The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) today announced the public launch of The Campaign for UCSD: Imagine What's Next, a $1 billion, seven-year fund-raising initiative that will support academic and research programs, scholarships, fellowships and endowed chairs.

In conjunction with the campaign, the university also announced a $110 million gift to the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering from former UCSD engineering professor Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs, CEO and chairman of Qualcomm, Inc., and his wife Joan Jacobs. The Jacobs' support for UCSD spans 20 years, includes major gifts to the Jacobs School of Engineering, the Shiley Eye Center and the Stuart Collection, and now totals $133.4 million.

The Campaign for UCSD is the largest, most ambitious fund-raising campaign in San Diego's history, and UCSD is by far the youngest university to launch a campaign with a goal of $1 billion.

The university has raised $445 million, or 44.5 percent of the goal, since the 'quiet phase' of the campaign began on July 1, 2000. To date, more than 43,000 gifts and pledges have been made to the campaign, and 49 donors have contributed $1 million or more.

"Through the support of community leaders such as Irwin and Joan Jacobs, The Campaign for UCSD has already created support for scholarships, fellowships and endowed chairs, and has helped fund major initiatives such as the Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center, expansion of the Shiley Eye Center, and the creation of our Management School," said Robert C. Dynes, chancellor. "Even in difficult economic times, our friends and alumni have shown that they believe in UCSD's promising future."

The couple's $10 million current gift will support faculty recruitment and the Jacobs School Scholars and Fellows program. Sixty percent of the Jacobs' $100 million planned gift will be unrestricted endowment for the Jacobs School, and will add to the $15 million endowment that the couple established in 1997, at the time the school was named in their honor. Twenty-five percent of the planned gift is intended for the Jacobs School Scholars and Fellows program, which the couple established in 2000. Approximately 15 percent of the planned gift will be used to create endowed chairs for faculty jointly appointed to the Jacobs School and UCSD's Management School.

"Our gift represents a long term investment in engineering education and in our community. It is intended to help recruit outstanding faculty, to support promising undergraduate and graduate students, and to ensure close relations between the new School of Management and the Jacobs School of Engineering. San Diego needs a highly trained workforce that can continue to lead innovation for our region and our nation," said Dr. Jacobs. "We are proud of all that UCSD and the engineering school have accomplished, and honored to make this contribution so that the Jacobs School can sustain its excellence in education."

"The love of learning is a core value for our family, and we are deeply committed to affordable and high quality education that is accessible to everyone," said Mrs. Jacobs. "All four of our children chose to go to University of California schools because of the high caliber of education available there. But state and federal funding is insufficient to sustain the University's standard of excellence in teaching and research. We, as a community, must support the precious resource that is the University of California."

"We are deeply grateful to Irwin and Joan Jacobs for their faith and investment in our faculty, students and staff," said Frieder Seible, dean of the Jacobs School. "Their gift accelerates the incredible forward momentum that characterizes the School and will allow us to sustain our leadership role among the best engineering schools in the nation."

Irwin Jacobs, Malin Burnham, chairman of The Burnham Companies, and John J. Moores, chairman of JMI Services Inc., and owner of the San Diego Padres Baseball Club, are co-chairs of The Campaign for UCSD. On February 24, the university announced a $5 million gift from Malin and Roberta Burnham designated for the Management School. The Moores' $20 million naming gift to the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center was among the first gifts to the campaign.

"I remember when UCSD was formed, just 43 years ago, and have eagerly watched the campus rapidly grow into a national leader," said Malin Burnham. "Now the campus challenges us to envision its future impact -- to imagine what's next. I am very excited to see just what this daring university will achieve in the near future."

"I am a firm believer in the relationship between a leading research institution such as UCSD, and the quality of life for the surrounding community," said John J. Moores. "San Diego has only just begun to realize the benefits of having a campus as strong as UCSD. Campaign initiatives will have a tremendous impact on the region, in terms of educational opportunities, research breakthroughs and patient care."

"This university has benefited from strong community support since the day it was founded," said James M. Langley, vice chancellor for External Relations. "In order to continue UCSD's remarkable trajectory of accomplishments, we will rely even more on the generosity of the community to help us create inventive programs and deliver important discoveries."

The Campaign for UCSD will provide much-needed support for all areas of campus. The campaign initiatives fall within a framework of five main categories for support:

Ensuring educational opportunity and enriching student life through undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships and leadership initiatives. $100 million goal

Supporting outstanding faculty by increasing essential funding for endowed chairs, visiting professorships and recruitment and retention packages. $100 million goal

Advancing academic excellence and launching inventive programs by creating new professional schools, expanding academic programs and implementing new initiatives that inspire scholarship. $300 million goal

Improving lives through research and health care with vital funding for a wide range of research endeavors, health sciences advancements and clinical care initiatives. $400 million goal

Providing innovation funds that enable UCSD to meet the highest priority needs, respond to emerging opportunities and invest in promising areas of high potential. $100 million goal.