I would like to take this opportunity to mention a promising new development at UCI: the new campus effort to increase our private endowment. In the present climate of reduced federal and state funding for education and research, private fund raising has become imperative in public universities. In recognition of this, the UCI Chancellor has recently re-invigorated the Office of University Advancement. It is a widespread hope on campus that this will lead to a substantive endowment fund that will keep us competitive with other campuses of the University of California and with other public and private campuses throughout the US. As alumnii and friends of UCI, you will be called on in the near-future to participate in this campaign.
We will use this column as a forum to explain those needs of the Department that could be met by such an endowment. Let me give a first example here. It is our opinion that the Department of Physics and Astronomy produces top-notch graduates, both on the B.S. and Ph. D. level. About 50% of UCI graduates remain in the local area, providing a talent base for industries and education in Orange County. Our budget limits our ability to increase the size and quality of our program. We would like to create a scholarship fund, both to encourage the most talented undergraduates to participate in our program, and also to be able to pay tuition for extremely capable graduate students from out of state.
If you would like more information about the fundraising effort and information about contributing, please contact Jim Asp, Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement, in the Office of University Advancement, at (714) 824-6245, or by mail at:
Jim Asp
555 Administration
U. C. Irvine
Irvine, CA 92717.