SAN DIEGO, May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The University of San Diego (USD) community celebrated the groundbreaking of the Shiley STEM Initiative building alongside the building’s namesake Darlene Marcos Shiley, a philanthropist and Chair Emerita of USD’s Board of Trustees, and her late husband Donald. Mrs. Shiley announced the lead gift of $75 million in 2024 to make the building a reality.

“I believe that science, technology, engineering and math are always going to be important and that’s the best place for me to make this gift. STEM is the future — and especially in San Diego,” said Shiley. “I think the future lies in people like Donald, applying whatever talents they have, and utilizing a space like this to solve humanity’s most urgent challenges.”

The 70,000 square foot, three-story facility will expand USD’s commitment to STEM education –  with a goal of being one of the top programs nationally for undergraduate STEM research and academics.

Shiley’s gift, the largest in the university’s history, established the Shiley STEM Initiative. The gift will build on USD’s commitment to STEM programs on campus, meet the needs of ever-evolving biotechnology and science industries and create a state-of-the-art STEM facility for students to grow in their respective fields.

“Today’s groundbreaking is the first step in creating a new, innovative space for our STEM-based students that will elevate their educational experience and research as they become future scientists, engineers and changemakers in our communities. None of this would be possible without the generous support of Darlene Marcos Shiley and her late husband Donald, who understand the value in STEM education and believe in our approach to providing values-based, hands-on research opportunities for our students,” said James T. Harris III, president of the University of San Diego.

The space was imagined with experiential learning front and center, giving students the tools and hands-on learning they need to thrive as future engineers, scientists, researchers and healthcare professionals. From the beginning of their time at USD, students have opportunities to conduct high-level research in labs even as undergraduates. This new facility will create even more experiential learning opportunities through its collaborative spaces and innovative classrooms that can adapt to an ever-changing technological world.

The new facilities will include a biomedical engineering lab, a medical device lab to develop prototypes, a food science and coffee lab to study the science of food, an ecology rooftop space and a space to study the next generation of robotics.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO
Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact according to The Princeton Review. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.

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SOURCE University of San Diego