Huang, SL & Betty
(The following text is an excerpt from the book Chinese Americans in Irvine 1971-2021)
SL and Betty Huang have been engaged in a broad range of philanthropy for more than 25 years. SL, a Caltech PhD, and Betty, a business undergraduate from USC, met in Hong Kong, married, and, with their two children, Terence and Tiffany, moved to the United States in the 1980’s.
Years ago, the couple established a family foundation to support the causes they value. SL’s primary focus was, and is, education because of his keen interest in science
and technology, while Betty’s interests continue to be the performing arts, museums and education. SL is currently a member of the Bowers Museum board and has served on
the boards of the UCLA Foundation, South Coast Repertory and Caltech Associates. Betty serves on the boards of the Segerstrom Center and the Caltech Associates, and has recently accepted an appointment as President of the Caltech Associates, a 2,000-member organization that supports groundbreaking scientific and engineering advancement at Caltech. She is an emeritus board member of South Coast Repertory and Women and Philanthropy at UCLA, and has also been involved with the Pacific Symphony, Philharmonic Society and has co-chaired the Chinese Association at the Bowers Museum.
In addition to other philanthropy, the Huangs have established various scholarships and fellowships at UCLA, UPenn, Caltech, and Peking University. They also served
as regional advisors for UPenn and donated to the Shanghai Museum. In 2020 they witnessed the importance of medical inventions during the pandemic and became
benefactors at Hoag Hospital, donating a Robotic Cath Suite in support of the Heart and Vascular Institute.
Besides being philanthropists themselves, SL and Betty continue to support the fundraising efforts of various charities and higher education institutions. To name a few,
SL has organized a number of fundraising events for UCLA and recently helped raise $6 million for the university in one evening. Betty is actively engaged in helping the Segerstrom Center’s Annual Fund program, and, as chair of the Center Fund Committee for seven years, has helped raise more than $65 million to benefit
the artistic and educational programs at the Center. Betty and SL are also a driving force in raising unrestricted funds for Caltech, which are especially essential to the
Institute in this challenging environment.
Over the years, the couple’s philanthropic endeavors have intertwined, and Betty’s affinity for Caltech has taken a shape of its own. Although a business major, she said
“The more I learn about science and technology, the more curious I become.” Celebrating its 95th anniversary on March 9, 2021, the Caltech Associates that evening offered its first science presentation in Mandarin.
Further to two previously established fellowships at C a l t e c h : I n 2 0 1 8 , t h e H u a n g s c o n t r i b u t e d t o BreakThrough, The Caltech Campaign by establishing two
new graduate fellowships in mechanical engineering and medical engineering. “Supporting individual students has always been very meaningful to us,” they explained, “but now it is more exciting than ever knowing that supporting Caltech student research also helps make the world a better place. We want to reach out to this community and inspire more people to do the same, as well as share our experience and joy in giving.”
(Written by Catherine Reeves)
黃上立、黃余蓓蒂
(以下文字摘錄自《爾灣華裔紀實1971-2021》一書)
樂善好施的黃上立(SL Huang)和黃余蓓蒂(Betty Huang)廣泛地從事慈善事業超過 25 年。擁有加州理工學院(Caltech)博士學位的 SL 和南加州大學(USC)商科畢業的 Betty 在香港邂逅,結為連理, 於1980 年代與他們的兩個孩子特倫斯(Terence)和蒂芙尼(Tiffany)舉家移居美國。
幾年前,黃氏夫婦創立了家庭基金會,以行動落 實他們所支持的公益使命。由於理工科出身的 SL 對科學和科技發展的熱忱,因此 SL主要關注的重點一直是教育,Betty 的興趣則發揮在表演藝術,博物館以及教育。SL 目前是寶爾博物館(Bowers Museum)董事會成員,並曾在加州大學洛杉磯分校(UCLA)基金會,南海岸話劇團(South Coast Repertory)和加州理 工 學 院 聯 合 會(Caltech Associates) 擔 任 董 事。Betty 是塞格斯仲演藝中心(Segerstrom Center)和加州理工學院聯合會董事會成員,最近接受任命為加州理工學院聯合會董事會總裁;此聯合會有兩千名成員,專門為加州理工學院在科學和工程學方面提供突破性的發展與支援。Betty 也是南海岸話劇團和 UCLA婦女及慈善事業的名譽董事會成員,多年來她在橙縣參與太平洋交響樂團(Pacific Symphony)和愛樂協會(Philharmonic Society),另外也曾在寶爾博物館擔任中國協會的共同主席。
除了慈善事業之外,黃氏夫婦在 UCLA,賓州大學(UPenn),加州理工學院及北京大學設立了各種獎學金和研究金。他們還擔任賓州大學的區域顧問,並曾贊助上海博物館。2020 年,在全球疫情大流行期間他們目睹醫療創新發明的重要性,於是成為 Hoag 醫院的贊助者,捐贈了一個機器人導管套件,用以支持該醫院的心臟和心血管研究所。
除了本身是慈善家外,SL 和 Betty 還不斷籌劃支持各種慈善機構和高等教育機構的募款活動。其中包括 SL 曾為 UCLA 多次籌劃募款活動,最近的一次,僅在一個晚上的籌款會上,成功募得 600 萬美元。數年來,Betty 則積極參與 Segerstrom Center 演藝中心的年度基金計劃,並作為該中心基金委員會主席長達七年,極為耀眼的籌集總額超過 6,500 萬美元,讓中心的藝術和教育方案受惠良多。Betty 和 SL 向加州理工學院建議籌募非限定用途基金的方案被校方採納,此一方案對該校現今充滿挑戰性的環境而言,至關重要。
多年來,他們夫婦慈善事業的發展,已然相互交融在一起,雖然是商科畢業,Betty 對加州理工學院的認識與偏愛與日俱增。她說:「我對科學和科技了解越多,我就越好奇。」 在 2021 年 3 月 9 日慶祝加州理工學院聯合會成立 95 週年之際,當晚大會,首次以普通話舉辦了一場科學講座。
除了先前在加州理工學院設立兩個研究金,2018年黃氏夫婦在機械工程和醫學工程領域又設立了兩個新的研究生獎學金,為加州理工學院的「突破運動」(BreakThrough)做出了貢獻。他們解釋說:「支持個別學生對我們來說一直是非常有意義的,但更令人興奮的是能支持加州理工學院的學術研究,希望藉由這樣的途逕能儘快的使世界變得更美好。我們期待能影響不同的社區或是不同的領域,從而激勵更多的人作出同樣或更多的回饋,和我們一起體認贊助的重要性,以及從中獲得的經驗與喜悅。」