The Wisest Gift of Land Ever
In the early 1960s the Irvine Company contributed 1,000 acres of land to the University of California for the creation of the UC Irvine campus. In subsequent years, the company has continued to invest in higher education, providing land and/or cash gifts to UCI, Irvine Valley College and Santiago Canyon College.
University of California, Irvine: the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences
In December 2003, Irvine Company Chairman Donald Bren donated $20 million to UC Irvine’s computer sciences school, equaling the largest gift ever to the university. In recognition of the gift, the university renamed the school – the first of its kind in the UC system – the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. Bren Hall, the school’s six-story research and classroom facility, opened in June 2007. The Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences is the first independent Computer Science School within the UC System and one of the fastest-growing programs of its kind in the nation. For more information on the renaming of the school, please click here.
For information on the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at UC Irvine, please visit www.ics.uci.edu.
Endowed Distinguished Professor Chairs
Donald Bren’s extensive educational and research philanthropy includes funding endowed distinguished professor chairs at Caltech, the University of California, Chapman University and Marine Corps University. At the University of California, his support has created more endowed chairs than any other individual in UC history. In total, he has endowed 50 chairs for distinguished faculty and researchers at universities and research institutions. In recognition of his wide-ranging support for the UC system, in 2004 Bren was awarded its highest honor, the University of California Presidential Medal. These are lasting legacies to attract and keep foremost scholars and support the genius and creativity of academians and researchers who are making significant contributions to our local communities and society at large. Their impact will benefit generations to come.
University of California, Irvine: Claire Trevor School of the Arts
In late 2000, the School of the Arts at UCI was officially named Claire Trevor School of the Arts in recognition of the late Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning actress’ accomplishments and contributions in her honor from the Claire Trevor Foundation and the Donald Bren Foundation and members of the Bren family. For more information about the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UCI, please visit www.arts.uci.edu.
The Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management
The Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management was made possible by a generous contribution to UC Santa Barbara by the Donald Bren Foundation. This gift supports the school with funding for distinguished Bren Professors as well as faculty scholars, visiting lecturers and conferences.
Because environmental issues arise in political, legal and business arenas, The Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management positions its studies from a multi-disciplinary approach involving input and perspectives from the natural and social sciences and the law and policy disciplines.
The program brings these fields together to address complex environmental issues from different angles as well as approach environmental matters with a better understanding of the political, legal and business points of view. For more information please visit www.bren.ucsb.edu.
Chapman University
On October 1999, the Donald Bren Foundation endowed a chair in business and Economics at Chapman University. Dr. James Doti, president of Chapman University, is the first holder of this chair.