OREANDA-NEWS. September 20, 2016.  Five new members of The UCLA Foundation Board of Directors, joined by new board chair Shirley Wang, will assume their posts today at the board’s first meeting of the 2016–17 academic year. At a dinner after the meeting, Wang will announce the launch of the UCLA Chancellor’s Centennial Scholars Match, which aims to add \\$150 million to endowed undergraduate scholarship support during the Centennial Campaign for UCLA.  

The volunteer-led board comprises 27 passionate members who share their generosity and expertise with the entire UCLA community. The directors participate in and promote philanthropy across campus and oversee an endowment that was valued at \\$1.86 billion as of June 30, 2015, and which is managed by the nonprofit UCLA Investment Company.

Wang, a UCLA alumna, also leads UCLA’s Global Advisory Board and serves on the executive committee for the Centennial Campaign. Raising funds for student scholarships and fellowships is a priority of both the campaign and the UCLA Foundation board, and Wang will lead the way in these efforts.

To that end, qualifying gifts of \\$75,000 to \\$1 million to the UCLA Chancellor’s Centennial Scholars Match (PDF) for undergraduate scholarships will be matched at 50 percent. For example, a \\$100,000 gift automatically becomes \\$150,000.

Demonstrating leadership in student support objectives, Wang and her husband, Walter, donated \\$1 million to establish an endowment to support students from middle-income families and students studying abroad. Furthering their commitment to student support, the Wangs recently established the Shirley and Walter Wang Scholarship in Computer Science. The Wangs also endowed a professorship in the UCLA Asian American Studies Center for a national program focused on U.S.–China relations.

Wang received her bachelor’s degree in communications from UCLA and is the first Asian-American woman to lead The UCLA Foundation.

Directors serve two-year terms. Each of the new members graduated from UCLA, and their terms begin with the 2016–17 academic year:

  • David Ackert, managing member of Crystal Lake Capital. Among other activities, Ackert serves as treasurer of the Archeological Institute of America and is a founding and current board member of Off Broadway Angels, the National Advisory Board for Public Service at Harvard University, and the UCLA Anderson Fink Center for Finance and Investments. He earned bachelor’s, MBA and law degrees from UCLA.
  • David Chernow, president and CEO of Select Medical Corporation, a \\$4.5 billion company. In 2013, Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Health System and Select Medical announced a partnership to create a 138-bed acute inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Century City. Chernow has served on the board of the National Coalition of Cancer Survivorship, is a member of the Moffitt Cancer Center board of advisors and serves on the board of directors of U.S. Physiatry. Chernow earned a bachelor’s degree from UCLA.
  • Jay Palchikoff, a partner practicing commercial and real estate law at O’Neil LLP. Palchikoff serves as chair of the UCLA Fund. Palchikoff is a member of the UCLA Law Alumni Association Board of Directors and a member of the UCLA Fund Orange County Committee, where he has previously served as chair. Palchikoff earned bachelor’s and law degrees from UCLA. 
  • Christine Simmons, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Sparks WNBA team. Simmons has worked with most Fortune 500 companies to create synergistic partnerships between corporations and the national business community. She serves on the board of directors for the Jenesse Center, the Los Angeles Sports Council and the Positive Coaching Alliance. Simmons is a member of the advisory committees for Better Futures for Thomazeau and Next Play Capital, and she serves on the Bruin Caucus and the Academic Advancement Program Scholarship Council. She was named Alumna of the Year in 2012 by the UCLA Black Alumni Association. Simmons is president of the UCLA Alumni Association board of directors and holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA.
  • Maggie Tsai, CEO of Fubon Art Foundation, whose mission is sponsoring and promoting the arts in Taipei. With extensive experience in philanthropically supporting the arts, Tsai serves on the boards of the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, the New York Philharmonic and the Chiling Charity Foundation. Tsai also is involved with a number of educational organizations, including the EMBA Alumni Foundation of National Taiwan University and the NTU Center for Arts. She serves on the UCLA Global Advisory Board and holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA.