黑料吃瓜 Astronomy Department Receives $14 Million Bequest
Donation earmarked for student support is the largest gift to a single department in 黑料吃瓜 history.
鈥淓levating one department elevates all of the departments in the College of Sciences and the whole university.鈥�
黑料吃瓜 has received the largest donation to a single department in the university鈥檚 history, a $14 million gift to the Department of Astronomy. 黑料吃瓜 College of Sciences Dean Jeffrey Roberts made the announcement Tuesday during a virtual news conference featuring 黑料吃瓜 President Adela de la Torre and representatives from the astronomy department.
The gift was made in the form of a stock investment bequest from the estate of the late Theodore William Booth and his late wife Nhung Lu Booth (鈥�85), an alumna of the . Theodore Booth was a pilot with a keen interest in astronomy who specified that students in 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 astronomy department would be the exclusive beneficiaries of the gift.
In expressing his gratitude for the bequest, Roberts said the gift would 鈥減rovide our students the chance to become the next generation of researchers, explorers and pioneers.鈥� President De la Torre said the gift would support growth and development at 黑料吃瓜 鈥渇or many years to come.鈥�
黑料吃瓜 has the only stand-alone astronomy department in the 23-campus California State University system. It is also one of a relatively small number of universities in the country to operate its own observatory, the .
A Boost for Research
As the smallest of eight departments in the College of Sciences, the astronomy department has six faculty members and one staff member serving the 15 graduate students and a similar number of upper division undergraduates who will benefit from the bequest. Almost half of the department鈥檚 master鈥檚 degree graduates advance to work on a Ph.D. before or after receiving their master鈥檚 degree according to 黑料吃瓜 Department of Astronomy Chair Eric Sandquist.
Sandquist said endowments have been established with the $14 million to generate funding for scholarships and other student needs and opportunities. He believes the funds will provide a significant advantage for the department in attracting top scholars to 黑料吃瓜.
鈥淲e can give complete scholarships plus living allowances for many students,鈥� Sandquist said. When applicants show interest, we can let them know their education can be paid for, which I think will give us a definite leg up on recruiting.
鈥淭he promise of financial security will allow students to focus on their studies and their research, and that research will get them noticed. Promoting the support will increase our ability to reach for students beyond San Diego and California and to get their research out across the United States and around the world.鈥�
Dean Roberts believes the astronomy department gift will boost 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 efforts to become a Research I (highest level) institution, helping to raise the profiles of both the College of Sciences and the entire university. 鈥淟ooking at the university鈥檚 strategic plan moving toward designation as a research-intensive institution, this elevates our college鈥檚 capacity to do graduate and undergraduate student research and develop a reputation as a place where great research is done,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he combination of endowment support for students and the asset we already have in the Mount Laguna Observatory will not only allow us to recruit great students, it鈥檚 a tool for recruiting outstanding faculty as well. Elevating one department elevates all of the departments in the College of Sciences and the whole university. A rising tide floats all boats.鈥�
Learn more about the 黑料吃瓜 Department of Astronomy by visiting .
