Philanthropist Ernest Rady Pledges $1 Million Matching Gift to Fund Fellowships at UC San Diego's Rady School of Management

SAN DIEGO, May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Rady School of Management at UC San Diego today announced a $1 million matching gift donation from local philanthropist and campus supporter Ernest Rady. The gift from the school's naming donor will fund fellowships that will help attract outstanding MBA students. Rady has pledged to donate one dollar for every sixty cents raised by the school for fellowships, up to $1 million. Fellowships provide merit-based funding for talented students interested in attending the Rady School.

"We are truly grateful to Ernest Rady for his vision, generosity and continued support of the Rady School and UC San Diego," said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "His ongoing commitment to making the Rady School one of the best business schools in the world demonstrates his passion for higher education and developing a new generation of leaders."

"Ernest Rady's generosity will enable the Rady School to compete with other top-tier business schools for the best and brightest MBA students," said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan. "Without these fellowships, this type of student recruitment would not be possible. Attracting an even greater number of talented students to the Rady School enhances the learning experience and success of all of our students."

An outstanding school is built on standout students. A Rady School MBA translates student talent into impact – by way of new business creation, increased job opportunities and commercialization of discoveries.  Attracting the best students is critical to the school's mission to develop leaders for innovation‐driven organizations and industries.

As the Rady School enters its second decade and continues to educate the next generation of innovators, it is more important than ever to bring top students to the program. Enrolling these individuals, however, requires more than an excellent reputation — it takes financial support that enables candidates to select the Rady School over peer campuses vying for their enrollment.  Fellowships also provide support that relieves some of the financial burden allowing students the freedom to capitalize on internships and independent study projects enhancing learning and advancing their careers.

"Dean Sullivan has been a visionary leader for the Rady School and from the beginning, he has been focused on attracting the finest students to the school," said Ernest Rady. "This donation was made to help further the goals of Dean Sullivan and the Rady School to remain competitive among other elite MBA programs across the globe."

Rady currently serves as Executive Chairman of the Board for American Assets Trust, a publicly traded real estate investment trust that was formed in 2011 from the successful real estate business of American Assets Inc. (AAI), a company he founded in 1967. A true entrepreneur, Rady is also Chairman and Founder of ICW Group and the founder of several other successful companies. Rady is known for his significant philanthropic work which has been primarily focused on education, the health and well-being of children and scientific research. UC San Diego's School of Management was also renamed Rady School of Management in 2004 due to his leadership, vision and financial contribution.

About the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego
The Rady School of Management at UC San Diego is a business school at the confluence of business, science and technology. Our MBA program encourages students to be visionaries who pursue the extraordinary, incubate new ideas, reinvent existing businesses and establish new companies. To find out more about the Rady School visit www.rady.ucsd.edu.

SOURCE Rady School of Management at UC San Diego