Dear USD Community,

This past weekend nearly 1,000 members of the USD and greater San Diego communities celebrated our exceptional university during the 75th Anniversary Founders Gala at Petco Park. In addition to commemorating USD’s history and looking ahead to a bright future, the event was also a fundraiser with all net proceeds going to student scholarships.

The event also marked another momentous occasion for USD. Over the years we have benefited from the incredible vision and generosity of Darlene Marcos Shiley, chair emerita of the Board of Trustees, and her late husband, Donald. In addition to a number of scholarships and other support for USD, Donald and Darlene Shiley are the benefactors behind the Shiley Theatre, Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering and Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology.

At the end of this weekend’s Founders Gala, Mrs. Shiley announced a new commitment to USD that will transform STEM education and undergraduate research at the University of San Diego through a $75 million commitment that will create the Shiley STEM Initiative. This is the largest gift ever to USD and one of the largest to any Catholic university in the country.

Mrs. Shiley’s visionary gift will establish a new space that integrates programs in the College of Arts and Sciences and Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering and will revolutionize programming in STEM, with opportunities for cross-disciplinary projects and curriculum expansion. The space can include flexible classrooms for collaborative teaching, “Makerspaces” for students and faculty, expanded machine shops for STEM disciplines, and expanded biomedical engineering labs and shops.

The initiative will support USD’s deep commitment to undergraduate research opportunities in the STEM fields to prepare students for thriving academic or research-focused careers. These scholarships and fellowships will build on USD’s award-winning and successful programs that will allow students the opportunity to immerse in research before they even arrive at USD, throughout their first year, and over the summer.

The pledge includes additional funding for programs close to Mrs. Shiley’s heart – scholarships and programs benefiting veterans and military connected students, as well as additional funding for student support through the university’s top-ranked MFA in acting, The Old Globe and USD Shiley Graduate Theatre Program.

Mrs. Shiley is one of the most generous and kind individuals that anyone could ever meet. She’s always looking out for humanity and the best interests of our society, and she particularly loves our students. We are a better institution because of Donald and Darlene Shiley and what they’ve decided to do for this institution and what they’ve done for this world.

In our vision statement we talk about leading with love, and Donald and Darlene Shiley have always led with love.

As we conclude our 75th anniversary celebration and look ahead to the future, it is clear that the world needs what we have at USD. This is a university worthy of such an investment and, on behalf of the entire community, I offer my immense gratitude to Darlene Shiley for her incredible vision and her faith in USD, our programs and our people.

Peace,

James T. Harris III, D.Ed.
President