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.
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.
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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.
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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 His collection includes approximately 35,000 discs, 800 unpublished typescripts, 150,000 programs and playbills, 35,000 pieces of sheet music, and 2,000 reference books, all representing regional, national, and international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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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