Wendy Kwok's gift will support undergraduate scholars such as Brittany Jellison (pictured here).

SAN DIEGO — With a generous gift of $265,000 to her alma mater, University of California, San Diego alumna Wendy Kwok, J.D., will provide scholarship support for outstanding UC San Diego undergraduates majoring in biological sciences each year, in perpetuity.  In addition, Kwok designated a portion of her gift as a match to challenge fellow alumni to follow her footsteps in providing support for today’s students and tomorrow’s science leaders and innovators.

The UC San Diego alumna’s gift establishes the Wendy W. Kwok Research Scholarship Endowment. The endowment will provide scholarship funding for students engaging in hands-on research through the Division of Biological Sciences’ Eureka! Scholars program.

“With increased budget cuts and current state of the economy, the State of California is investing less in the education of University of California students, so this gift is an attempt to sustain the stellar UC San Diego experience that I appreciated,” said Kwok.

The Eureka! Scholars program assists talented students — who might otherwise have to take on low-paying jobs unrelated to their studies — by awarding $3,500 in research scholarships so they can spend their summer months in the lab, conducting valuable research alongside leading research scientists in the region.

“This generous gift will have a transformative impact on students for years to come,” said Steve Kay, dean of the Division of Biological Sciences. “Scholarships which help drive undergraduate research opportunities play a vital role in producing the next generation of science leaders.”

Kwok, who graduated in 1999 with a degree in neuroscience and animal physiology, agrees that undergraduate research can have a great impact on a student’s education.  “I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work in a neuroscience lab my freshman year. It was incredible to experience cutting-edge biological research straight from high school. There is no better learning than hands-on scientific exploration.”           

In an effort to fuel additional scholarship support in UC San Diego’s Division of Biological Sciences, Kwok will use $25,000 of her gift to match donations from alumni and friends to the Biological Sciences Undergraduate Scholarship Fund.

“I hope that my gift can create a ripple effect,” said Kwok. “Individual gifts unite as a pool for greater impact. Every gift contributes to the greater good, and can have a positive influence on student scholars, the university, our community and the world.” 

For information on how you can participate in the challenge, call (858) 822-5738 or visit www.biology.ucsd.edu/giving.