The University of California, San Diego has exceeded its seven-year fund-raising target goal of $1 billion with a few weeks to spare.
The ambitious campaign was initiated back in late 2000 with a $20 million donation from UCSD regent and campaign co-chair John Moores to go toward building a cancer center in his name. An influx of equally generous donations have followed, including $110 million from Qualcomm Inc. co-founder Irwin Jacobs for several different projects, $15 million from the Katzin family toward the Moores Center and $34 million from the late UCSD physician George Ury for additional cancer research.
“The campaign was always conceived to be a campus-wide support for students and faculty, and to enhance centers and enhance the research presence,” said Rebecca Newman, UCSD’s associate vice-chancellor for development. “What this campaign does for this campus is it provides an extraordinary platform to move forward on.”
Although the official campaign will wrap up June 30, UCSD has already breezed past the $1 billion mark, according to Newman, who said the official amount would not likely be available until mid-August but that administration expects the final campaign total to be around $1.3 billion.
Much of the money donated was designated for particular building projects, but funds will also be used to supplement students’ educational opportunities and improve the working environment for faculty and staff, Newman said.
Ury, who died two years ago and left his entire estate to the campaign, was a physician at UCSD’s School of Medicine and had shown extreme interest in cancer research long before plans for the center were in the works, Newman said.
Other donations came from friends, alumni and corporations, both local and national, according to the vice-chancellor. UCSD, which was founded 50 years ago, will continue to maintain an international academic presence in years to come, she said.
“We have a new saying around here, which is that excellence has an insatiable appetite, and we believe we are an institute of excellence,” Newman said. “We really have a global reach now as a result of this campaign and we are so very enthusiastic about the future.”
For more information, visit www.campaign.ucsd.edu or call (858) 534-1610.