Local Philanthropist’s Gift to IEE Graduate Research Fellowships

George Holbrook, local resident, venture investor and philanthropist, has pledged a $4 million to fund continued support of the Holbrook Foundation Fellowships he created in 2011.

Holbrook found an ideal outlet for his charitable giving in UC Santa Barbara’s Institute for Energy Efficiency (IEE), which is run by Director John Bowers, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and faculty member of the Technology Management Program (TMP).

“My charitable objective has always been to support exceptional people,” said Holbrook, also a UC Santa Barbara Foundation trustee. “It’s all future-oriented and it feels good to do it. I expect great things, of course, and we’ve had really bright students — great future engineers and scientists. The fellows by and large have been an impressive group that hopefully will do some good in the world. I want them to think big. Hopefully they will in fact change the world.”

Holbrook is a past recipient of the Venky Narayanamurti Entrepreneurial Leadership Award from TMP.

Find out more about the Holbrook Foundation here.

By Shelly Leachman, The UCSB Current

Monday, October 9, 2017