Transformative Gift Ushers In a New Era

The largest philanthropic commitment in the UCLA School of Nursing’s history has set the stage for an era of unprecedented growth for the school in education, research, and practice.

A $30 million commitment from UCLA alumnus and entrepreneur Joe C. Wen and his family will support the school’s four educational programs, expand its innovative research, and ensure UCLA’s role in meeting the healthcare needs of California and the nation. In recognition of the transformative investment, the school has been renamed the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing, making it the first UCLA school named for an Asian American.

“Nurses are the backbone of healthcare. 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. As we approach the one-year anniversary of this visionary commitment, our priority is ensuring the continued strength, reputation, and long-term impact of the school.”

“I am profoundly grateful to Joe and his family for understanding the value of nursing with this transformative gift,” said UCLA Joe C. Wen 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 healthcare ecosystems; and to elevate the school to fulfill our mission and goals.”

Wen immigrated with his family from Taiwan to the United States as a teenager. While working to help his family and pay his tuition, he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA and then an MBA from USC before launching his first business — a paper trading company — in 2003. That business evolved into Formosa Ltd., now a multinational enterprise with holdings across several industries.

According to Wen, it was his parents who taught him the importance of giving back. Wen and his family, who reside in Orange County, are prolific donors to the University of California, as well as avid supporters of UC’s health system. 

“My family joins me in this commitment to support the UCLA School of Nursing’s mission to strengthen excellence in education and the healthcare system,” Wen said. “This transformational gift will help create a global academic research powerhouse and think tank for future nursing leaders, and I am honored to support this great cause.” 

The historic gift will bolster the pro-grams of a school that was already on an upward trajectory. Nearly 500 students enroll each year in the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing — 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, with a robust research enterprise. 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 school is strongly committed to community engagement to improve health, wellness, quality of life and nursing care for people locally and around the world. Nursing students and faculty regularly serve throughout Los Angeles, providing free healthcare to unhoused and underserved populations through initiatives such as UCLA Health’s Homeless Healthcare Collaborative and service at the non-profit Care Harbor. Internationally, the school maintains cooperative academic and research programs with institutions across Asia, Africa, and Europe. 

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

Last October, the school held a retreat with more than 40 faculty, staff, and students to identify strategic priorities in light of the transformative gift. The focus was on the school’s pillars: deepening com-munity engagement; leading in research and science; developing sustainable and innovative educational programs; sustaining and generating new resources; and building a culture that enhances inclusivity in education, research, and service/practice. Areas identified as targets for strategic funding included upgrades to the school’s teaching facilities, investment in intramural research grants, support of student scholarships, and more.

The school also held an event celebrating the start of a new era as the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing, with more than 100 UCLA Nursing faculty, staff, students, UCLA leadership, alumni, community partners, and supporters gathering at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center. Attendees had the opportunity to connect directly with Wen and his family — sharing their thanks for their support and insight into the work they do as educators and researchers. 

“Our entire nursing community is immensely grateful to Joe and his family for this historic support of nursing,” Zhan told the attendees. “We are thrilled to have gathered with Joe; two of his children, April and Alexander; and our entire nursing community to celebrate his gift and thank him for uplifting nursing education and the profession. It is inspiring to know that he, and many others, deeply value the work we do as nurses and the impact we make as nursing educators.

“This historic and visionary investment enables us to continue our legacy of in-novation, leadership and excellence; to prepare exceptional nurses and leaders across healthcare ecosystems; and to elevate the school to fulfill our mission and goals.”