Rady School of Management Celebrates Opening of Wells Fargo Hall

Photos by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications

The Rady School of Management celebrated the opening of Wells Fargo Hall Friday, a significant milestone for the school that has experienced extraordinary success and growth since its founding in 2003.

Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan was joined by UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, philanthropist Ernest Rady, Steve Bernstein of Wells Fargo and Rady student Ashley Van Zeeland, MBA ’13 for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The Rady School has been a tremendous success for our campus and our region,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. “And that success can be attributed to our supportive community members, our stellar faculty and our alumni who have become leaders, visionaries and entrepreneurs in San Diego and around the world.”

With sweeping views of the Pacific, Wells Fargo Hall is a feat of contemporary architecture. The building was constructed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, achieving high performance in human and environmental health, water savings and energy efficiency.

“The opening of Wells Fargo Hall is a testament to the continued support of the Rady School by our community,” said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan. “The new facilities will provide the Rady School with the capacity to accommodate more students and enhance its educational and research programs. The Rady School now will have among the finest facilities in the nation.”

The Rady School expansion was made possible by a challenge gift from Ernest and Evelyn Rady that led to a $5 million gift from Wells Fargo. In addition to the lead gifts from the Rady’s and Wells Fargo, the expansion was partially funded with private philanthropic gifts from community leaders, including Rita and Dick Atkinson, Betty and Dr. J. Robert Beyster, Arthur Brody, Jan Tuttleman and Tony Thornley.

"The Rady School continues to amaze me with its growth and its impact. My wife and I feel privileged and proud to be a part of this magnificent endeavor,” said Ernest Rady.

From left to right: Rady Professor David Schkade, Ernest Rady, Evelyn Rady,Steve Bernstein of Wells Fargo, Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, Rady MBA Student Ashley Van Zeeland, Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan. Photo by Maria Tasigiannis

“Wells Fargo is honored to be the namesake for the new Rady School of Management building,” said Steve Bernstein, Wells Fargo’s Southern California Business Banking President. “Supporting education has always been a top priority for Wells Fargo, so partnering with the Rady School of Management and UC San Diego, one of the highest ranked institutions for academics, was a natural fit for us.”

The expansion was designed to meet the growth needs of the Rady School. The new building will feature the 295-seat J.R. Beyster Auditorium, with technology that will enable the Rady School to broadcast important campus events and meetings locally and through the web; the Atkinson Behavioral Research Laboratory that will be used by Rady School professors for research on consumer behavior, leadership and behavioral economics; the fifth floor Ernest and Evelyn Rady Sky Pavilion Conference Room that is equipped with leading-edge, seamless video teleconferencing capability; and a dedicated space for MBA students to be used for study and collaboration, including the Vision Student Commons lounge. The building also features state-of-the-art technology that will foster student learning and, in the near future, allow students from other UC campuses to virtually attend Rady School classes.