Engineering Community Makes Next-Level Impact with $131 Million in Expect Greater Fundraising Campaign Contributions

The University of California, Davis, is celebrating the success of the Expect Greater: From UC Davis, for the World fundraising campaign, which raised over $2.25 billion for student support, health research and care, sustainability, innovation and more. More than 5,500 College of Engineering alumni and friends contributed $131.55 million of the total raised.

Alumni, industry partners and supporters demonstrated their commitment to the college's Next Level strategic vision for engineering a better world for all by investing in successful student outcomes, state-of-the-art infrastructure, innovative research and faculty expertise and flexible support for the college and its eight academic departments. Two new facilities — the Diane Bryant Engineering Student Design Center and the first-of-its-kind Coffee Center — were 100% philanthropically funded.

"I am inspired by the generosity and support of our incredible community of UC Davis engineers and friends," said Richard L. Corsi, dean of the College of Engineering. "From alumni to industry partners to faculty, emeriti and staff, we are tremendously grateful for our community's commitment to our college. The impact of these gifts — now and in the future — will ensure our positive trajectory in Next Level Engineering."

Among the 5,552 donors to the College of Engineering, new donors account for nearly half, or 2,359. In all, 22,489 gifts were received. Notably, 1,826 gifts were made by current and former UC Davis faculty and staff, who contributed nearly $10 million to the college. The $131.55 million raised for the College of Engineering surpassed the initial fundraising goal by $21 million. It exceeded the total raised in UC Davis' previous fundraising campaign, which ended in 2014, by $76 million.

"I am thrilled at the generosity of my fellow alumni and friends of the College of Engineering that have enabled us to exceed our goals for the Expect Greater campaign," said Rob Tobias '86, electrical engineering, who serves as chair of the Dean's Executive Committee, or DEC, and chief executive officer of HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. "On behalf of the DEC, I want to thank those who have generously supported the college in our quest to educate the next generation of engineers and engage in cutting-edge, world-changing research."