David and Claire Guggenheim

Chancellor's Associates Lifetime Members

Longtime La Jolla residents, David and Claire Guggenheim, have built a life in San Diego rooted in curiosity and community. Walks on campus in the early 1980s became their introduction to the university and to the La Jolla Playhouse, where they have remained enthusiastic patrons, with David serving on the Planned Giving committee. Originally from the east coast, San Diego's climate inspired their passion for gardening and led them to the California Rare Fruit Growers organization, stepping into leadership with David serving as President and Claire as Treasurer. That same spirit of rolling up their sleeves and helping others has guided their philanthropic work across the region, supporting organizations like the Humane Society, Jewish Family Service, the Symphony and KPBS.

Inspired by innovation with their purchase of a Model S in 2013, they formed the San Diego Tesla Club. In 2018, the UC San Diego Osher Lifelong Learning Institute caught their attention, and it quickly turned into a central part of their routine, with David later becoming chair of the Osher Advisory Council. Their involvement deepened further in 2021 when they were invited to tour the newly built UC San Diego Park & Market building being constructed in downtown’s East Village, making a transformational gift to name the Guggenheim Theatre, a flexible performance space that hosts concerts, lectures, symposiums and workshops.

Their investment in San Diego continued with Chancellor’s Associates, and after becoming members in 2020 they began attending Chancellor’s Associates events. Hearing scholars describe being the first in their family to attend college and what a scholarship made possible inspired a legacy commitment from the Guggenheims, a significant estate gift designated for Chancellor’s Associates Scholarships. They are especially inspired that these scholarships focus on local students and hopes many will remain in the San Diego region, strengthening the local economy and contributing to the community that they have called home for decades.

When asked what he would say to fellow Chancellor’s Associates considering a deeper commitment, David offered a simple reflection: it is about doing something for someone else. “The best feeling,” he shares, “is the satisfaction to know you’re helping others,” a conviction that has shaped the Guggenheims’ legacy at UC San Diego and will continue to open doors for Chancellor’s Associates Scholars for years to come.

Malia Johnson ’28

The Baras Foundation Chancellor's Associates Scholar

Malia is a passionate scholar pursuing a double major in literature/writing and political science while also minoring in african-american studies. 
Her resilience and ambition brought her to a debt-free journey at UC San Diego. "I did not have the luxury of solely worrying about academics, but I had enough freedom in my household where I would not face major consequences if I ended up slacking. This experience changed my mindset, having to choose to do my work and learn and pursue a higher education; because of my circumstance, all of these things were technically optional, but for me there was never an option."

Malia aspires to be a civil rights attorney and teach others as a professor. To Chancellor's Associates supporters, she says, "I would like to emphasize the impact that your decision has made on my life, and assure you that I am utilizing this opportunity for all it's worth. The assistance offered by CASP, made possible by you, has eased the looming cloud of instability over my family's and my own head, and for that I will be eternally grateful. Thank you!"

Mike Markulin ’18

Michael grew up with a very low socio-economic status and spent eight years out of school before returning to community college for the next five years. In 2016, he was awarded the CASP Scholarship and entered UC San Diego as a communications major.

“I often told my friends and family I did not always feel comfortable while I was a student at UC San Diego. UC San Diego never felt like a space for me. It definitely did not resemble the places I grew up in and the prior schools I attended,” he says.

CASP played a major role through his higher education journey. He switched his major to political science – public policy, and took classes that frame his way of thinking today. He received support from the CASP office, students and staff — the latter he cites as supporting him even after his educational career.

“I graduated summa cum laude from UC San Diego, after barely graduating high school, and dropping out of school for eight years. During my time at UC San Diego, I won the Making of the Modern World (MMW) Writing Excellence Award and gave a speech to the UC Regents on behalf of Chancellor Khosla regarding the CASP program. I then graduated from a master’s program and am now working at UC San Diego. But more importantly, I have a sense of stability in my life.”

To his supporters and alumni, Michael adds, “Being where I am today, it feels like I am living a life that felt so distant and maybe, even at times, not attainable. None of these experiences happen without you. Your support made it possible for me to have amazing opportunities, and I know it has helped so many other CASP students like me. For that, I will be forever grateful — thank you!”

Today, Michael’s story comes full circle. As a senior academic advisor at UC San Diego (Eighth College) and a CASP advising liaison, he now works alongside the very program that once supported him, helping scholars navigate the system, find their footing and imagine futures that once felt out of reach. His journey reflects what CASP is designed to do: support students through graduation and empower them to give back and lead the next generation.

Visit our website to learn more about CASP, explore stories like Michael’s or support students who are just beginning their journey.

Brian and Paula Powers Chancellor's Associates Inspiration Challenge

We are already 64.4% of the way toward our one million dollar goal in the Brian and Paula Powers Chancellor’s Associates Inspiration Challenge.

With a 1:1 current-use match, every qualifying dollar you give will immediately expand access and opportunity — helping ensure success is determined by potential, not circumstance. Learn more about this opportunity on our website. 

Thank you for believing in this work and for sharing this opportunity with your network to inspire even more impact. 

Gifts That Pay You Income

With a charitable gift annuity, you can support Chancellor’s Associates and receive dependable income in your retirement years if you are 65 or older.

With a charitable gift annuity you agree to make a minimum gift of $10,000 to support Chancellor’s Associates, and in return, you (and someone else, if you choose) receive a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life. The balance is used to support our work. You can also qualify for a variety of tax benefits depending on how you fund your gift.

If you fund your gift annuity with cash or appreciated property, you qualify for a federal income tax deduction if you itemize. In addition, you can minimize capital gains taxes when you fund your gift with appreciated property. You can also fund your gift using your IRA if you’re 70 and a half and older.

To find out more about this strategic way to make a gift to support Chancellor’s Associates, please contact Elise Wald, executive director of the UC San Diego Office of Gift Planning, at eswald@ucsd.edu or 858-761-8457. 

Breaking Boundaries: La Jolla Symphony and Chorus
Frank Zappa

Mandeville Auditorium
Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1

The iconic Frank Zappa (yes, that Frank Zappa) spent some of his youth here in San Diego, where he discovered the modernist music that inspired his own compositions and shaped his legendary style. Busoni and Sibelius, two masters of the 20th century, are featured alongside two living composers: a world premiere by emerging composer Hannah Wolkowitz, and a recent work by Adam Schoenberg, whose cello concerto, "Automation," explores the complicated relationship between humans and technology.

Engineers for Exploration, a Chancellor's Associates Colloquium

Ida and Cecil Green Faculty Club
Wednesday, Feb. 25 | 6-8 p.m.

Join us for a presentation by Dr. Ryan Kastner, professor of Computer Science and Engineering, William Nachbar Endowed Chair in the Jacobs School of Engineering.

Engineers for Exploration (E4E) brings together students, scientists and explorers to build technologies that help us see — and hear — the planet in new ways. This colloquium will spotlight two projects, SmartFin and Acoustic Species Detection, that ask a deceptively simple question: What happens when we give nature new ways to speak to us and new ways for us to listen?

A Conversation with Tricia Bertram Gallan

Geisel Library, Seuss Room
Wednesday, Feb. 25 | 5:30 p.m. 

Join UC San Diego Library for an inspiring evening featuring Tricia Bertram Gallant, educator, speaker and author of “The Opposite of Cheating: Teaching for Integrity in the Age of A.I.,” as part of their signature event series. As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes how we learn, work and connect, Bertram Gallant, alongside Audrey Geisel university librarian, Erik Mitchell, invites us to reconsider integrity, trust and human creativity in this new era.

Ninth Annual University of California Alumni Gala

One Whitehall Place
London, England
Saturday, March 28

A flagship event for the University of California Trust’s network in Europe, this year’s gala will take place in Central London at One Whitehall Place. We anticipate 170 guests with visitors coming from across the UK, Europe and California. The annual gala is an all-UC event designed to bring the alumni community together and fundraise for study abroad scholarships. 

About Chancellor’s Associates:
We believe in proactive philanthropy — the kind that breaks boundaries and levels the playing field for motivated learners. We are a community of supporters including alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends who partner with Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla to address UC San Diego’s most urgent priority: broadening access to higher education. Since 2013, more than 3,000 Chancellor’s Associates scholarships have been awarded to high-achieving, deserving students who are often the first in their families to attend college. Together, we change lives. Learn more at chancellorsassociates.ucsd.edu.

For any questions, please email ca@ucsd.edu or call 858-339-0521.