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Campaign Highlights

Alumna’s gift supports scholarships and library

When Kit Mura-smith (Merrill ’75) came to UCSC as a “re-entry” student, she had nearly enough units to graduate—but in four different majors. “UCSC welcomed me and provided a grant and the support I needed to complete my degree in one year without working. I’ll always be grateful for that,” said Mura-smith, who recently made the largest gift ever by a graduate. Her $1.4 million planned gift will be split equally between scholarships for re-entry students and improvements to the University Library’s facilities.

Tech leader funds data systems chair

Kumar Malavalli, cofounder of Brocade Communications and InMage Systems, has made a gift of $1million to establish an endowed chair in storage systems research. The Kumar Malavalli Endowed Chair will support the Baskin School of Engineering’s Storage Systems Research Center. “I am most excited that Mr. Malavalli, a business leader in the field of storage networks, has chosen to support the Storage Systems Research Center with this endowment,” said dean of engineering Steve Kang.

Colleges benefit from support initiatives

Volunteer leaders have launched new fundraising programs that are providing immediate and long-term benefits for UCSC's colleges. $80,000 has been raised through the first-ever Reunion Match Challenge and the Alumni Colleges Fund Tiles Program has generated close to $100,000 for the colleges. College tiles recognize gifts to a college of $1,000 or more. Shown at right is Ken Doctor (Merrill '71), president of the UCSC Alumni Association, with his inaugural college tile.

Humanities graduate program gains support

One of UCSC’s earliest graduate programs has received a major gift from Craig Schiffer (Cowell ’78), who established the History of Consciousness Fellowship Endowment. The history of consciousness program is an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program centered in the humanities with links to social sciences, natural sciences, and the arts. Schiffer’s gift provides crucial student support, enabling focused dissertation research and writing.

Santa Cruz couple’s surprise gift

Graduate students in psychology will be benefiting from the hard work of a couple they will never meet. Long-time Santa Cruz residents Federico and Rena Perlino lived modestly, worked hard, and donated their estate to local charities and organizations, including UCSC. More than $400,000 from the Perlinos’ planned gifts will support psychology graduate students working with deaf or hearing-impaired individuals.

Fellowships support science students

Graduate students studying marine mammals and plants have new options for student support with the creation of two fellowships. Long-time Año Nuevo State Reserve volunteer docents Rebecca and Steve Sooy have made a gift of $200,000 to establish the Rebecca and Steve Sooy Graduate Fellowship in Marine Mammals. The fellowship will be open to any graduate student studying marine mammals at UCSC, with primary consideration being given to students investigating the northern elephant seals.

Jean Langenheim, professor emerita of ecology and evolutionary biology, has been studying plant ecology and evolution for 60 years. Now she is giving financial support to a new generation of graduate students through an endowed fellowship fund. Her $200,000 gift establishes the Jean H. Langenheim Graduate Fellowship in Plant Ecology and Evolution, which will be available to students in two departments: ecology and evolutionary biology, and environmental studies.

First UCSC fundraising campaign a success

Thanks to many generous donors, the Cornerstone Campaign was a resounding success. A total of $67.6 million was raised in two years, surpassing the goal by $17.6 million.

“Our supporters have joined with us in taking UC Santa Cruz to the next level of achievement,” said Gordon Ringold (Crown ’72), chair of the Cornerstone Campaign Council. “The tremendous success of this campaign is thanks to the demonstrated commitment and support of our faculty and staff and the greater UC Santa Cruz community of alumni, parents, and friends.”

The campaign benefited virtually every area of campus, including more than $5.2 million raised for undergraduate and graduate student support, a focused effort within the campaign. Gifts small and large contributed to the campaign’s success, and as these pages show, every gift has a story.

For graduate student Petra Dekens (Crown ’98), the keys to the future lie in the past.

Dekens is a paleoceanographer researching long-term climate changes in coastal systems during past periods of global warmth. “If you can understand what happened in the past, you’re much more likely to be able to understand how climates will respond in the future,” said Dekens, who is completing her Ph.D. in ocean sciences and was recently awarded a fellowship from UC Santa Cruz’s Center for the Dynamics and Evolution of the Land-Sea Interface (CDELSI). CDELSI fellowships are generously funded by an anonymous donor to foster interdisciplinary training and research that promotes greater understanding of interactions between physical, biogeochemical, and ecological changes and the human environment along Earth’s coasts. The fellowships cover tuition, health insurance, and a living stipend. “To have funding for my last year is really great,” said Dekens, “because I know I’ll be able to really focus on writing up the research I’ve done so far.” Read more on Petra Dekens

Alumnus creates fund with Asia focus

Mark Headley (Stevenson ’83) and his firm, Matthews International Capital Manage-ment, have established the “Transforming Asia Fund,” which will provide sponsorship of an Asian economies conference, a distinguished-visitor lecture program, and undergraduate research awards. Headley credits UC Santa Cruz with giving him a good start in his career. “The work I was doing at UC Santa Cruz, comparing the economic development of countries, is exactly what I’m doing today,” he said.

Telephone Outreach Program sets record

Undergraduates staffing the Telephone Outreach Program raised more than $1.18 million, the highest total in the program’s history. “TOP” callers contact UC Santa Cruz alumni, friends, and parents, raising funds to support a wide array of academic departments, programs, and other campus activities. Many TOP students have experienced the generosity of donors firsthand, receiving need- and merit-based scholarships to support their studies.

Planned gift benefits women in engineering

A planned gift from Barbara Snader has endowed a $1 million scholarship fund for undergraduate women in the Baskin School of Engineering. Established in memory of Snader’s daughter Amy (Merrill ’83), eight Amy Beth Snader Memorial Scholarships were awarded in the last academic year. One went to Skye Vendt-Pearce (Cowell ’05), who used the funds to purchase a laptop during her senior year as an electrical engineering major.

Local company helps local students

The Santa Cruz Seaside Company has endowed a scholarship for students who graduated from a Santa Cruz County high school and Cabrillo College. Established with a $50,000 gift, the award will provide an annual $2,000 need-based scholarship, which will increase as the endowment grows. “I want to help ensure that future generations of local students are able to pursue their dreams through education,” said Charles Canfield, president of the Santa Cruz Seaside Company.

Art scholarship grows

The legacy of UC Santa Cruz professor of art Eduardo Carrillo continues to inspire and support students, thanks to the generosity of his widow, Alison Keeler Carrillo, and other donors who have built a scholarship in his memory. “The scholarship is a way for Ed’s vision and values to be carried forward,” said Alison, whose most recent gift increased the endowment to almost $100,000. The Eduardo Carrillo Memorial Scholarship Fund helps art majors who achieve high academic merit in painting, drawing, or sculpture.

Couple endows new library fund

Future students will find enhanced support for their studies and learning in the University Library, thanks to Sally and Michael (Cowell ’70) Graydon. The couple has endowed the McHenry Library Expansion Learning & Outreach Center Fund, enriching a planned state-of-the-art instruction center in the forthcoming McHenry Library expansion. “By supporting these programs, we’re helping new generations move through new experiences and helping expose them to the brilliant people at UC Santa Cruz,” Mike said.