UC Irvine to receive largest ever alumni gift with $35.5 million donation

The University of California, Irvine will receive a $35.5 million donation from the estate of Paul Butterworth and Jo Butterworth, both alumni of the university. The gift is the largest ever to UC Irvine from alumni, the campus said in a statement Monday.

The gift will support the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences and will go toward awards, scholarships and fellowships for students in addition to funding research initiatives and faculty positions.

Paul Butterworth graduated from UC Irvine with a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1974. He currently sits on the board of trustees for the UC Irvine Foundation. Jo Butterworth graduated from the campus in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree from Irvine’s School of Social Sciences.

“Paul and Jo Butterworth have been woven into the fabric of the University of California, Irvine for many years, and their contributions have been substantial and highly effective. With this new gift, they have further cemented their place among the greatest champions of students at our institution,” Chancellor Howard Gillman said.