Investing in the Next Generation of Changemakers
Every generation faces its own set of challenges, but the issues that today’s engineers will inherit feel different. Today, challenges move faster, cross more boundaries and demand more interdisciplinary thinking than ever before.
In my work at ICF, a global consulting and technology services company, I see this every day. Our teams are on the front lines of some of the toughest challenges facing our generation.
We help communities detect disease outbreaks earlier by using advanced data analytics and improving communications across federal, state and local public health leaders. We supported the first transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel — overcoming one of the hardest barriers to decarbonizing the transportation industry. And we’re using AI-driven digital twins to help utilities navigate rising electricity demand from data centers, while strengthening grid reliability and keeping energy more affordable for vulnerable communities.
None of this work is simple. It requires people who can move between disciplines, ask hard questions and stay grounded in the data.
That mindset starts forming long before someone enters the workforce. The engineers who will tackle tomorrow’s challenges are in classrooms and labs right now, learning how to think, how to collaborate and how to approach uncertainty with curiosity rather than fear. That foundation matters. I know because UC Davis gave me mine.
How UC Davis Shaped the Way I Think
My career was shaped in profound ways by UC Davis. The faculty in the Department of Chemical Engineering were committed to teaching us to think, not just to memorize. My professors insisted we understand the underlying math and physics. They pushed us to break down problems instead of jumping to answers. And they expected a level of precision that, at the time, felt demanding but has served me well.
Just as meaningful were the hands-on experiences that brought engineering to life. Long days in the lab made the equations real. An internship with IBM taught me what I did and didn’t want to do with my degree. Studying abroad in England opened up an entirely new world. Those experiences helped me understand how theory meets reality, and they broadened my perspective.
They prepared me for graduate school at MIT and, ultimately, for a career at ICF that has spanned nearly four decades working at the crossroads of engineering, science, policy and technology. They also grounded me in a particular mindset: Solve the problem in front of you using data, technical rigor and collaboration. That approach has carried me through my entire career, and why I think it is important to give back.
How Small Steps Grew into 20 Years of Momentum
My first gifts to UC Davis were small — contributions to an undergraduate scholarship fund. I wasn’t thinking about “philanthropy.” I was simply grateful for what I had received and wanted the next group of students to have something similar.
Years later, the college reached out with a proposal to support scholarships, upgrade aging lab equipment and help develop a new course called “Design of Coffee.” I loved the idea of making engineering accessible and fun without sacrificing precision. I agreed to support the plan and added a scholarship for a student to study abroad each year, because having that opportunity changed my own path.
Over time, my involvement expanded. I’ve served on the College of Engineering Dean’s Executive Committee for more than a decade, including several years as chair, and now chair the Manetti Shrem Museum Advisory Board. That combination may seem unexpected, but UC Davis has always brought together the analytical and creative, and the more I’ve learned about the university’s remarkable role in California’s art history, the more compelled I’ve felt to support it alongside engineering.
The reward for staying close has been seeing the impact firsthand: meeting students, watching new research and design spaces take shape, seeing labs modernized and hearing from scholarship recipients whose paths were changed because someone invested in them.
At the same time, the needs have grown. Enrollment is rising. State support is down. The demand for modern facilities and interdisciplinary learning environments continues to increase.
With these challenges, it’s important to give back. It’s important to invest in the next generation of changemakers.
Showing Up for the Next Generation
Engineers have always been problem solvers, but the problems ahead — AI ethics, climate resilience, sustainable energy, public health, global-scale digital modernization — require a different level of preparation. Students will need strong fundamentals, yes, but also experience working on messy, multidisciplinary challenges. UC Davis is well-positioned to give them that mix.
Philanthropy helps make that possible. Not just big gifts, but all forms: mentoring, advising, opening doors to internships, volunteering time, sharing hard-earned lessons and giving financially when you can. The three “W’s” as I call them — work, wisdom and wealth — are all essential when it comes to giving back. It’s a collective effort focused on continuity, helping ensure students have access to the kinds of transformative, hands-on experiences that shaped me, and that remain essential for the world they’re stepping into and the problems they’ll help solve.
I’ve spent my career working on complex issues. But nothing has been more meaningful than supporting the UC Davis students who will take on the challenges we can’t yet see. The future will be demanding, but it’s full of promise. And every step we take to support today’s students brings us closer to the breakthroughs our world needs.
