A $5 million gift from billionaire financier and philanthropist Kenneth Griffin will support new UCLA research into fusion energy and engineering, it was announced Wednesday.
UCLA said it will use the gift to establish the Kenneth C. Griffin Fusion Science and Engineering Endowed Chair. The university intends to create a new fusion science and engineering master’s degree program — the first accelerated master’s program of its kind — housed in the UCLA College Division of Physical Sciences in partnership with the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.
Griffin is the founder and chief executive of investment firm Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst, a platform for Griffin’s philanthropic and civic work.
“Unlocking the power of fusion energy would be one of humanity’s greatest achievements, providing our nation and the world with an abundant source of clean and reliable energy,” Griffin said in a statement. “I’m proud to support UCLA in advancing this vital research and training the next generation of fusion engineers, physicists and researchers.”
By offering the possibility of a solution for clean, reliable and safe energy, fusion science has attracted massive interest from multiple industries, companies and startups, generating more job opportunities than there are qualified people to fill them. The proposed new master’s program would help ensure that UCLA graduates are uniquely qualified and positioned to address this need and take a hands-on role in shaping the future of the industry, according to UCLA.
“Fusion science may hold the key to humanity’s future, so we need our best and brightest exploring the field and pushing its boundaries forward,” said Miguel GarcÃa-Garibay, dean of physical sciences and senior dean of the UCLA College. “We are so grateful for Ken Griffin’s generosity in ensuring that Bruins are at the forefront of an area that has the potential to improve the world for us all.”
In addition to furthering Griffin’s support to the university, where he gave $5 million to the Geffen Academy at UCLA in 2023, the new gift builds on his long record of finding and funding creative solutions to America’s most urgent challenges, including supporting STEM education, scientific research, entrepreneurship and innovation to advance U.S. global competitiveness, according to UCLA.
“The establishment of the Griffin Chair builds on UCLA’s strengths in plasma science and engineering at a time of intense national interest in the potential for fusion as a source of energy,” said Stuart Brown, chair of the UCLA Department of Physics and Astronomy. “UCLA is especially well positioned for growth in this scientifically and technologically important area.”