California State University, Channel Islands

Contribution Highlights

• CSU Channel Islands received a highly competitive $6 million federal grant to help inspire and educate the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates at the university and nearby community colleges. Only 100 institutions nationwide were awarded.
• The Burgess family’s generous gift of $250,000 has made the Margaret Tiplady Burgess Courtyard possible. Sensory gardens and native plants will transform the area into environmentally friendly gathering spaces.
• CSU Channel Islands was one of only 14 institutions across the nation awarded funding through NASA’s Minority univesity Research and Education Program. The $600,000 grant targets high percentage Hispanic high schools and brings together NASA scientists, climate science experts, local teachers, and students to teach climate change and the science behind it.
• Using $30,000 awarded to Education faculty by Google’s Institute Project, faculty developed UDTech, an online program to engage different types of learners in the classroom. CSU Channel Islands plans to make the program available to the broader education community.
• Young alumnus Kosta Grammatis, highlighted in CSU’s Working for California, designed a micro communications satellite and equipment to test an Iridium Communications satellite network from space. Other projects’ awards include: Time’s 2009 Best Invention; Vodafone’s Wireless Innovation Award; and MIT’s Global Challenge. He has received Google’s Innovation Grant and has spoken at TEDx and the United Nations.
• The Institute for Global Economic Research (IGER) raised $145,000 in foundation and business support. Lead by Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics endowed professor Dr. Sung Won Sohn (identified by the Wall Street Journal as among the three top forecasters in the country), IGER links the region to the global economy and develops students into future industry leaders.

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