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Transformative Gift Will Create a New Home for Integrative STEM Studies

The University of San Diego (USD) tonight received a record-breaking financial pledge totaling $75 million from Darlene Marcos Shiley, philanthropist and Chair Emerita of USD's Board of Trustees.

Announced during the university's 75th Anniversary Founders Gala at Petco Park, the gift is the largest in USD history and among the largest ever given to any Catholic university in the country. The funding will touch several areas of USD's campus, with a primary emphasis on creating what will be known as the 'Shiley STEM Initiative' , expanding innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs, and constructing a new, state-of-the-art STEM facility on the USD campus.

The gift will usher in an exciting new era and light the way forward for students for decades to come, said USD President James T. Harris III, DEd.

"Darlene 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," Harris said. "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."

Over the years, Shiley has been a dedicated and prolific supporter of nonprofits around San Diego, and this gift will put a stamp on her and her late husband Donald's impact on USD and the region.

At USD, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering and College of Arts and Sciences embody the university's mission to shape well-rounded leaders with a liberal arts education. Both schools boast impressive alumni in STEM, including two NASA astronauts . This gift will build upon the university's growing commitment to STEM, meet the needs of the growing biotechnology and scientific sectors in the San Diego region, and help train the next generation of STEM leaders and researchers.

"STEM fields touch all different aspects of our lives, and I believe they can be a force for good in our society," Shiley said. "I was drawn to USD because of its emphasis on a values-based education. This gift fulfills my husband's and my goals and makes me feel like I've made an impact. Now I hope it helps future students take what they learn at USD and make a positive impact of their own."

Shiley's gift comes at a key time for USD, where the number of students majoring in STEM disciplines has grown by 50 percent in the past decade. USD has met the moment, with a wide-ranging curriculum across 16 STEM degrees. This gift will help expand the university's STEM offerings by establishing a new integrated STEM space that connects engineering and the natural sciences, as well as expanded opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research.

Beyond its STEM focus, the pledge will also be directed to other causes close to Shiley's heart - scholarships and programs benefiting veterans and military connected students, as well as additional funding for the arts through the university's top ranked MFA in acting, The Old Globe and USD Shiley Graduate Theatre Program.

In addition to a number of scholarships and other support for USD, Donald and Darlene Shiley are also the benefactors behind the Shiley Theatre, Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering and the Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology, the couple's first STEM-related contribution to USD. The center celebrated its 20th anniversary last December .

- USD News Center

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