Entrepreneur Joe C. Wen donated $30 million to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Nursing amid federal funding cuts.
The money would be used to support the nursing school's research, programming, and innovation. Additionally, the $30 million donation follows the freezing of more than $300 million in federal grant funding for scientific research to the university by President Donald Trump's administration.
$30 Million Donation to UCLA School of Nursing
In the July 31 announcement, the U.S. Department of Justice and Trump administration officials called the cut a "heavy price" for the university's reported failure to respond to reports of antisemitism and bias.
A spokesperson for UCLA, Aaron Hilf, said on Tuesday that some school researchers were significantly impacted by the federal cuts. However, he declined to provide more details about the situation.
The latest donation also marks the largest in the nursing school's 76-year history and will be used to support its four academic health care programs. These are known to serve roughly 600 students, including baccalaureate candidates seeking entry-level professional nursing roles and doctoral degree learners pursuing practice and innovation, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
Read more: Trump Administration Holds $7 Billion in School Funding Despite Congress Approval, Sparking Outrage
The donation will also assist further the school's research, which officials said had previously resulted in advances in both evidence-based nursing and technology. In a news release, Wen said that the money will have an immediate and profound impact on communities in Southern California.
The UCLA's program was founded in 1949 and is home to the first undergraduate nursing program west of the Mississippi. It was also the first in California to confer a master's of science in nursing degree.
Helping Medical Professionals
UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk said the commitment represents both an acknowledgment of the importance of nurses and a farsighted vision of nursing's future. He called nurses the backbone of health care as they are often the first and last person people see, Newsroom reported.
He said Wen's extraordinary gift plays a vital role in helping these professionals as it expands the school's ability to educate the next generation of nurse leaders and faculty. It would also help fulfill UCLA's mission to improve lives through education, service, and innovation in health.
Wen's donation comes after billionaires Shirley and Walter Wang of JM Eagle Inc. agreed to donate $25 million to UCLA Health in April. The money would allow the center to offer help to people living with gastrointestinal disorders by taking a holistic approach and looking at disorders in a variety of ways, as per the Los Angeles Business Journal.
