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.

Our Stories List

Scientists Lead Us

Katherine and Donald Denhart raised their family between a ranch in South San Jose and on their property in Oahu. Their daughter, Sandra Denhart ’73, remembers a childhood of swimming, surfing, snorkeling and caring for the land’s resources. In honor of her parents, Sandra has named UC Santa Barbara as a beneficiary of her estate to support coral reef conservation and Alzheimer’s research on campus.

Laying the Foundation for the Future

Scholars in UC Santa Barbara’s Department of Chemical Engineering have a long tradition of collaboration through joint appointments and proposals as well as shared students, post-docs and facilities. This cooperative spirit influences the department’s success. With the help of alumni and friends, the Department of Chemical Engineering has launched the Foundation for the Future Graduate Student Initiative with a goal to raise $5 million.

The Start of Something Larger

Building on their vision and on their longtime generosity to campus, Stephen ’77 and Louise ’77 Pahl have made a $10.5 million gift to UC Santa Barbara to create the Pahl Center on the Study of Critical Social Issues in the Social Sciences. It includes an irrevocable $10 million gift through their estate and $500,000 in start-up funding for the next five years. Through the Pahl Center, UC Santa Barbara will raise the work of the Pahl Initiative to new heights, establishing a framework to achieve the ambitious goals it set out.

Universal Stories

A successful venture capitalist with a commitment to fostering cross-cultural ties between the U.S. and Japan, Andrew Ogawa ’95 made a gift to the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies in honor of his experience. Faculty will use funds to enrich teaching materials for Japanese language studies and provide students opportunities to engage with Japanese scholars and professionals in Japanese and in translation work.

The Interactive Learning Pavilion

The Interactive Learning Pavilion provides roughly 2,000 seats of classroom space, increasing the university’s capacity by 35%. This innovative building will reduce student waitlists, increase flexibility and improve access to classes that students need to graduate in four years. By naming a prestigious space, you will help UC Santa Barbara welcome students to the Interactive Learning Pavilion.

Honoring Gloria Moy Petersen

In fall 2023, select junior faculty will receive transformative support through The Gloria Moy Petersen Fellowship in the UC Santa Barbara Society of Hellman Fellows. Gloria's sister and brother-in-law, Marjorie Moy and Ajit Sabnis, created this fellowship in memory of Gloria, who passed away in January 2023. Gloria was a respected genetic epidemiologist and pancreatic cancer researcher who saved many lives through early detection and treatment. Thanks to the The Hellman Fellows Fund, Gloria's endowment doubled.

The Bonds of the Surfrider Battalion

UC Santa Barbara’s U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program is home of the Surfrider Battalion, where Mark ’89 and Julie ’90 Flower fell in love during their Army ROTC years, and their legacy gift will help provide financial assistance for ROTC students. Mark and Julie share many memories of their time on campus, including meals at Pizza Bob’s in Isla Vista after field training. Later, their daughter Samantha would graduate from UC Santa Barbara in 2017.

A Winning Formula

Gene Lucas retired in 2013 as executive vice chancellor after serving campus for 36 years. Colleagues and friends established the Gene and Susan Lucas Undergraduate Research Fund to honor and recognize his contributions as a scholar, teacher and gifted administrator. Gene and his late wife, Susan, were proud to support the fund. The Gene and Susan Lucas Undergraduate Research Fund helps first-generation undergraduate students research in partnership with UC Santa Barbara faculty.

Protecting Ocean Forests

Helen Hansma ’75, associate adjunct professor emerita, is the granddaughter of a botany professor; plants are in her genes. After a prestigious career as a biophysicist, Helen found herself returning to her lifelong fondness for kelp. Her bequest to support kelp research at UC Santa Barbara will help provide the resources needed to monitor and protect these critical marine forests.

Timing Is Everything

A chance encounter inspired Brad Jones and Julie Black to invest in Santa Barbara coastal research and the many projects that intersect at Arroyo Quemada beach. One such project is the Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research (SBC LTER) program. Brad and Julie are proud to support this research that takes place right outside their home and to protect the fragile marine ecosystems.

A Legacy of Understanding

When Joanne Onstine-Dill received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in speech and hearing at UC Santa Barbara in the 1970s, autism was not part of the training. Joanne is proud that UC Santa Barbara is now home to the respected Koegel Autism Center. As the understanding of autism evolved, so did her interest. After 30 years of service to schools, Joanne continues to impact the field through her philanthropic support of the center.

Questions of the Universe

The Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) profoundly shapes the careers of emerging scientists. Many stalwart supporters focus their efforts on early-career scientists through the KITP Graduate Fellowship and KITP Postdoctoral Scholars program, which offers a competitive opportunity for 16 outstanding graduate students to spend six months at KITP. Their talent, combined with access to a world-class scientific community, has produced impressive results.

An Anchor

Dorris Goodrich was a lifelong scholar with research interests in the British education system, psychology, and art. Her husband, Chauncey, was a UC Santa Barbara faculty emeritus in East Asian languages and cultural studies. When the Goodriches passed, they left their legacy to the UCSB Library. Their gift will support the pre-existing Henry H. Tai East Asian Collection and the Art & Architecture Collection of the UCSB Library.

Finding a Career

The Yardi Systems Computer Science Scholarship continues a tradition of support for UC Santa Barbara that goes back 20 years. Through this scholarship, Yardi Systems will help students pursue a bachelor’s in computer science. The flexible funding will follow students if they choose to switch majors within the College of Engineering.

The Story of Raab Writing Fellows

Former UC Santa Barbara Foundation Trustee Dr. Diana Raab generously founded The Raab Writing Fellows Program in 2016. The program provides opportunities for writing, research, and mentorship to select undergraduates. Read about Dr. Raab’s journey as a writer and meet a student who has grown as a writer and scholar within this intimate cohort of fellows!

UCSB Give Day 2022

On Thursday, April 7, UCSB Give Day united alumni, students, staff, faculty, and families around their campus connections and experiences. Collectively, the UC Santa Barbara community raised over $6 million through over 1,700 gifts, making Give Day 2022 our most successful to date.