The University of California, Irvine will rename its College of Biological Sciences after Orange County biotechnology pioneer Charlie Dunlop, who recently donated $50 million to the school.
The university said the money will go toward an endowment that will usher in a “new era of discovery” and support academic and research programs across the school.
“Charlie Dunlop’s dedication to this vision and his generosity will help UC Irvine set a standard that other biology programs in the United States can follow,” Chancellor Howard Gilman said in a statement.
The School of Biological Sciences is now known as the Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences.
Dunlop, a UC San Diego graduate, founded Ambry Genetics in 1999.
In 2017, the Aliso Viejo-based company was acquired by a Japanese manufacturer valuable Up to $1 billion.
Made by Dunlop Company headline News Makes the genetic data of its test subjects public so that researchers can use it to study genes associated with certain diseases. Dunlop said at the time that his experience with prostate cancer prompted his decision to make the anonymous genetic information public.
Dunlop said his company recruits heavily from UC Irvine and credits the school with teaching most of his employees.
“Building a business like Ambry would not be possible without UC Irvine,” he said in a statement.
The School of Biological Sciences was previously named for noted geneticist Francisco J. Ayala, who provided the school with $Ten millionHe derived income from his lucrative vineyards. In 2018, a university investigation found Ayala’s name had been removed from the school. sexual harassment Multiple faculty, staff and graduate students. At the time, it was the largest donation ever made by a faculty member.
