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

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.

Practical Idealists

Professors Lorraine McDonnell and her late husband, Stephen Weatherford, supported UC Santa Barbara's UCDC program for over 25 years. UCDC offers students the opportunity to gain practical experience in public service through internships and academic instruction in the nation’s capital. Lorraine and Stephen created the first donor-supported funds for UCDC, both current-use and endowed, and often engaged with students and alumni during their visits to Washington.

The First in Their Families

The PROPEL Scholars Program at UC Santa Barbara helps first-generation, low-income students succeed through scholarships, counseling, and academic services. Alumni donor Desi Speh ’99 and his wife, Gaby, support the initiative, inspired by their desire to increase diversity at their alma mater. Desi was motivated by UCSB Give Day and the impact of giving back to programs that shaped his experience. Through their gift, the Spehs contribute to the success of students who find a sense of belonging and academic growth through PROPEL.

Part of the Family

UC Santa Barbara’s Koegel Autism Center had a special place in the lives of Dennis Morelos and his late wife, Soledad. When designating their charitable beneficiaries, the couple decided to name the center as the recipient of a generous bequest. Soledad’s great-niece benefitted from the interventions and resources available there, and the Moreloses wanted to give back.

Introducing the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory

Driven to improve and safeguard the health of our oceans through science and technology, Marc and Lynne Benioff have made a gift of $60 million to UC Santa Barbara, one of the world’s most important marine research centers. It is the largest gift ever for ocean science at UC Santa Barbara — and one of the largest known gifts anywhere to support ocean research.

Passing the Baton

A collective of UC Santa Barbara Track & Field alumni have come together to support scholarships for current student-athletes. They may have competed in different eras, but they share a conviction that track and field means being part of a family — and families support each other.

Makerspace

The Department of Mechanical Engineering continues to be one of the best programs of its kind, competing with some of the finest institutions for talented students. In the new Center for Engineering Innovation and Design, students will have the tools and teamwork to make great things. This new donor-supported makerspace increases capacity by 35%.

In Support of Faculty

UC Santa Barbara Foundation Trustee David Henke ’78 has established the Alferness-Henke Endowed Chair in Computer Science. David has served on the College of Engineering Dean’s Cabinet since 2013, through which he developed a close partnership with Rod Alferness, former dean of the College of Engineering. The endowed chair was inspired by Alferness, the faculty who guided David, and David's father and brother, educators in the Montebello Unified School District.

Mapmaking

Through a generous bequest to the STEM fields at UC Santa Barbara and more specifically for the Department of Geography, Kim Whittier '87 hopes her legacy gift will inspire more students — especially women — to pursue the sciences. The legacy gift, named The Delma C. Whittier Scholarship Fund, is dedicated in honor of Kim’s late mother.

Excellence in Economics

The late Dr. Walter Mead, a pioneering natural resource economist, and his wife, Thelma, left a lasting impact on UC Santa Barbara's Department of Economics. In 2022, the Mead family established the Walter and Thelma Mead Initiative for Innovative Economic Policy, building on their history of philanthropy. Walter, a professor at UCSB for 32 years, shaped the department’s success through his research and mentorship. The Mead Initiative funds three interconnected labs focused on economic and social transformation, supporting early career faculty and students.

Education as Equalizer

The daughter of Filipino immigrants, Carla Van Hoven Riley ’96 arrived on campus as a transfer student in search of financial security. In honor of the path she found at UC Santa Barbara, Carla and her husband are proud to support scholarships for students in STEM and economics. The family will continue that support in perpetuity through a bequest in their estate plans.

Family Philanthropy

Parents Dana and Greg Lee have taken a creative approach to family giving: they have established a generous endowment to the university that has not yet been designated. When their daughter graduates, she will have the opportunity to direct this support to a meaningful area of campus through the Gaucho Family Legacy Program.

Black Thinking and Culture

In honor of his late grandmother, Otieno Okatch '92 has established the Mable Iola Brown Fuller Endowment to support student scholarships in the Department of Black Studies. Mable, born in 1925, grew up in a small Black town not far from the site of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre. Otieno was inspired by her resolve. He hopes to support not just individual students but also the ideas that emanate from Black thinking and culture.

Cristina Mancilla, Mantell Fellow and Master's in Environmental Science and Management Student

In Pursuit of Environmental Justice

The Michael Mantell Fellowship and Symposium supports emerging leaders who work toward environmental justice, social equity, and climate resilience. The prestigious Bren School of Environmental Science & Management fellowship pairs promising undergraduates with graduate student mentors. Graduate fellows receive training in leadership and mentorship, and undergraduate fellows participate in a professional development series. The fellowship honors Michael Mantell, the founder and former president of Resources Legacy Fund.

Good Company

Producer and self-taught musical theater historian Richard Norton has donated his expansive collection to UC Santa Barbara, elevating the prestige and research potential of the UCSB Library Performing Arts Collection. His collection includes approximately 35,000 discs, 800 unpublished typescripts, 150,000 programs and playbills, 35,000 pieces of sheet music, and 2,000 reference books, all representing regional, national, and international musical productions.

Critical Mind, Hopeful Heart

The late Arvid James “Jim” Peterson ’80 received his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from UC Santa Barbara and supported the Environmental Studies Program throughout his life. In honor of the program’s 50th anniversary in 2020, Jim established the A. James Peterson Fund for Advancing Environmental Leadership to help train the next generation of environmental leaders. Jim subsequently named the fund as a beneficiary in his estate plans.