By Keldine Hull
The UCLA Samueli School of Engineering has received a $100 million donation from longtime supporters Henry and Susan Samueli. The generous gift, made through the Samueli Foundation, will go towards the school’s planned expansion, which began in 2016. UCLA Samueli aims to enroll at least 7,000 undergraduates and graduates by 2028- 1,700 more than the 5,300 students who enrolled in 2016. In addition, the school plans to add 100 professors to its current roster of 250, focusing on emerging research areas like engineering in medicine, quantum technologies, and sustainable and resilient urban systems.
According to Henry Samueli, “Susan and I are thrilled to be able to support the continued expansion of the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering. The demand for engineering graduates has continued to grow unabated, so it is exciting to see UCLA’s significant commitment to increase the number of students and faculty, and expand research and entrepreneurship within the school.”
From 1975 to 1976, Samueli earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from UCLA followed by his doctorate in 1980. He continued to stay involved with UCLA as a full- time professor of electrical engineering from 1985 to 1995. In 1991, he co- founded Broadcom Corporation, one of the largest semiconductor and infrastructure software companies in the world. Now known as Broadcom Inc. and based in San Jose, he continues to serve as chairman of the board.
The engineering school was named in Henry Samueli’s honor in 2000 following a $30 million donation that went towards capital improvements and fellowships for graduate students and faculty. Other gifts included $10 million to support the establishment of endowed professorship and $20 million to support undergraduate students through scholarships and fellowships. To date, the Samuelis have donated over $188 million to UCLA and over $478 million to the University of California education system.
