新澳门六合彩内幕信息

From Pantries to Professions: Alumni Couple Give $8M for Holistic Student Support

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Joelle and Michael Hurlston, seated,, environmental
Donors Joelle and Michael Hurlston. (Fred Greaves/新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis)

Joelle and Michael Hurlston want all students at the University of California, Davis, to have every opportunity for a successful future. The alumni and longtime donors are giving $8 million to support Aggies along every step of their college paths, from meeting basic needs to offering the very best career development, innovation opportunities and graduate school experiences.

鈥淲e want our gifts to touch as many 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis students on campus as possible, beyond just the colleges we graduated from,鈥 Joelle Hurlston said. 鈥淲e targeted different aspects of career and academic development at our three colleges, but also wanted to help all students by supporting a program to eliminate food insecurity.鈥

A significant portion of the contribution will establish the first endowed deanship on the Davis campus at the Graduate School of Management. This is the university鈥檚 second endowed deanship, with the first created in 2015 at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Health.

The remainder of the Hurlstons鈥 gift will benefit three distinct undergraduate areas: the Diane Bryant Engineering Student Design Center in the College of Engineering; the Division of Student Affairs鈥 Internship and Career Center for career development for agricultural and environmental sciences students; and Student Affairs鈥 Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center.

鈥淛oelle and Michael鈥檚 generosity shows just how much they love and care for the success of our students and leaders,鈥 said Shaun Keister, vice chancellor of Development and Alumni Relations and president of the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Foundation. 鈥淭hey are the quintessential alumni couple, and we deeply appreciate their passion for 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis.鈥

An Aggie family

The college sweethearts, who met as undergraduates, credit 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis for their fulfilling careers. Joelle Hurlston, a 1989 College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences alumna, is a hazardous materials consultant who inspects new facilities at manufacturing companies in Silicon Valley.

Michael Hurlston 鈥 a 1988 College of Engineering graduate who went on to earn both an M.B.A. (1990) and M.S. (1991) from 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis 鈥 has worked as an executive at Broadcom (technology) and Finisar (optical communications), and is currently the CEO of Synaptics, a semiconductor company that prides itself in engineering exceptional experiences.

Longtime donors to many areas across 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis, in 2016 the Hurlstons endowed a presidential chair that rotates between the Graduate School of Management, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and College of Engineering.

Endowing a deanship

Rao Unnava headshot
Rao Unnava

The endowed deanship at the Graduate School of Management will provide funds for teaching, research and outreach at the dean鈥檚 direction, opening opportunities for Dean H. Rao Unnava to advance the mission of the school.

鈥淭his gift will make a substantive difference in our ability to retain our faculty who are among the very best in the world, as well as build new programs and recruit the brightest students to the Graduate School of Management,鈥 Unnava said. 鈥淢ichael and Joelle Hurlston are exemplary alumni, always looking for ways to contribute to 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis.鈥

The Hurlstons said they admire Unnava鈥檚 work and leadership, and hope that the deanship will bolster his plans for business education innovation. Unnava joined the school in June 2016 following 32 years at Ohio State University鈥檚 Fisher College of Business, where he earned his Ph.D. and most recently served as the W. Arthur Cullman professor of marketing.

鈥淒ean Unnava came in with an unbelievable level of energy,鈥 said Michael Hurlston, who is a member of the Graduate School of Management鈥檚 Dean鈥檚 Advisory Council. 鈥淗e has been a change agent for the school and has found different ways to elevate its brand.鈥

Supporting the whole student

Joelle and Michael Hurlston鈥檚 gift to the Division of Student Affairs will help 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis students with programs, services and facilities that foster academic success, student development and campus community.

鈥淭he investment from the Hurlstons will catalyze our efforts to serve students holistically, from overcoming the challenges of meeting basic needs to career development,鈥 said Pablo G. Reguer铆n, vice chancellor for Student Affairs. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to partner with Joelle and Michael, who share our vision to support our students in a profound way and help launch them into their careers beyond 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis.鈥

The donors say their inspiration to give to career development for College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences students stems from their own recent experience as college parents.

鈥淎fter having had two children go through college and needing to start their own careers, I鈥檝e seen how students struggle to find internships and figure out what they want to do when they graduate,鈥 Joelle Hurlston said. 鈥淢ichael and I are hoping that our gift will open doors for students who might not know how to get internships because it鈥檚 not an easy task.鈥

The Hurlstons鈥 daughter, Shannon, graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2019 and now works at Roku; their son, Patrick, will graduate this year from the College of William & Mary and will work at Ernst & Young in New York City.

With their gift to the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center, the Hurlstons will help mitigate the effects of food and housing insecurity on students and sustain the future of the program. Joelle Hurlston said she hopes students will then be able to home in on their passions and seek guidance to ultimately achieve a rewarding career.

Design center open to all

The Diane Bryant Engineering Student Design Center is a result of dedicated alumni and donors who understand the importance of hands-on educational experiences.

Due to be completed in the fall of 2022, the center will provide an inclusive, supervised space to practice manufacturing and fabrication techniques and include a student startup center for entrepreneurial ventures.

鈥淲e are so very excited and thankful for the Hurlstons鈥 generous gift to support the Diane Bryant Engineering Student Design Center, which promises to transform the college鈥檚 educational and research opportunities, and positively impact the next generation of engineers,鈥 said Richard Corsi, dean of the College of Engineering.

When the Hurlstons learned more about the new design center, they loved the idea that students in any major could use the facilities to enhance their studies.

鈥淲e were impressed because of its wide reach on campus. We wanted to contribute to the center in some small way and recognize our affiliation with the College of Engineering,鈥 said Michael Hurlston, who serves on the Dean鈥檚 Executive Committee for that college.

Campaign momentum

The Hurlstons鈥 gift 鈥 a combination of current and estate gifts 鈥 is part of 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis鈥 $2 billion fundraising campaign, Expect Greater: From 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis, For the World, the largest philanthropic endeavor in university history.

鈥淛oelle and Michael鈥檚 gift will be tremendously impactful for our students for years to come, helping them grow into the world鈥檚 future leaders and change makers,鈥 Keister said.

With the help of more than 107,000 donors and friends, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis has raised more than $1.5 billion to date. Together, donors and 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis are advancing work to prepare future leaders, sustain healthier communities, and bring innovative solutions to today鈥檚 most urgent challenges.

Media Resources

Media Contact:

  • Betsy Towner Levine, Development and Alumni Relations, 530-752-9693, etlevine@ucdavis.edu

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