Amid celebrations marking the university’s 20th anniversary, UC Merced officials announced they have received a $5 million gift to build a new state-of-the-art track and field facility.
The exciting news came Friday evening during halftime of the women’s soccer game, which also marked UC Merced’s first time competing in NCAA Division II.
The gift comes courtesy of the Campos Foundation, one of the university’s most stalwart supporters.
“Thanks to this generous gift, UC Merced is better positioned to support the holistic well-being of our scholar-athletes while also strengthening ties with our community and region,” UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said in a news release.
“The Campos Foundation’s ongoing commitment and investment in our university will benefit countless students and inspire a new era of competitive and academic excellence – and we could not be more grateful for their enduring support and partnership.”
The gift also means the foundation will establish a scholarship endowment for STEM students and STEM scholar-athletes, providing financial support to students athletes pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Marco Campos, the founder, executive chairman and chief culture officer of Campos Companies, said his own athletic experience helped shape his character and future success.
“Athletics taught me resilience, discipline, leadership and the importance of working as a team,” Campos said in the release. “These are the characteristics we hope to help support and cultivate in generations of UC Merced scholar-athletes.”
The Campos Foundation is fully supported by Campos Companies, a portfolio of energy infrastructure companies focused on engineering, construction and fabrication throughout North America.
Campos Companies donates one percent of its revenues to supporting underrepresented communities in STEM through the Campos Foundation.
“The Campos Foundation’s ongoing commitment and investment in our university will benefit countless students and inspire a new era of competitive and academic excellence – and we could not be more grateful for their enduring support and partnership,” Campos Foundation President Deanna Campos-Miller said in the release.
The gift from the Campos Foundation joins philanthropic milestones advancing Boldly Forward: The Campaign for UC Merced.
Boldly Forward aims to raise $200 million for campus support by 2030, with gifts and pledges received since the campaign’s launch totaling $117.4 million.