Eli Broad. UCLA, Unabashed.
Eli Broad is a notably active philanthropist and civic leader. The Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research at UCLA and the UCLA Art Center bear his name.
"In the second half of my life I've been privileged to pursue a number of interests, but three in particular—the visual arts, medical science and public education—have made me acutely aware of a pair of enormous public assets–the 21st–century metropolis of Los Angeles and its namesake, UCLA.
"Question:
"Which came first—great city or great university? How would you price their separate parts? Which are proprietary, irreplaceable? How would they look on a balance sheet?
"First, UCLA probably has the best arts school in the country—a distinguished faculty with a student body to match. (Last fall, the school invited 18 young visual artists to join its master of fine arts program. All 18 accepted.)
I started out as an accountant. I suppose that's something that one never quite gets over.
"Could you have the best arts school anywhere? No. Does the fact Los Angeles is home to the second largest number of professional artists in America have anything to do with that outcome? You bet.
"Second, UCLA's new medical center is already counted among the world's best. The university's medical and life sciences campuses have expanded tremendously in the past few years. They've got great people and a culture that promotes an astounding level of multidisciplinary collaboration. (That's why our foundation made a commitment to stem cell research there.)
"But it's worth noting that Los Angeles hosts a unique regional network of first–rate hospitals, research universities and biotech/biomedical enterprises that fill the horizon in every direction. That sort of thing seems to happen a lot around here. Almost without its knowledge or permission, the city of Los Angeles—the Original and Continuing Work In Progress—has become one of the world's great cities, headquarters of the Pacific and the leading exporter of ideas to the rest of the world.
If UCLA weren't here, I'm not sure we'd have the intellectual capital we need to be the great city we are today.
"Back at UCLA, everywhere you look—engineering, architecture, law, performing arts, the B–school, the college–you're watching public education at its finest. You can witness the multiplication of knowledge. You can feel the engine operating at full throttle. You know you're at the center of gravity of this city.
"So, who gets the honors—L.A. or UCLA? Actually, I have no idea. They're stuck together, co–dependent, inseparable. Why don't we just count our blessings?"
UCLA, Unabashed.
Brad Delson Diane Watson Julia Gouw Sherry Lansing Betsy Knapp
Moctesuma Esparza Paul Boyer Richard Ziman Warren Furutani Karen Bass
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