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

Excellence in Accounting

Ernst & Young LLC (EY) has a decades-long tradition of giving back to UC Santa Barbara. Keith Lupton ’90 and Mike Turner ’91 are among 28 EY partners who graduated from UCSB, and currently, 245 Gauchos work for the global professional services organization. Keith and Mike represent alumni leadership and generosity to the EY Fund for Excellence in Accounting Education within UC Santa Barbara's Department of Economics.

Diversifying the Field of Environmental Science & Management

Recognizing the need for greater diversity, equity and inclusion, the UC Santa Barbara Bren School of Environmental Science & Management is prioritizing a more inclusive academic community and one that advances environmental justice. The OneBren Endowed Graduate Student Fellowship for Diversity was established through support from the Bren School community, who came together to lead a collective crowdfunding movement.

Love for the Stage, and Each Other

Married for 40 years, theater lovers Dale ’75 and Greg ’68 Stamos are steadfast supporters of the performing arts at UC Santa Barbara. Together, they support the UC Santa Barbara Department of Theater and Dance and its LAUNCH PAD program for new plays. Dale, a playwright, screenwriter, director, and teacher, draws inspiration from the UCSB campus community.

Beyond the Silver Screen

Two-time Emmy Award-winner Dick Wolf, one of television’s most respected drama series creators and producers, has reinvested in UC Santa Barbara’s eponymous Carsey-Wolf Center (CWC) with a gift to support interdisciplinary media studies faculty and programming. As a creative force in television for over 25 years, Wolf provides crucial support and industry expertise to CWC, including the Department of Film & Media Studies and its cross-disciplinary partners.

Activism and Education

The Ismael “Mayo” de la Rocha ’73 Endowed Scholarship within the Department of Chicana/o Studies supports students with financial need who are committed to giving back to the Chicano/a community. The scholarship was established by Mayo’s cousin, Cástulo de la Rocha ’73, and his wife, Zoila Escobar.

Bringing Global Art to UC Santa Barbara

Curated pieces from the global art collection of Jere and Fima Lifshitz, longtime UC Santa Barbara supporters, find a home on campus at the UCSB Library and the Art, Design & Architecture Museum.

A Multiplier Effect

The Dehlsen family has been part of the Bren School community nearly since its school’s founding. Through their philanthropy, they have supported some of the Bren School’s highest-priority initiatives. Through the Dehlsen Recruiting Fellowships alone, there are Bren graduates pursuing meaningful careers as environmental leaders in the energy, transportation, information technology, infrastructure, government, and real estate sectors because of their generous support.

Promise, Recognized

Bei-Jing Guo '94,'95 earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical and computer engineering at UC Santa Barbara, then went on to a 20-year career with Microsoft and Amazon. Now, she’s giving back to campus in honor of her late father, Heng-Li Guo. With her support, students in the Technology Management Program learn to be product managers and CEOs.

Making First Contact

Paul Boyle '84 led a 32-year career lobbying on behalf of 2,000 diverse U.S. news organizations in Washington, D.C. Now, he and his wife, Joy, support students through a legacy gift and current-use scholarship. Paul mentors students, and together, the Boyles welcome UCDC interns into their home.

A Historic Legacy

Professor Emeritus Sears McGee and his wife, Marni, support the UC Santa Barbara Department of History in honor of readers and writers. Sears helped launch The UCSB History Associates, created in 1987 with the dual purpose of uniting interested community members with faculty and raising money to support graduate students. The McGees decided to continue their deep involvement in the Department of History by endowing a fellowship in honor of Sears’s late mother, Mary Beth, who inspired his love of reading.

Magic Slippers

Miriam Birch ’57 is the three-time Emmy-nominated writer and producer of many award-winning National Geographic Society television specials, among other productions. Her films have received many Emmys as well as the Peabody and DuPont Columbia awards. Miriam’s bequest will provide financial aid through scholarships for undergraduates and merit-based fellowships for graduate students studying theater.

A Portal to Knowledge

During her tenure, from 1990 to 2012, Professor Emerita Shirley Geok-lin Lim used the UCSB Library regularly as she taught English, Asian American studies, creative writing, and feminist studies. By naming the library as a beneficiary of a percentage of her retirement plan, Shirley is establishing her campus legacy through two endowed funds that will support the library’s undergraduate student success programming and the California and Ethnic Multicultural Archive (CEMA) within Special Research Collections.

Curiosity and Collaboration

UC Santa Barbara Foundation Trustee Roy Hardiman ’81, ’83 was motivated by his undergraduate pharmacology classes to enter the field of biotechnology. To honor this formative experience and attract top scholars to UC Santa Barbara, the Hardimans have established the Roy and Janet Hardiman Interdisciplinary Chair in Molecular Biology.

Student-Athlete to Coach to Supporter

As one of the first competitive swimmers on the UC Santa Barbara team that formed in the 1950s, Bob Gary ’60,’67 has been involved with UC Santa Barbara aquatic sports from the beginning. As an assistant coach, Bob helped lead the UCSB Men’s Swim Team to UC Santa Barbara’s first ever NCAA title in 1967. The Garys’ charitable gift annuity in support of aquatic sports is an act of gratitude for campus, where Bob’s long career in coaching started.

Where Are We Needed?

UC Santa Barbara Foundation Trustee Phil White ’84 and his wife, Ann, support a number of initiatives and activities on campus, including the Education Abroad Program, graduate students in the economics department, the Technology Management Program, the San Diego Regional Scholarship, and the Institute for Energy Efficiency. The White chose this philanthropic vision to be responsive to the university's needs as they arise.

Sports as Safe Haven

As a UC Santa Barbara professor in the Department of the History of Art & Architecture, Jenni is committed to furthering women in the academy, including sports. Her wife, Cheri, is a former powerlifter and strongwoman competitor who grew up playing basketball. The endowed scholarships they have created in support of UCSB Athletics will help student-athletes compete while balancing rigorous academic work.