The following gifts are just a few examples of how the people, programs, and facilities of the Bren School have been supported. We are deeply appreciative to those who so generously contribute their time, treasure, and talent for the benefit of the Bren School.

 

Bren School Receives $1 Million Endowment from Zurich Financial Services to Establish a Distinguished Visitors Program on Climate Change The Zurich Financial Services Distinguished Visitors program will allow the Bren School to attract international leaders in environmental policy, law, business, and science to enrich and expand the intellectual life of the Bren School community and share insight on issues critical to climate change. Activities of the Visitors, who will be in residence for periods ranging from one week to one quarter, will include teaching short courses, offering public lectures, conducting seminars, and leading colloquia and symposia planned around their research, professional endeavors, or areas of expertise. (For details see New and Events)

Pictured left to right: Jennifer Purcell Deacon, Bren Assistant Dean of  Development; Bren Dean, Ernst von Weizsäcker; Mike Kerner, Global Chief Underwriting Officer and Group Head of Strategy for Zurich Financial Services; Lindene Patton, Senior Vice President & Counsel, Zurich North America; Bren Associate Dean, John Melack

 

Bren School Honors Deckers Outdoor Corporation for $1 Million Endowment for Graduate Student Fellowships The Bren School has received gifts of more than $1 million from Deckers Outdoor Corporation and an anonymous UC Santa Barbara alumnus to support graduate students and programs at the Bren School in perpetuity. These gifts will further the School’s efforts to attract the most talented students from around the nation and the world, and support them in reaching their academic goals. As a reflection of the Bren School’s gratitude, the second-floor patio at Bren Hall will be officially named the Deckers Outdoor Corporation Terrace, and the endowment fund for graduate student support will forever carry the Deckers name. (For more see News and Events)

 

Established in 1996, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation seeks to improve the quality of people's lives through grants supporting the performing arts, wildlife conservation, medical research, the prevention of child maltreatment, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke's properties. In 2007, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation selected the Bren School as one of eight Host Universities nation-wide in their Doris Duke Conservation Fellows Program. The first five Bren students to be named Doris Duke Conservation Fellows are pictured at right.

Photo by Jim Boyden

Pictured: Front row, Faculty Advisor Frank Davis and Evan Johnson. Back row: Dominique Monié, Erin Myers, Ashley Conrad-Saydah, and Kavita Heyn.

 

Market Solutions for Sustainable Fisheries: $5 Million from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Supports First Three Years of New Initiative

The Sustainable Fisheries Group (SFG) is a new alliance that addresses the critical need for fundamental change in the management of coastal marine fisheries. The SFG seeks to foster ecological gains for fish stocks and their marine habitats while promoting the economic viability of working waterfronts along the Pacific coast of North America. The SFG is a partnership between UCSB’s Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management (Bren School), the Marine Science Institute (MSI), and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), together with Environmental Defense (ED), a nongovernmental organization that is a national leader in marine and fishery conservation. The initiative is made possible with a grant of $5 million from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation to support the first three years of project operations.

 

Paul G. Allen, The Ford Foundation and the Dutch Government Provide Funding to Create Definitive Text for Emerging Field of Study at the Bren School

In the last decade “governance” has emerged as the focal point of a new field of study at a number of the world’s leading institutions concerned with sustainable development. It is now broadly recognized that issues of governance transcend the traditional disciplines, including law, political science, sociology, communications, economics, and the environmental sciences. This field is not about government alone but about the plethora of formal and informal systems of rights, rules, and social practices that shape decision making and guide human behavior. Understanding these “rules of the game” and, in fact, influencing their creation and implementation can ensure that coupled human-natural systems develop in ways that promote sustainable development. Governance is a field that is broadly relevant to effective business management, national and international environmental policy making, and a range of academic studies.

Recognizing that the Bren School’s Program on Governance for Sustainable Development (GSD) is at the leading edge of this emerging field, Mircrosoft co-founder, Paul G. Allen, the Ford Foundation and the Dutch Government have committed $100,000 to support the Program in authoring the definitive text on governance for sustainable development. Currently, the best thinking in this field is expressed only through assorted individual collections of articles, papers, public documents, theories, and disciplinary research. “This contribution will enable us to articulate and define the field of governance, making it possible to advance scholarship and the application of governance principles globally,” says the Program’s founder and director, Professor Oran Young.  Reflecting on this gift, Bren School Dean Ernst von Weizsäcker said, “The successful implementation of environmental solutions is ultimately dependent upon the rules, norms, and behaviors of people. We are proud and honored to have such an effective team leading the conversation on governance globally, and are especially grateful for Paul Allen’s vision and commitment in this area, as well as for critical support from the Ford Foundation and the Dutch.”

This support will enable the GSD team to design the pedagogy for the field of governance, convene writers and experts, collect data, and compile cases studies and text content in Bren School classrooms. The outcome will be a textbook to be used by the academic community, policy makers, students and environmental leaders worldwide.

 

The Weeden Foundation Funds The Acquisition of a Really Big Fish!

On October 23, 2007 the Bren School celebrated the installation of Rufus Magnus (Big Red), a six-foot-long painted fiberglass replica of a steelhead trout, that is mounted ten feet above the native grasses that grow between Bren Hall and the Marine Sciences Institute. 

The piece was commissioned jointly by the Bren School and the Marine Science Institute with funding from the Weeden Foundation, to address the adverse impact of growing human populations and overuse of natural resources on the biological fabric of the planet. The sculpture also gives visual form to the Bren School’s growing partnership with the Community Environmental Council, which originated the Steelhead Festival. The placement of Rufus Magnus – on land, near the ocean – will signify the fish’s dual life in freshwater and saltwater environments.

“You are hitting the mark in more ways than you know,” said Barbara Weeden Daugherty, who was responsible for directing the funds to the Bren School from the foundation her father funds. “My father is 87 years old and an avid trout fly fisherman. He has spent some of his most memorable times fishing in the Sierra.  He funds several conservation organizations that work to keep our western rivers wild, so he very much supports this funding.”

Prior to its arrival at UCSB, Rufus was part of this summer’s second annual Steelhead Festival. The event featured eight of the fish, each painted by a different local artist, installed along State Street in downtown Santa Barbara to raise awareness of the endangered California native, a member of the salmon family. Local artist and UCSB alumna Barbara McIntyre created Rufus Magnus in eye-catching Chinese red with gold leaf. “In my mind, it had to be red to be noticed,” said McIntyre. “Also, I have a lot of cross-cultural references in my work, and red is prominent in Spanish culture and a good-luck color in Asian culture.”

 

Surprise Gift to Provide Future Funds for Dean

Local residents Helen and Robert Peteler have donated a total of $500,000 to UCSB in a charitable gift annuity. Helen Peteler's $250,000 gift will provide unrestricted support for the Dean of the Bren School. Her husband's $250,000 contribution will provide unrestricted support for the Dean of the College of Engineering. Bren School Dean Ernst von Weizsäcker said, “The Peteler’s gift ensures that future UCSB leadership will have resources to meet the challenges and opportunities inherent in achieving and maintaining the excellence of our Schools. The Bren School and I are most grateful for their vision and generosity.”

 

Howard Ruby Donates Photographs to the Bren School

 

In June 2005 the walls of Bren Hall began to reflect the brilliant red sands of Namibia, vibrant mineral pools at Yellowstone, African lions at play, Polar Bears, blue glaciers, Indian textiles, buffalos on the American plain, breathtaking mountain ranges, seascapes, wildlife and flowers from around the world. “I have been inspired by the wonder of the natural world,” said Oakwood Worldwide's Founder and Chairman Howard Ruby. “I feel privileged to be able to capture its majesty on film and share it with others.” Ruby, who is donating 50 of his photographs to the Bren School, heads Oakwood, the largest global provider of corporate housing and apartment management.

In August 2006 Mr. Ruby hosted a Polar expedition with Bren School faculty and friends. The purpose was to “see for ourselves what the impacts of global warming are doing to the Arctic,” said Bren School’s Assistant Dean of Development Jennifer Deacon. Images from that expedition now hang in Bren Hall and the Marine Science Institute at UCSB.

“Howard's images provide a wonderful vehicle for conveying the true beauty of the ecosystems in which we have the privilege of working,” says Associate Dean John Melack whom Ruby may join on an upcoming expedition to the Pontanal.

When asked recently which was his best image, Howard replied "I haven't taken it yet, but it's out there, somewhere." The Bren School is especially proud to have been selected by Howard as a recipient of his work.

web connection > www.howardrubyphotography.com

 

 

 

Bernard & Lori Sandler Benefit & Trust

Each year, beginning in 2003, the Sandlers make a contribution of named prizes to recruit two outstanding Master's students to the Bren School. In addition to this wonderful current use gift, the Sandlers named the Bren School as the future recipient of a percentage of their estate. The current value of this gift is estimated between $3-4 million.

The desire of Bernie and Lori Sandler is that their gifts form an endowment that will support as many outstanding students as possible wishing to enroll in the Bren School who need financial assistance. With careful administration of this fund in the years to come, the Sandlers are hopeful that the fund will continue to increase and provide the School the opportunity to train much needed environmental professionals worldwide "to help save this planet." Their planned gift also enables them to earn income and provide for their children and grandchildren as well as supporting the Bren School.

When asked what motivated their generous gift, Bernie stated, "My wife and I are believers in taking care of all those we love. Other than the immediate family we feel the entire family of earth needs our support. It is our belief that to save the people and animals of the world we must first save the place in which we all live. We look at this as a gift to all and hope others can see the value in similar granting of estates aimed at expanding environmental education. The Bren School is training the next generation of environmental problem-solvers. Their education will enable them to be wise stewards of the planet. I can think of no better way to save the earth than to invest in the future of those who will ensure a healthy future for us all."

The Sandler's vision and generosity is leading the way in establishing an endowment that will form a secure financial future for the School and its students in perpetuity.

 

 

 

 

 

Davidson Student Commons

With a gift of $300,000, UCSB alumnus Jim Davidson ('90) endowed the student commons in Bren Hall. The 880-square-foot Davidson Student Commons, located on the third floor of Bren Hall, is shared by all master’s students and provides 12 workstations that are used for Group Projects.

Jim Davidson is shown here with Kermit the Frog at the opening of Bren Hall in April 2002. Jim and Kermit both believe in creating an environment that is as "green" as possible.

This bright, airy, and functional study hall and meeting room has large east-facing windows that overlook the courtyard below. In keeping with the goals of the Bren School, the Davidson Commons, like all rooms in Bren Hall, was constructed with recycled and sustainable materials, energy-efficient lighting and temperature controls, and artwork made from recycled materials.

A $300,000 gift from the Wege Foundation of Grand Rapids, Michigan enabled the Bren School to purchase and maintain a photovoltaic solar panel system for Bren Hall. The 42-kilowatt system of photovoltaic panels (shown below) generates seven to ten percent of Bren Hall's energy needs. Producing some of its own energy enabled Bren Hall to receive a Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDTM) rating, the highest level of achievement that the United States Green Building Council can bestow upon a capital project.

Established in 1969, the Wege Foundation's mission has been to lead the way toward a better future by conserving the environment, raising educational standards, and providing quality mind-body-spirit health care. As Wege Foundation President, Peter M. Wege (pictured above, with fellow "green" pioneer Kermit the Frog) stated in his 2001 annual report: "Everyone must play a role in rebuilding an environmentally healthy planet - whether working in the trenches of the rain forest, cleaning up local rivers, or conserving energy. We are all accountable and must learn to work together for the common good of humanity."