(The following text is an excerpt from the book Chinese Americans in Irvine 1971-2021)
Business Background
John Long is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Highridge Partners, a diversified investment company specializing in identifying, providing capital to, and managing undervalued assets and corporate opportunities related to real estate. Mr. Long has also encouraged the intellectual power of academics to pursue research and industry initiatives that would lead to redefining the role of real estate in the 21st century. In 2000, he founded the Real Estate Center at UCLA, and serves as its Founding Chairman.
Philanthropy
The Longs have a long history of impactful giving through their Long Family Foundation (LFF). LFF was formed in 1992 as a vehicle for the Long family to promote and support religious, educational, cultural, and research endeavors that align with their values. Through the years, LFF has supported numerous organizations across the globe, such as endowing centers of education and research at major universities, funding Christian churches and missions, installing public art, investing in rising nonprofit leaders as well as creating and sponsoring initiatives that bridge U.S.-China relations. Their philanthropy is often characterized as active and highly relational, and is intended to be catalytic and transforming.
John S. Long
Born in southern China, Mr. Long, at age 6, came with his mother to the United States, where his father was already working and supporting the family long distance. Growing up in urban South-Central Los Angeles, Mr. Long was encouraged by his traditional Chinese parents to pursue a “safe” profession, such as engineering, medicine, or law. But his tendency to take risks and his aptitude for economics led him to a successful career as an industry leader in real estate investments and developments.
Mr. Long graduated with honors from UCLA, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, and earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School. Mr. Long has actively served on boards of numerous organizations including the UCLA Foundation Board of Governors, the UCLA Anderson School of Management Board of Visitors, and the Asia Society of Southern California Advisory Board.
Marilyn Long
Marilyn Long serves as President of the Long Family Foundation. She received her B.A. in Communicative Disorders from the University of the Pacific and M.A. in Communication Disorders, cum laude, from California State University, Long Beach. In addition to being a speech and language therapist and community volunteer, Mrs. Long serves in various organizations and church leadership roles. She is an active board member of the South Coast Botanic Garden and Co-Chair of the Biola University Visual Arts Advisory Board. The Longs have three adult children who are actively involved in various social initiatives as well.
Involvement at UCI
As the U.S. and China become more interconnected with each other’s economy, the Longs recognize the need for a bilateral, open, and public platform from which Chinese and American scholars, industry leaders, policy makers and practitioners can share ideas and nurture a broader understanding of business, legal and socioeconomic issues. In 2010, John and Marilyn established the Long US-China Institute at UC Irvine, a campus wide initiative created to foster greater mutual understanding and stronger relations through bilateral research and outreach between these two great nations.
“The Long US-China Institute is dedicated to studying contemporary Chinese society, politics, and culture in all of its complexity. We are intent on fostering bilateral engagement between China and the U.S., and we support scholarship and events that facilitate mutual understanding and that highlight a diversity of voices and disciplinary approaches. Our core faculty come from the Social Sciences, Humanities, Law, Business, and Social Ecology and are engaged in cutting edge research on contemporary China.”
(Courtesy of the Long Family Foundation)
(以下文字摘錄自《爾灣華裔紀實1971-2021》一書)
企業背景
梁仕源先生是 Highridge Partners 的創始人兼首席執行長，Highridge Partners 是一家多元化的投資公司，專門從事鑑定，提供資金，並管理與房地產相關，但被低估的資產和公司。梁先生鼓勵學界發揮智力，追求並研究與產業界相關的主動性，從而重新定義房地產在二十一世紀的角色。2000 年，他在 UCLA成立了房地產中心（Real Estate Center），並擔任首任主席。
慈善事業
梁氏家族基金會（LFF）成立於 1992 年，家族成員長期以來，透過對基金會的捐款，給予與基金會有相同價值理念的宗教、教育、文化和研究團體幫助、推廣和支持。多年來，LFF 已為全球許多團體提供幫助，例如在大學建立教育和研究中心，資助基督教教會和宣教活動，設置公共藝術，投資新興的非營利組織，以及創建並贊助建立美中關係的橋樑。他們認真的參與各項慈善事業，旨在促進社會改變，朝向進步與和諧。
梁仕源
梁仕源先生出生於中國南方，六歲時隨母親到美國，與已經在美工作的父親團聚。梁先生在洛杉磯市中心的城南區長大，雖然他的雙親依照中國傳統父母的思維，鼓勵他選擇安穩的專業，例如工程、醫學或法律，但是梁先生勇於冒險的精神和對經濟的敏銳度，使他在房地產投資和開發領域中成功地成為佼佼者。
梁先生以優異的成績從加州大學洛杉磯分校（UCLA）畢業，取得經濟學學士學位，並獲得哈佛商學院的工商管理碩士學位。梁先生曾積極參與許多機構的董事會職務，包括 UCLA 基金會理事、UCLA 安德森管理學院客座委員會以及亞洲協會南加州分會顧問委員會。
梁劉秀蓮
梁劉秀蓮擔任梁氏家族基金會主席。她先於太平洋大學溝通障礙專業獲得學士學位，後於加州州立大學長堤分校以優異的成績獲得同一專業的碩士學位。除了成為語言治療師和社區志願者之外，梁劉秀蓮女士還擔任過各種社團和教會領導職務。她是南海岸植物園（South Coast Botanic Garden）董事會活躍成員，也是 Biola University 視覺藝術顧委聯席會的主席。梁劉秀蓮女士與梁仕源先生育有三名成年子女，他們也都積極參與各項社會活動。
積極參與 UCI
隨著中美兩國經濟聯繫日益緊密，梁氏家族了解建立一個雙邊、開放和公開平台的重要性。中美學者、企業領袖、政策制定者和從業人員都可以透過該平台分享想法，並增進對商業、法律和社會經濟層面等問題的理解。2010 年，梁仕源先生與夫人在加州大學爾灣分校（UC Irvine）成立了美中研究院（US-China Institute）。這是一個在校園範疇內的計畫，目的在透過中美兩大國之間的雙邊研究和拓展，來增進相互了解和強化關係。
「為促進中美之間的雙邊接觸，美中研究院致力於學習當代中國社會，政治和文化上的複雜性，我們提供獎學金及舉辦各項活動，期望增進兩國之間相互理解，強調不同意見和接納學科方法的多樣性。我們的核心師資來自社會科學、人文、法律、商業和社會生態學各層面，他們致力於當代中國的前沿研究。」
（中文翻譯：李佳禾）