UCLA to name School of Nursing for entrepreneur Joe C. Wen '98

A transformational $30 million commitment from UCLA alumnus to support nursing education, research and practice

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The UCLA School of Nursing received a $30 million commitment from Joe C. Wen, a UCLA alumnus and businessman, and his family.

"Nurses are the backbone of health care. In the span of our lives, a nurse is often the first and last person we see, a constant presence in our most vulnerable moments," said UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk, a globally renowned scholar and champion of public health. "This extraordinary gift from Joe C. Wen and his family honors that vital role. It expands our ability to educate the next generation of nurse leaders and faculty, those who will care for people across their lifetimes and help fulfill UCLA's mission to improve lives through education, service, and innovation in health."

"I am profoundly grateful to Joe and his family for understanding the value of nursing with this transformative gift," said School of Nursing Dean Lin Zhan. "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."

The commitment will support the school's four educational programs, expand nursing research and ensure UCLA's role in meeting the health care needs of California and the nation.

"My family joins me in this commitment to support the mission of the School of Nursing to strengthen excellence in education and the health care system. This transformational gift will help create a global academic research powerhouse and think tank for future nursing leaders. UCLA is the nation's number one public university, the UCLA School of Nursing is a top 10 nationally ranked nursing program, and UCLA Health is consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the nation. I am inspired by my alma mater, which has shaped our overwhelming belief in educational institutions as change agents for human health," Joe C. Wen said. "I am honored to support this great cause. Most importantly, this gift will have an immediate and profound impact on communities here in Southern California, especially in today's challenging health care landscape, through additional research funding and the advancement of AI technology in health care."

Wen and his family, who reside in Orange County, are prolific donors to the University of California, with commitments of over $100 million since 2022, including a 2024 gift that led to the creation and naming of the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health – making him the first Asian American to name two University of California schools. Wen is also an avid supporter of UC's health system, which builds on the interdisciplinary alliances of public health, nursing, medicine, pharmaceutical, and clinical practices.

Wen immigrated with his family from Taiwan to the United States as a teenager. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from UCLA in 1998 and an MBA from USC before launching his first business – a paper trading company – in 2003. That business evolved into Formosa Ltd., now a multinational conglomerate with holdings across several industries, including venture capital; lending; real estate holding, development and management; and forest products manufacturing and trading.

With more than 75 years of impact, the School of Nursing enrolls nearly 600 students annually – from prelicensure baccalaureate students seeking entry-level professional nursing practice to those pursuing doctoral degrees in advanced nursing practice and research. As the first undergraduate nursing program west of the Mississippi and the first in California to confer a Master of Science in Nursing degree, the school has a proud legacy of leadership and innovation.

The school's mission is to improve health, wellness, quality of life, and nursing care for people locally and globally, through research, education, nursing practice, and community engagement. Recognized for educating nurse leaders, the school actively works to address the national nursing shortage by preparing graduates to lead across diverse settings, drive innovation, improve patient care, and transform healthcare from hospital systems to national policy arenas.

The UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing will continue to maintain a collaborative partnership with UCLA Health, which plays a key role in developing qualified nurses with evidence-based, technology-enabled, patient-centered care and employs nearly 6,000 nurses across California.

"This transformative gift will allow the UCLA School of Nursing to excel in preparing outstanding nurses at a time when we see shortages in the hospital and health system industry," said Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health, CEO of the UCLA Health Hospital System, who began her career as a critical care and trauma nurse. "Mr. Wen and his family are helping ensure that we train the next generation of nurses to sustain excellence in patient care."

SOURCE UCLA