The UCLA Anderson School of Management received an $11 million donation from James Easton to promote education in research and technology leadership, officials announced Thursday.
The donation will allow the school to officially expand the Easton Technology Leadership Program into a center for the School of Management to develop relationships with technology industries, said Guillaume Roels, an associate professor at the school and the new center’s faculty director.
The Easton Technology Management Center aims to provide a hub for research in teaching and management through partnerships between UCLA and professionals in technical fields by introducing new curricula, workshops, speaking series and events to mix industry professionals with students and faculty, Roels said.
The center also aims to develop stronger relationships with the medical and engineering schools on UCLA’s campus by connecting doctoral students with researchers and industry professionals.
Easton, an alumnus of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, designed high-performance sports equipment and saw the need for an understanding of technology, business and leadership in order to communicate better and develop innovative ideas, according to a press release. For this reason, Easton started the Easton Technology Leadership Program in 2009, which was designed to help students with technical backgrounds develop skills in business leadership.
The program is only open to the School of Management’s MBA students, but in the future it may expand to include more UCLA students, Roels said.
Currently, there are about 430 students that are a part of the program, Roels said. To join, students must apply and fulfill certain requirements, including attending workshops and talks to better prepare them for fields in technology management.
Compiled by Meghan Hodges, Bruin contributor.