The Henleys and Yangs. Credit: Monie Photography
You see evidence of their generosity every time you enter the UC Santa Barbara campus from the east and pass through Henley Gate. The gate is one of many philanthropic contributions over the years from Oracle Board Chairman Jeff Henley (B.A., UCSB Economics, 1966) and his wife, honorary UCSB alum Judy Henley. Now the philanthropists have committed $50 million to UCSB for the Institute for Energy Efficiency (IEE) and the highly regarded College of Engineering, it was announced at a reception on Saturday at Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. It is the largest gift in the history of the university.
The Henleys at Bren. Credit: Patricia MarroquinAt the interdisciplinary institute, created in 2008, “brilliant researchers from across disciplines come together to generate practical, measurable solutions to global problems in energy use,” UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang stated.
Graduate students play important roles in IEE and the College of Engineering. IEE has 50 faculty members and 120 graduate and postdoctoral students who collaborate on energy-efficient technologies. The College of Engineering, which had a Fall 2011 enrollment of 753 graduate students, awarded 90 master’s degrees and 77 doctorates in 2010-2011.
Of the total donation by the couple, $30 million will be earmarked for a new building to house IEE, to be called Henley Hall, and for investment in faculty recruitment for both the institute and College of Engineering. The additional $20 million will be in the form of an estate commitment and will support College of Engineering initiatives.
The Henleys not only want to support research but also to spotlight the importance of private giving at a time when all UC campuses face state funding cutbacks. "We hope to create new opportunities for research and discovery, and to support UC Santa Barbara's already strong commitment to preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers,” Jeff Henley said in a UCSB Office of Public Affairs press release.
Their gift is an impressive contribution to the Campaign for UC Santa Barbara, which launched its next phase with a goal of $1 billion.
In a statement to the campus community on Saturday, Chancellor Yang thanked all students, saying: “You personify UC Santa Barbara and help make the case for supporting our campus. Every gift to UC Santa Barbara is an investment in your future, and in the future we all share.” For more information, read the UCSB press release and a Los Angeles Times article.