May 12, 2012

TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY

Dear Colleagues:

I am delighted to share with you the exciting news that our alumnus Jeff Henley ('66) and his wife, Judy, an honorary alumna (H '09), have announced this evening their commitment of a $50 million gift to UC Santa Barbara, to support our interdisciplinary Institute for Energy Efficiency and our College of Engineering.

This transformative gift -- the largest in the history of our campus -- will add to the Henleys' living legacy at UC Santa Barbara. Jeff and Judy have contributed to our university in countless ways over the years, including the Henley Chair in Economics and the iconic Henley Gate that stands at the entrance to our campus.

We are thrilled by the Henleys' vision and generosity. Their leadership gift provides exciting momentum and inspiration as we publicly launch, today, the next phase of the Campaign for UC Santa Barbara.

Our Campaign is a multi-year effort to raise $1 billion or more in private support for our university. We are now more than two-thirds of the way toward meeting our goal. We are honored to have Jeff Henley and Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree serving as our Campaign Co-Chairs, and our Academy Award-winning alumnus Michael Douglas ('68) serving as our Honorary Campaign Chair.

I would like to sincerely thank our faculty -- through your groundbreaking research, innovative teaching, and dedicated public service, you enhance the world-class stature of our university and inspire our graduates and friends to want to give back to UC Santa Barbara. I would also like to thank our staff, for the outstanding support you provide to our students and faculty, as well as to each other; you help make our campus a true community. And I would like to thank our students -- you personify UC Santa Barbara and help make the case for supporting our campus. Every gift to UC Santa Barbara is an investment in your future, and in the future we all share.

As a campus community, we celebrate what we have achieved together. We are confident that the future holds even greater promise for our university. Together we will continue to build on UC Santa Barbara's strengths while developing new opportunities for creativity and innovation. Thank you for your continued partnership in this great endeavor.

Sincerely,

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor