UC San Diego Receives Largest Social Sciences Gift from an Alumnus: Gary ('79) and Jerri-Ann Jacobs

The University of California, San Diego announced that Jerri-Ann and Gary E. Jacobs (’79) have made a $1 million gift to the Division of Social Sciences in support of graduate fellowships. The gift represents the largest single gift ever made to the division by an alumnus – Gary Jacobs,’79, received his B.A. in Management Science from UCSD – and is one of the most significant gifts ever made to the division by an individual.

“Alumni play a vital role in shaping the future of this institution. Leaders like Gary and his wife, Jerri-Ann, help us to attract stellar students and keep the university at the forefront of academic and research excellence,” said UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. “I want to thank the Jacobs for their gift. It will enable us to extend a world-class education to students who could not otherwise afford it.”

"We are very grateful to the Jacobs for their generous gift,” added Paul Drake, dean of the Division of Social Sciences. “Graduate students are integral to any research university’s quality, reputation and capabilities, and the Jacobs’ support will help us to continue to recruit exceptional scholars and ensure that UCSD remains one of the nation’s preeminent centers for the study of the social sciences.”

UCSD competes with the best universities in the world for outstanding graduate students and fellowship support can weigh heavily in a student’s decision on which university to attend. The Jacobs’s recent contribution will support the Jerri-Ann and Gary E. Jacobs Endowed Fellowship, which was established in 1999. As a result of their gift, the Jacobs will also be recognized as Alumni Founders of UCSD, which honors the first 50 alumni who give $1 million or more to the university.

“We are proud to be able to contribute further to the Social Sciences Division and provide support to outstanding graduate students,” said Gary Jacobs. “It is these talented students who will go on to be our future leaders and innovators, here and throughout the world.”

The Division of Social Sciences is the largest academic division on the UCSD campus, housing nine academic departments, from Anthropology and Cognitive Science to Economics and Sociology, and a wide range of interdisciplinary programs. Many departments within the division have recently been ranked alongside the top academic programs at some of the oldest and most respected universities in the nation. The division is also popular among students, with almost half of all UCSD undergraduates now receiving degrees in Social Sciences.

The Managing Director of Jacobs Investment Company, LLC, Gary Jacobs is an active member of the community who currently serves as the Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council for Social Sciences at UCSD and is a member of both the UCSD Board of Overseers and the UCSD Athletic Board. He also serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High and is a member of the CREATE Advisory Board, which is UCSD’s K-12 educational outreach program. Jacobs is a past president of the United Jewish Federation of San Diego and is a board member of the San Diego Symphony, Congregation Beth El, NTC Foundation for Arts and Culture, Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center and the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture.

About The Campaign for UCSD: Imagine What’s Next
Since its founding approximately 45 years ago, the University of California, San Diego has rapidly achieved the status as one of the top institutions in the nation for higher education and research. In order to keep UCSD at the forefront of academic and research excellence, the university launched The Campaign for UCSD: Imagine What’s Next in July 2000. Donations to the comprehensive $1 billion fundraising campaign will help support students and faculty, expand academic programs, fund research endeavors and strengthen innovation funds to meet the highest priority needs. The Campaign for UCSD has generated over $875 million to date, but there is nearly $125 million to raise before the campaign concludes in June 2007. For more information, please visit www.campaign.ucsd.edu.

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