, who committed $5 million to support Engineering VI and the Easton Labs for Engineering Innovation
• Mukund Padmanabhan MS ’89, PhD ’92, who gave $2.5 million to support Engineering VI and the Mukund Padmanabhan Systems Scaling Technology Laboratory
• Venkroy Makoto Watanabe ’72, who donated $1 million in support of UCLA Engineering faculty research
• Microsoft, which donated more than $6 million in gifts for student projects and research
• Hong Kong-based ENN Group, a firm with interests in energy and other fields, which donated $3.75 million to support research into green energy and new healthcare technologies
• Angstron Holdings, a China-based automotive firm, which gave $3.5 million to support research into next-generation batteries
Some $21.6 million, more than 50 percent of the 2014-15 total, is for engineering research and school programs. An additional $16.3 million is directed to capital programs, primarily construction of Engineering VI. More than $1.7 million was raised for faculty support, and more than $1.4 million for undergraduate scholarships and graduate student fellowships.
“The breadth and depth of support for the school is inspiring,” said Brandon Baker, executive director of External Affairs at UCLA Engineering. “We have more donors than ever before, and their contributions are providing opportunities that are changing people’s lives.”
The Engineering Annual Fund, which focuses on unrestricted giving from alumni, also set records in 2014-15, receiving more than 4,000 gifts totaling $1.55 million.
UCLA Engineering is contributing to the Centennial Campaign for UCLA, a seven-year, $4.2 billion drive to prepare the university for its second century of excellence. UCLA Engineering so far has raised more than $107 million towards its $250 million Centennial Campaign goal. The campaign launched in July 2012 and culminates in December 2019, UCLA’s 100th year.