Marshall Alumnus Donates $4 Million Gift for Scholarship Fund
USC Marshall School of Business alumnus Michael R.B. Uytengsu ’90 has donated a $4 million gift to Marshall. The gift will create the Michael R.B. Uytengsu Endowed Scholarship Fund and name the first floor of Jill and Frank Fertitta Hall, the future home of USC Marshall’s undergraduate program.
The gift will increase USC Marshall’s ability to support high-achieving students and transform the school’s educational environment by facilitating more collaborative and technology-enabled learning experiences.
Construction is expected to be completed by the fall of 2016. The new Fertitta Hall will boost USC Marshall’s undergraduate student classroom capacity by close to one-third.
“Endowed scholarships ensure that we can attract talented students regardless of their financial situation, and the new building will enable undergraduate learning and research to flourish,” said USC Marshall Dean James G. Ellis. “Michael’s dedication to supporting Marshall and its students will directly benefit our community for generations to come.”
Uytengsu was originally an investment banker specializing in global infrastructure projects with Salomon Brothers in New York and then in Hong Kong.
Over the course of his highly successful career, he has orchestrated complex restructurings and roll-up transactions in the U.S. snack food industry, from the merger between Sunshine Biscuits and the Keebler Co. to the creation of National Pretzel, which he sold to Con Agra Foods in 2011.
Uytengsu’s recent ventures include HK Anderson pretzels and Somersault Snacks; he also is a founding partner of Tusk Estates, a luxury wine brand in Napa Valley, Calif.
“The education I received at Marshall gave me a strong foundation for success,” Uytengsu said. “My family believes in the importance of giving back and in making a difference for students who are eager for an education but may not have the means to access it. If all USC alumni who own businesses would contribute a portion of their profits to the school, the students and the alumni would both benefit immensely.”
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Erin Purcell
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