Ernest Rady Pledges $1 Million Matching Gift to Fund Fellowships at Rady School of Management

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Ernest Rady

Local philanthropist and campus supporter Ernest Rady has pledged a $1 million matching gift to fund fellowships that will help attract outstanding MBA students to the school. Rady has pledged to donate one dollar for every sixty cents raised by the school for fellowships, up to $1 million. Fellowships provide merit-based funding for talented students interested in attending the Rady School.

“We are truly grateful to Ernest Rady for his vision, generosity and continued support of the Rady School and UC San Diego,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “His ongoing commitment to making the Rady School one of the best business schools in the world demonstrates his passion for higher education and developing a new generation of leaders.”

“Ernest Rady’s generosity will enable the Rady School to compete with other top-tier business schools for the best and brightest MBA students,” said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan. “Without these fellowships, this type of student recruitment would not be possible. Attracting an even greater number of talented students to the Rady School enhances the learning experience and success of all of our students.”

An outstanding school is built on standout students. A Rady School MBA education translates student talent into impact – by way of new business creation, increased job opportunities and commercialization of life‐changing discoveries. Attracting the best and brightest students is critical to the Rady School’s mission to develop leaders for innovation‐driven organizations and industries.

As the Rady School enters its second decade and continues to educate the next generation of innovators, it is more important than ever to bring top students to the program. Enrolling these individuals, however, requires more than an excellent reputation — it takes financial support that enables candidates to select the Rady School over peer campuses vying for their enrollment. Fellowships also provide support that relieves some of the financial burden allowing students the freedom to capitalize on internships and independent study projects enhancing learning and advancing their careers.

“Dean Sullivan has been a visionary leader for the Rady School and from the beginning, he has been focused on attracting the finest students to the school,” said Ernest Rady. “This donation was made to help further the goals of Dean Sullivan and the Rady School to remain competitive among other elite MBA programs across the globe.”

Rady currently serves as Executive Chairman of the Board for American Assets Trust, a publicly traded real estate investment trust that was formed in 2011 from the successful real estate business of American Assets Inc. (AAI), a company he founded in 1967. A true entrepreneur, Rady is also Chairman and Founder of ICW Group and the founder of several other successful companies. Rady is known for his significant philanthropic work which has been primarily focused on education, the health and well-being of children and scientific research. UC San Diego’s School of Management was also renamed Rady School of Management in 2004 due to his leadership, vision and financial contribution.

Private support offers prospective students immediate assistance in financing their MBA and making the decision to attend the Rady School. Such contributions help the School develop these entrepreneurial business leaders whose work contributes to building a strong and sustainable economy in turn transforming individual lives and benefiting whole communities. Even modest charitable contributions, pooled with gifts from others, can achieve big results – and begin a lifetime of philanthropy with impact. For more information about supporting the Rady School of Management, please visit rady.ucsd.edu/invest/give.