Lynda and Stewart Resnick’s giving spree to California universities isn’t quite over.
Thursday, the couple – who own the Los Angeles-based Wonderful Company – announced they were pledging $50 million to the University of California, Davis.
The pledge marks the single-largest gift to the university by individual donors, university officials confirmed.
The gift will establish the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation. Of the $50 million, $10 million is directed toward competitive research grants through a Resnick Agricultural Innovation Research Fund.
“Protecting and preserving our planet for the future means we must take bold steps and push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Stewart Resnick, who serves as a member of the UC Davis Chancellor’s Board of Advisors. “UC Davis is at the forefront of tackling climate change, developing groundbreaking technologies and solutions to reduce our collective carbon footprint, and creating a more sustainable agriculture system. This gift aims to help our greatest scientific minds rise to the great challenge of our time — the sustainability of our planet for future generations. Lynda, I, and The Wonderful Company are proud to partner with UC Davis to support this all-important work.”
The Resnick Center will begin construction this year, with a tentative completion date in 2026.
As designed, the center will be a 40,000 square foot building hosting classrooms, research and lab spaces, and support offices.
“Thanks to this historic gift from Lynda and Stewart Resnick, UC Davis will further expand its global reach, helping to shape the future of sustainable food production,” said UC Davis Chancellor Gary May. “This gift demonstrates a continued commitment to innovative environmental stewardship and allows us to create science-based solutions that can be rapidly deployed while mitigating the impacts of climate change.”
The move with UC Davis comes three years after the Wonderful couple sent $750 million to CalTech and $10 million to Fresno State.
