UC Irvine just closed the books on its most successful fundraising year on record, raising $343 million in fiscal year 2024, university officials announced.

“UC Irvine is in the midst of a transformative era,” said Brian Hervey, vice chancellor for university advancement and alumni relations and president of the UC Irvine Foundation. “Our generous donors are opening doors to a world-class education for our students and driving groundbreaking advancements in healthcare and research.”

Philanthropic contributions in those areas were especially noteworthy in the last fiscal year thanks to two $50 million donations — one from biotech entrepreneur Charlie Dunlop to name the school of biological sciences and another from businessman Joe C. Wen to name and launch Orange County’s first school of public health and support cardiovascular services.

In 2015, UCI quietly began its most ambitious fundraising campaign in school history with a goal to raise $2 billion to grow scholarship and fellowship resources and transform its research and service capabilities in an array of subjects, particularly those with a focus on human and planetary health and wellness. The school publicly announced the goal in fall 2019.

UCI officials say they are now 95% of the way to that goal, having raised $1.9 billion as part of the Brilliant Future campaign.

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