A new gift of $1 million from Indian American technology leader Sanjay Srivastava and his wife Charlene to the University of California San Diego will support research on emerging artificial intelligence technologies to create more effective, accessible and personalized educational experiences.
The investment will advance research at the Halıcıoğlu School of Data Science and Computing focused on agentic AI, an emerging technology that can independently carry out complex tasks and adapt to changing information, according to a university release.
The goal is to explore how these capabilities can be applied to education, from enhancing student learning at UC San Diego to developing approaches that could eventually benefit learners more broadly.
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For the Srivastavas, the gift reflects a longstanding commitment to education and a belief that realizing the full potential of artificial intelligence will require collaboration among universities, industry and policymakers.
“Our hope is that this investment will advance research that brings new learning approaches to students, educators and working professionals,” said Sanjay Srivastava. “While the private sector plays an important role in developing new technologies, meaningful change requires research and collaboration to turn innovation into solutions that can make an impact at scale. UC San Diego is uniquely positioned to explore how AI can improve education for its students and ultimately extend those benefits to a much broader audience.”
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The donation comes as UC San Diego expands its leadership in data science, computing and artificial intelligence through the Halıcıoğlu School, which was recently established with support from alumnus Taner Halıcıoğlu. Bringing together expertise across these fields, the school is working to advance data science technologies while preparing students to navigate a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
In recognition of the gift designed to help bridge the gap between emerging AI capabilities and practical educational tools, the Sanjay and Charlene Srivastava Multi-Purpose Room in the Halıcıoğlu School has been named in their honor.
“This gift from Sanjay and Charlene is not only an endorsement of our strategy to be the hub of innovation in AI, but also a recognition of the Halıcıoğlu School’s growing presence as an academic institution nationally,” said Rajesh Gupta, dean of the Halıcıoğlu School.