UC San Diego alumni leaders have promised donations to support the Triton Alumni and Welcome Center, including Taner Halıcıoğlu, who has pledged $25 million for the project.
The welcome center will be part of the Triton Center planned for the heart of campus, which is set to include three other buildings, including one to centralize student and campus services and another to showcase UCSD heritage, art and culture.
The welcome center, with a boardroom, lounge, library, hotel space and meeting rooms for alumni, as well as exhibition space, is envisioned not only as a spot for alums, but also as the starting point for new Tritons to tour the campus.
Halıcıoğlu, who graduated in 1996, donated $75 million to establish the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute at UCSD. He has held engineering and operations roles at ebay, Facebook and Blizzard Entertainment, among others.
“My hope is that this gift will inspire others to join me in supporting this historic campus project,” he said.
Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla said UCSD is “so grateful to Taner for his visionary support of this project.”
Other alums who have offered their support for the welcome center include Sandra Timmons and Richard L. Sandstrom, who pledged $2 million and James S. Kaplan, who pledged $250,000.
The Triton Alumni and Welcome Center, at 9500 Gilman Drive, just east of Center Hall and south of the Price Center, is slated for completion in 2026.