The University of California San Diego has announced a $25 million pledge from biotechnology entrepreneur Gene Lay through the Laygend Foundation in support of the bioengineering department in the university’s Jacobs School of Engineering.

Made in honor of Shu Chien, a UC San Diego professor emeritus of bioengineering and medicine and a longtime mentor to Lay, the gift will endow the department, which will be renamed the Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering and provide support for research and education programs, including efforts to recruit and retain early-career bioengineering faculty, attract promising bioengineering graduate students, enhance undergraduate bioengineering student experiences, and build workforce development efforts through hands-on instructional laboratories.

“[Shu Chien’s] perseverance, integrity, caring nature and passion continue to inspire me to make a difference in the world,” said Lay, founder and CEO of BioLegend, a San-Diego-based developer of biomedical antibodies and reagents. “[His] work embodies the mission of the Laygend Foundation, which is to translate scientific discovery into life-changing therapies and medicine.”

“Gene Lay’s generous support will empower our bioengineering department to build on its well-recognized strengths in teaching, research, and biotechnology workforce development,” said UC San Diego chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “It’s only fitting that this tribute to Shu comes from Gene, another visionary leader in the worlds of biotechnology and innovation.”

(Photo credit: University of California San Diego)