ORFALEA CENTER NEWS
May 3, 2005, Santa Barbara, Calif.--UC
Santa
Barbara is establishing a novel graduate program
and center in global and international studies that
will focus on the academic preparation of professionals
to work in the global non-profit sector as well as
in international government and multinational business.
Kinko's founder Paul Orfalea and
the Orfalea Family Foundation of Santa Barbara are
providing critical seed money for the new effort
in the form of a major financial pledge, which was
announced at UCSB on Monday. Orfalea is currently
a distinguished visiting professor in the Global
and International Studies Program at UCSB, where
he teaches a popular course in global business.
“As the world becomes more interconnected,
we need to understand the processes and interactions
that bring people together across traditional boundaries,” said Orfalea. “UC Santa Barbara will have one of the
first graduate programs and centers in international
studies in the nation to focus on issues of globalization.
This program will provide special training for those
seeking to work internationally in non-governmental
organizations whose activities - on issues ranging
from economic development to human rights - improve
the human condition. We are delighted to support the
campus in this significant endeavor.”
The
multiyear Orfalea commitment of $500,000 annually
will enable the university to launch the new graduate
program quickly and ensure its future. In tandem
with the foundation's financial commitment, the campus
will dedicate faculty and facilities to meet the
needs of the new program.
“UCSB is extremely grateful to
Paul, Natalie, and the Orfalea Family Foundation
for their extraordinary contribution to global and
international studies and the excellence of the campus,” said
UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang. “Their vision and
commitment to create a program and center that focus
on the complex issues of globalization will set the
international standard for this dynamic interdisciplinary
field.”
In recognition of the generous
support from the Orfalea Family Foundation, the new
center will be named the Orfalea Center for Global
and International Studies.
Mark Juergensmeyer, director of
global and international studies at UCSB, said he
was “humbled by this extraordinary commitment and
excited by the challenge to fulfill such high expectations.
It is truly gratifying to know that one of our best
professors will leave a lasting contribution to the
university by helping to develop an innovative new
program.”
The new Orfalea Center
will promote and advance global and international
studies through interdisciplinary conferences, seminars,
and public programs. It will also provide support
for the new graduate program in the form of student
fellowships and internships, visiting professorships,
and staff.
UCSB's new graduate program,
which will offer a master's degree in global and
international studies, will train students for
careers in international affairs, government service,
and multinational business. It will differ from
other master's degree programs in the field in
both its global approach and its emphasis on a
growing “third sector” of non-profit, non-governmental
organizations working in a wide variety of areas,
including environmental protection and economic
development as well as human rights.
“This program will provide a new
kind of education for a new kind of career,” explained
Richard Appelbaum, professor of sociology and global
studies, who chaired the planning committee for the
new master's degree. “International non-government
organizations have become leaders of global civil
society, and we want to help prepare the leaders
for these organizations.”
According to Gene Lucas, UCSB's executive
vice chancellor, the new graduate program and center are
the result of a multiyear planning and review process. “This
will be the first graduate program of its kind in the nation,
and we are delighted that it will be at UC Santa Barbara,” said
Lucas.
An inaugural conference with leaders
in global and international studies will be presented by
the Orfalea Center this fall. Prospective students will
be recruited for the master's degree program during the
coming academic year, and the first class will enroll in
the fall of 2006.
The Orfalea Center for Global and International
Studies and the new M.A. program are part of the social
sciences division of the College of Letters and Science
at UCSB.
Melvin Oliver, dean of social sciences,
explained that “it would not have been possible to launch
the new master's program without the special support of
Paul Orfalea and the Orfalea Family Foundation. It speaks
to the commitment and expertise of our faculty in global
studies, and it will enable us to offer one of the most
exciting and stimulating M.A. programs anywhere and to
position UCSB to become a global leader in this important
interdisciplinary field.”
More than 700 undergraduate students
now major in global studies at UCSB. There are also 20
graduate students enrolled in doctoral programs in six
academic departments that have added an emphasis in global
studies.
Paul, Natalie and the Orfalea Family
Foundation are generous benefactors of UCSB. Their past
leadership gifts to the campus include $2 million to the
Orfalea Family Children's Center, named in memory of Paul's
parents, and support for the Gevirtz Graduate School of
Education and its Autism Research and Training Center.
In addition, they have provided financial support for intercollegiate
athletics and physical education and recreation at UCSB.
ABOUT THE ORFALEAS
Paul and Natalie Orfalea
and their family have a long history of supporting educational
initiatives, including scholarships and child development
programs. In 2000, the family started the Orfalea Family
Foundation, which supports various charitable activities.
Paul Orfalea is a successful
business leader and entrepreneur. The son of Lebanese immigrants,
he founded Kinko's (a nickname derived from his trademark
curly hair) in Isla Vista, UCSB's adjacent community, in
1970, selling school supplies and photocopies to college
students. Today, Kinko's is a leading provider of electronic
communications and document production services with locations
throughout the world. In 2004, it was acquired by FedEx
Corporation.
Paul is currently involved
in a range of business ventures, including West Coast Asset
Management Inc. and Stone Canyon Venture Partners LP.
An alumnus of the University
of Southern California, he was named Entrepreneur of the
Year by USC's Marshall School of Business in 1998. His
illustrious career has been profiled in Forbes, People,
and Fortune magazines. Last
year, he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws
from Babson College in Massachusetts.
Natalie Orfalea is a former
chair of the Chancellor's Council, UCSB's premier annual
giving program. Following a successful career at Xerox
Corporation, she ran an independent product-development
firm. Currently, she plays leadership roles in numerous
community organizations in the Santa Barbara area.
Paul Orfalea has served
as a trustee of The UCSB Foundation. In recognition of
his dedication and service to the university, he was named
an Honorary Alumnus of UCSB in 1998.
The Orfaleas have two children
and live in Montecito.
