UCSB Receives Record Amount of Donations
Sept. 14, 2004
UCSB received a total of $80 million from private donations during the 2003-04 school year.
The money, donated by alumni and friends of the university, will be used for teaching, research and support for programs. The year’s fund-raising was the most successful ever for UCSB, surpassing the returns from the previous year by more than $30 million.
“This record level of philanthropic giving reflects the continuous rise in stature of our campus and the superb quality and hard work of our top-notch faculty, bright students, dedicated staff, and loyal alumni, as well as the shared vision and dedication of our generous supporters,” UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang said in a press release.
Some donations include a contribution of $3 million from the Samuel B. and Margaret C. Mosher Foundation for the construction of the planned Mosher Alumni House. Joseph and Helene Pollock and their family foundation for a public film theater donated $2 million for a Center for Film, Television and New Media. UCSB alumnus Michael Douglas also gave a gift of $1 million toward the center.
Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. also donated $4.9 million for the Solid State Lighting and Display Center in the College of Engineering. A number of sizable patent and equipment donations were also received from W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. and the Boeing Co.
UCSB To Host New Chemical and Material Research Center
Aug. 30, 2004
The National Science Foundation will be establishing a new research center at UCSB called the Chemical Design of Materials Center.
Headed by Nicola A. Spaldin, associate professor of materials at UCSB, the center is one of the first of three Chemical Bonding Centers funded by the National Science Foundation. Other Chemical Bonding Center facilities will be based at Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Washington. Their respective goals are to design materials having new kinds of electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; to synthesize artificial chemical systems; and to explore new kinds of “green chemistry,” in which materials can be synthesized on an industrial scale using environmentally friendly methods.
Philip B. Shevlin, one of the foundation’s program officers who manages the Chemical Bonding Center program, said the organization wanted to encourage talented people to tackle major problems that would engage the public and have a long-term societal benefit.
Newsweek/Kaplan Again Names UCSB One of Its ‘Hottest Colleges’
Aug. 25, 2004
For the second time in the past three years, the University of California, Santa Barbara has been named one of the country’s “hottest colleges” by the Newsweek/Kaplan “How to Get Into College” guide.
The list is based on admissions trends and extensive interviews with an array of educators, admissions officers, counselors, students, and longtime observers of the admissions process, the publisher said.
“If there’s a more beautiful campus than this one at the edge of the Pacific, we haven’t seen it,” the publication said. “For many students, that would seal the deal, but UCSB also boasts Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, top research centers in science and technology and an extensive study-abroad program. … Aside from the top academics, a big draw for many is the variety of recreation. The campus has its own beaches where students can surf, and the Big Bear ski resort is just a few hours’ drive away.”
UCSB was also ranked as one of the leading public universities in the country in the 2005 edition of the U.S. News & World Report “America’s Best Colleges” rankings. The campus was ranked No. 13 among all public universities and was No. 45 in the combined ranking of private and public universities.
