University of San Diego Building Big

The absolutely beautiful University of San Diego has a great building project going on right now.

Work is underway on the Shiley STEM Initiative Building, which will be a 3-story, 70,000 square foot facility located across from the Hahn University Center.

Swinerton is the general contractor and Gensler handled design work.

The great thing about this new building is what made it possible. Darlene Shiley made a lead gift of $75,000,000. That is the largest single gift in school history. That’s awesome.

It made me wonder where the money came from and I learned about her late husband, Donald P. Shiley.

That made me wonder why I am not smarter. This man was the co-inventor of the Bjork-Shiley tilting disc heart valve along with other inventions including tracheal tubes.

The couple has given away a whole lot of money. He passed away in 2010 and she continues making a huge difference. Our country is fortunate to have people like them.

The Shiley STEM Initiative Building is scheduled for completion in late 2027.