The gift will fund the construction of the Sue and Bill Gross Nursing and Health Sciences Hall on campus, which will allow the school to hire new faculty and nearly double current student enrollment. This includes a sizeable increase in admissions to the graduate degree program, which supplies future nursing educators.
Moreover, the funding will broaden the reach of community partnerships addressing the healthcare needs of underserved populations, such as off-campus programs focused on nutrition and wellness, prenatal care, and complex clinical cases requiring a team-based or coordinated approach.
The donation continues the Grosses’ generous support of UCI. In 2006, their foundation gave $10 million to create a stem cell research center and help fund a state of-the-art facility for this work. They were awarded the 2012 UCI Medal – the university’s highest honor – for their exceptional contributions to UCI’s mission of teaching, research and public service.