Symantec Makes $500,000 Investment in UCLA Computer Scientists

May 13, 2010

By UCLA Samueli Newsroom

Over the last several years, UCLA Engineering’s collaboration with industry partners has grown tremendously. The relationship with Symantec is a primary example of this growth…from a traditional starting point of recruitment of the school’s students, to a very untraditional, innovative step of endowing a $500,000 term chair to support young faculty.

In particular, the partnership has grown over the last decade through collaborations with Symantec’s leadership including, Carey Nachenberg ’95 MS ’95 – Vice President and Fellow at Symantec – who has taught computer science classes at the school; Janice Chaffin MBA ’81, Group President, Consumer Business Unit, and Steve Trilling, Senior Vice President, Security Technology and Response, both of whom serve on UCLA Engineering’s Dean’s Advisory Council.

“For many years, Symantec has supported several research endeavors with UCLA Engineering’s computer science department and the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics,” said Darren Shou, senior manager of the Symantec Research Labs University Research Program.  “Symantec’s partnership with UCLA Engineering has been very beneficial to our efforts to foster future technical leadership and research next-generation innovations.”

“The partnership between Symantec and the school is an excellent example of the layered benefits enjoyed by students and industry through these partnerships,” said Dean Vijay K Dhir. “We are thankful for Symantec’s continuous support.”

Close relationships among industry, faculty, and students create an environment in which students and faculty are supported in their academic endeavors, and act as innovators in their fields.

Symantec recognized this and chose to expand the relationship recently by establishing the Symantec Endowed Term Chair in Computer Science. The gift will support the teaching and research activities of distinguished junior faculty member.

“UCLA is one of the nation’s top engineering schools,” said Mark Bregman, executive vice president, chief technology officer, Symantec.  “Establishing the Symantec Endowed Term Chair in Computer Science at UCLA connects the company to leaders in the academic community and contributes to our ongoing efforts to advance innovative research and generate new ideas to solve real-world problems in security, storage and systems management.”

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