Our Stories
Philanthropy is a process of discovery. Supporters and scholars learn and grow together. These stories illustrate the meaningful relationships that enrich our campus community and beyond.
Discover what inspires our community of supporters.
A Gaucho Family
Decades after Megan Devlin ’97 studied seafloor spreading in a UC Santa Barbara classroom, her daughter Alexa called with a question: Who was that professor her mother always talked about? Alexa, now a freshman at UCSB, was learning about the work of Professor Tanya Atwater, whose lectures had inspired Megan years earlier. The diagrams in Alexa’s class still bore Atwater’s name.
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A Campus Where Everyone Thrives
As parents of two UC Santa Barbara students, Sharon and Michael Deal understand the importance of helping students navigate college challenges. Their support for Promise Scholars, INSPIRE and UCSB Basic Needs helps create opportunities for all students to thrive.
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Freedom To Create
Genevieve Waldman ’92 turned her passion for storytelling into a 30-year career in the video game industry. Now, through a fellowship in film and media studies, she gives graduate students the freedom and resources to pursue original research, develop their own stories, and carry that creative work forward.
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Work Beneath the Surface
Dr. Timothy Malone, M.D. ’75 has found a way to turn a lifelong passion for the ocean into direct support for emerging marine scientists. Through a summer fellowship, he gives graduate students the time and resources to advance research on marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and environmental change.
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No Limits
When John Martinis won the Nobel Prize, Trustee Susan ’70 and Bruce ’68,’71 Worster had a particular reason to celebrate. The chair they endowed helped recruit him to UCSB. Their lifelong commitment to UC Santa Barbara will leave an enduring legacy on campus.
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Grit & Public Service
A Regents Scholarship and the GI Bill helped Sunne ’70 and John ’70 McPeak earn their degrees. Six decades after meeting in a UCSB classroom, they are extending that opportunity to others. Their endowed scholarship reflects lives devoted to public service and gratitude for those who invested in them.
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At the Crossroads
Three historic buildings overlooking the Pacific are about to find a new purpose. Trustee Linda La Kretz Duttenhaver ’77 is helping create a place where environmental researchers and community partners can work together, honoring her father’s legacy while putting an underused corner of campus to work.
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Beyond Academia
What does a history degree have to do with international trade? For Anthony Moran ’78, quite a lot. His UCSB education prepared him for a career answering Congress’ questions. His bequest will help undergraduates pursue the subject that taught him to gather facts and connect ideas.
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Ideas Take Center Stage
Geof and Laura Wyatt help bring acclaimed writers and thinkers to Santa Barbara through Arts & Lectures’ Word of Mouth series, where ideas move from the stage into conversations with students and experiences throughout the community.estions wherever the sources lead.
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A Continuous Path
Some Bentson Scholars arrive ready to study the ocean. Others learn to swim and dive for the first time. Laurie Bentson Kauth ’69 and Bill Kauth ’78 are extending that community into graduate research, creating a path for marine scientists to keep asking questions and mentoring one another.
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In Pursuit of the Past
Fragile court records in Florence held answers that Ph.D. candidate Joseph Figliulo-Rosswurm couldn’t find from home. The Frost Fellowship helped him get there. Established by Professor Emeritus Frank Frost in honor of his wife, Amanda, the award helps history students follow their questions wherever the sources lead.
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Ready for the West Coast Conference
New opponents. New cities. New opportunities to connect. As UCSB Athletics prepares to join the West Coast Conference in July 2027, supporters are helping student-athletes meet the moment. Their investments reach from scholarships and training to the experiences that prepare students for life beyond competition.
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A Path To Success
Hailey Villanueva ’27 can already picture her future English classroom. ÉXITO is helping her get there. With support from Michelle Cowell ’90 and the Slick Family Foundation, the program prepares future teachers and helps current educators bring ethnic studies into classrooms across subjects and grade levels.
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A Legacy Conversation With Professor Emeritus Duncan Mellichamp
Duncan and Suzanne Mellichamp have helped faculty build careers and students pursue new ideas at UC Santa Barbara. In this conversation, Duncan, professor and trustee emeritus, shares what guides their legacy giving and lessons they have learned along the way.
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Theoretical Physics, Practical Support
How can a future gift make a difference today? KITP’s Legacy Match Challenge unlocks $10,000 for each new member who documents a planned gift. The initiative is inspiring supporters to find new ways to sustain the institute and help early-career physicists take risks and pursue ideas.
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A Mirror and a Window
Jim Bettinger ’69 didn’t plan to become a journalist. A friend’s invitation to review rock music for the student newspaper changed that. After a career in reporting, editing, and journalism education, he is helping future Daily Nexus staff discover what they can learn on assignment.
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Opening a Window
A professor’s suggestion sent Marc Grossman ’73 to England. It also helped set him on a path to a 29-year diplomatic career. Now, the former ambassador is helping Promise Scholars study abroad and discover the people, places, and possibilities that could change the course of their lives.
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A Lifelong Mentor
At a department awards ceremony, Ralph Archuleta noticed few awards recognized graduate students in geophysics. The longtime professor and earthquake researcher decided to change that. His legacy gift will support students in the field he spent 30 years teaching, studying, and helping others explore.
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