Dear fellow Caltech alumni,

This morning’s news about Lynda and Stewart Resnick’s historic $750 million pledge to advance sustainability research and education at Caltech gives us yet another reason to take pride in our association with our alma mater.

The Resnicks’ gift is the largest single donation to Caltech and the largest ever to a U.S. institution in the field of sustainability. It builds on Caltech’s decades-long history of pioneering solutions to energy and sustainability challenges and will infuse the entire campus community with opportunity:

• New, state-of-the-art teaching labs and redesigned core courses will benefit every first-year undergraduate.
• Increased support for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars will enable Caltech to prepare even more researchers, entrepreneurs, and leaders to make real-world impact in the area of environment and sustainability.
• A new building will provide scientists and engineers across campus with access to leading-edge instruments, high-performance computing, and spaces for interdisciplinary collaboration.

The Resnicks’ commitment is truly a cause for celebration. It positions the Institute to expand and scale up work in energy and sustainability. It is also a call to action for all of us. Our gifts, of any size, can help raise the bar in other fields where Caltech can lead the way in addressing the most pressing challenges of our time.

Yours,
Chris Bryant (BS ’95)
President, Caltech Alumni Association