U.C. San Diego Names Science Building ‘Tata Hall for the Sciences’; Names Three Indian American Educators as Inaugural Chair Holders
U.C. San Diego Sept. 12 announced that the new building for the divisions of biological and physical sciences has been named the Tata Hall for the Sciences.
The naming of the building is in recognition of a $70 million gift provided by Tata Trusts in 2016 to create the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, according to a university news report.
The institute, which aims to advance global science and technology through socially conscious means to develop solutions to some of the more pressing global issues, will be affixed on the fifth floor of Tata Hall.
“It is my privilege to dedicate this building in recognition of the Tata Trusts’ leadership and collaboration with U.C. San Diego, and the Tata family’s pioneering philanthropy and singular impact to bring about societal change,” said U.C. San Diego chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla at the naming event, according to the university report.
“Tata Hall exemplifies U.C. San Diego’s tradition of non-tradition, inspiring cross-disciplinary collaboration among researchers and the next generation of innovators,” the Indian American chancellor added. “This building will embody the spirit of the many shared values of U.C. San Diego and the Tata Trusts to benefit our global society.”
The building is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2018, the report noted.
“I am very proud of being associated with this great institution,” said Tata Trusts chairman Ratan N. Tata, the report noted. “What we are doing is a big thing for mankind in our part of the world … and I look forward to this involvement as just a first part of what we can do together.”
In addition to naming the building Tata Hall, the university also announced four inaugural chair holders of the Tata Chancellor’s Endowed Professorships.
Among the chairs are Suresh Subramani with the Tata Chancellor’s Endowed Professorship in molecular biology, Ethan Bier with the professorship in cell and developmental biology, Karthik Muralidharam with a professorship in economics, and Anita Raj with a professorship in medicine.
