UCLA will rename its nursing school the Joe C. Wen School of Nursing following a record-setting $30 million donation by university alumnus Joe C. Wen. The donation is the largest in the nursing school’s 76-year history and paves way for UCLA’s first school named after an Asian American.
“This historic and visionary investment enables us to continue our legacy of innovation, leadership and excellence, to prepare exceptional nurses and leaders across health care ecosystems, and to elevate the school to fulfill our mission and goals,” said nursing school dean Lin Zhan in a statement.
UCLA’s nursing school serves about 600 students among four educational programs and a variety of entry levels. In addition to supporting their studies, the donation will also fund research and innovation within the school.
Wen earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA in 1998 and later founded Formosa Ltd., a conglomerate that includes financial services, real estate development, property management, and forestry products and manufacturing.
“This transformational gift will help create a global academic research powerhouse and think tank for future nursing leaders, and I am honored to support this great cause,” Wen said. “Most importantly, the gift will have an immediate and profound impact on communities here in Southern California – especially in today’s challenging health care landscape – by funding research and advancing AI technology in health care.”
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Elsewhere in health care, the Wyss Foundation this month donated $10 million to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles that will go toward orthopedic care.
The Washington, D.C.-based organization previously funded the establishment of the Hansjörg Wyss Orthopedic Trauma Initiative at CHLA in 2020. This center allowed the hospital, which is the only freestanding Level 1 pediatric trauma center in Los Angeles County, to increase access to care and provide 24-hour emergency service.
This latest gift will allow CHLA to provide orthopedic services to its Santa Monica Specialty Care Center.
