Achieving a Brilliant Future

UC Irvine celebrated the successful close of its Brilliant Future campaign on Saturday, Oct. 4 – coinciding with the university’s 60^th anniversary. Surpassing its $2 billion goal by almost half a billion dollars, the largest philanthropic campaign in Orange County history marks a transformative moment for the university and its future.

At a time when traditional funding sources are dwindling, the Brilliant Future campaign has demonstrated the power of private philanthropy in driving top-tier research, fostering academic excellence and advancing human progress. The campaign’s success was fueled by a groundswell of support from more than 122,000 donors, capped by one extraordinary, last-minute commitment aimed at advancing groundbreaking Alzheimer’s research and care. This final gift of the multiyear effort ultimately pushed UC Irvine over $2.4 billion.

A Historic Gift

The campaign’s grand finale included an unforgettable moment: a $50 million commitment from the Quilter family – including alumni Charles Quilter, M.A. ’06, Ph.D. ’10 and Ann Quilter, M.S. ’79, along with their family members Matt, Patty, Chris and Patrick – to support the priorities of UCI MIND, the university’s internationally renowned institute dedicated to advancing the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

This transformational gift will strengthen collaboration between researchers and clinicians to accelerate discoveries from bench to bedside, expand education and training for the next generation of experts, and deepen community outreach to families and caregivers. It not only pushed UC Irvine past $2.4 billion but also solidified the university’s role as a leader in confronting one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.

Read the complete feature story at UC Irvine News.