January 3, 2005
UCSC moves closer to fundraising goals with
$1.4 million gift
By Scott Rappaport
UCSC has received a $1.4 million giftthe largest single
donation ever given by an alum--from Foundation trustee Kit
Mura-smith.
Kit Mura-smith was a re-entry
student at UCSC. Photo: Courtesy
of Kit Mura-smith
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Mura-smith has designated an irrevocable charitable trust
to be equally split between enhancing the universitys
library facilities ($700,000) and providing scholarships for
re-entry students ($700,000).
Mura-smith credits her time studying at UCSC as an important
milestone in her life because the campus accepted her as an
older re-entry student in 1974, paving the way for
her future success.
The gift brings UCSC closer to its Cornerstone Campaign goal
of raising $50 million by June of 2005.
The campus has raised $45 million to date and hopes to bring
in $5 million of the grand total specifically for student scholarships,
fellowships, and research grants. Prior to this donation, more
than $3 million had already been raised for student support,
including $1.5 million generated from two highly successful
Scholarships Benefit Dinners.
This extraordinary gift will eventually have a huge impact
on UCSC students, said Acting Chancellor Martin M. Chemers,
as it will ensure state-of-the-art library facilities
and provide significant support for re-entry students with scholarships
and child care.
This is an exemplary act of leadership by a UCSC Foundation
trustee who is also an alumna, underscoring the philanthropic
maturity of UCSCs founding cohort of students, Chemers
added.
Mura-smith graduated from UCSC in 1975 with a degree in applied
social anthropology. Three years later, while attending law
school and working for Hewlett-Packard, she and three partners
purchased technology from her employer to found their own company
in Sunnyvale called Trimble Navigation.
The firm became a leader in Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
technology, with applications in fields as diverse as marine
navigation, land survey, mobile communication, aerospace, geographic
information systems, and personal navigation.
Now retired, Mura-smith held executive positions in marketing,
product development and manufacturing operations at the company,
in addition to heading the original marine business. She also
became the co-owner of three patents, including a battery-powered
GPS navigation wristwear device.
Mura-smith is married to artist and former rock musician John
Ware, and they now reside in Denver.
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