The University of California, Davis, has named its new Engineering Student Design Center for an alumna who has made the largest-ever donation to the College of Engineering by an individual.
The Diane Bryant Engineering Student Design Center, now under construction and scheduled to open in fall 2022, carries the name of Bryant, a 1985 UC Davis graduate, who donated $6.5 million to the university.
Bryant, who has gone on to a noted career as an information technology executive, wants the center to inspire women and other underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“My hope is the Engineering Student Design Center provides a visual reminder that everyone can succeed in the field of technology,” Bryant says. “I hope my gift helps to expand the population of students interested in exploring the possibilities of STEM.”
The new center will provide an inclusive, supervised space to practice manufacturing and fabrication techniques and include a student start-up center for entrepreneurial ventures. Team projects and real-world applications will add to students’ business acumen, as they develop the collaborative skills and hands-on experience necessary for success.
The $21.9 million facility has been planned with a goal of achieving LEED Gold certification for environmentally friendly design and construction.
Bryant worked for 32 years at Intel, eventually becoming its most senior technical woman. Her four patented technologies came with the invention of the laptop computer in 1990, including an invention enabling a computer laptop to dock and undock while active.
In 2017, Bryant joined Google as COO of Google Cloud. Today she is the CEO and chairperson of NovaSignal Corp., a medical start-up that develops robotic ultrasound technologies to scan blood flow in the brain.
