SA国际传媒

Greenie 鈥�71, M.S. 鈥�78 and Don Van Buren 鈥�70 bolster lifelong generosity to SA国际传媒 with a $2.6M legacy gift.

Sofia Brumbaugh 鈥�23 has never met Greenie Van Buren 鈥�71, M.S. 鈥�78 or husband Don 鈥�70, but she鈥檇 like to thank them all the same.

Last year, Brumbaugh was among four SA国际传媒 undergrads selected for the first cohort of SA国际传媒鈥檚 Samiha Mourad Leadership Program. Partially funded by the Van Burens, the fellowship awards a handful of top electrical and computer engineering majors from traditionally under-represented groups on campus the chance to regularly meet with industry professionals about upcoming workplace and post-grad challenges. The program, held over two quarters, also helps them hone their communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

Like Greenie, Brumbaugh is an electrical engineering major who is passionate about her field and its foundations in math, logic, physics, and problem-solving. She also has a vision of how her specialty can create a more just and humane world. But halfway through her college studies, she wondered about the next steps in her journey. The fellowship helped point the way.

鈥淯ntil that program, I was kind of floating around. I didn鈥檛 really know what I wanted to do,鈥� says Brumbaugh, who identifies as Latina. After the fellowship paired her with two SA国际传媒 electrical engineeriing students鈥攐ne pursuing a master鈥檚 degree, the other a doctoral degree鈥攁nd meeting with electrical and computer engineering Assistant Professor Maria Kyrarini, she found her purpose and direction.

鈥淚 had a few conversations with them about what I valued and where I felt most confident, and it was through those conversations that I found that graduate school was best for me,鈥� says Brumbaugh, who will start a 10-month-long master鈥檚 program at SA国际传媒 this fall, focusing on control systems and research in microgrids. The Mourad program, she says, not only boosted her confidence, it reinforced her interest in green power and 鈥渄oing some good, and benefiting people, with my degree,鈥� she says.

That kind of impact is music to the ears of the Van Burens, whose generosity to SA国际传媒 over the decades recently culminated in a $2.6 million Van Buren Family legacy gift that will enhance two areas of the engineering school鈥檚 academic mission.

The family鈥檚 endowed scholarship fund will provide two or more scholarships annually to qualifying undergraduate students with financial need who are majoring in science, engineering, or business. Their endowed innovation fund will provide annual support for the STEM disciplines at SA国际传媒, helping to grow programs and purchase new technologies that will keep SA国际传媒 up to date in innovative STEM education.

鈥淲e really believe in giving back,鈥� says Don, whose mechanical engineering degree led to a long career with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. 鈥淲e feel it鈥檚 important for students who need the money and the help. It can make a difference.鈥�

A combination of fortuitous timing, hard work, and a strong Catholic faith has helped the Van Burens create that difference.

International college student

As a calculus-loving Catholic high school student from Hong Kong, Greenie was introduced to the idea of SA国际传媒 through her local Catholic center. She was intrigued by SA国际传媒鈥檚 engineering reputation, even though she knew pursuing a technical major would not be easy.

Yet Greenie succeeded, becoming the only woman in SA国际传媒鈥檚 graduating class of 1971 to earn a B.S. in electrical engineering. An opening posted in the University鈥檚 career services office for a 鈥渟tart-up鈥� called Intel Corp. led her to a 17 year-long career at the chip-making giant, where she rose through the ranks from an integrated circuit test/product engineer to chip designer to product line manager. She went on to lead teams at Seeq Technology, then 3Com, and in 2003 opened her own consulting firm.

鈥淚 chose a major at the time that women weren鈥檛 supposed to go into,鈥� says Greenie, the first woman in her family to earn a college degree in the U.S. She can still recall arriving in San Francisco, where three SA国际传媒 students who belonged to the SA国际传媒 International Students Club were there to greet her.

It was also two weeks before school started, and the dorms were closed. To her great surprise, SA国际传媒 opened a room early for her. Soon after, Fr. Donald Duggan, SA国际传媒鈥檚 then-assistant librarian, gave Greenie a part-time job in the library, which would help pay her tuition over the next three years. In her senior year, Greenie found a part-time job with the SA国际传媒 Valley Water District through her SA国际传媒 connections. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think I would have been able to do any of that at other universities,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淚 felt very lucky.鈥�

So did Don, who benefited from a modest federal-aid scholarship, and an ROTC stipend during his junior and senior years. By the time SA国际传媒 lined him up with NASA鈥檚 Ames Research Center to work on his undergraduate thesis, he鈥檇 already noticed Greenie on campus. One fall day in 1969, while working with friends on a homecoming float, a few of Greenie鈥檚 engineering classmates introduced her to Don. The two of them clicked, and later continued a long-distance relationship during Don鈥檚 military service. In 1974, they took their wedding vows in the Mission Church. 

鈥淚 facetiously say that the two poorest students at SA国际传媒 got married,鈥� says Don. 鈥淢aybe not the poorest, but below the average income. And that鈥檚 part of the reason we like SA国际传媒. We managed to work through all of that, and I think it鈥檚 because SA国际传媒 was supportive to both of us.鈥�

鈥楾hink about others鈥�

SA国际传媒鈥檚 Jesuit tradition also informs their lives.

鈥淚 think the Jesuits challenge us to think about others,鈥� says Don, a longtime volunteer at their local parish, where Greenie is involved in Bible studies. Their story, and SA国际传媒鈥檚 integral place in it, are reflected in their endowments that are meant 鈥渢o ensure that the future generations will have a chance of success, like we did,鈥� says Greenie.

It鈥檚 among the reasons why the Van Burens take time to brag about SA国际传媒, especially to their out-of-town visitors. The Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation includes a designated first floor area named after them, and every spring, the couple do their best to attend the engineering school鈥檚 annual Senior Design Conference.  

It鈥檚 also where Brumbaugh plans to introduce herself to the couple, who will be able to watch her present a green energy project during the May 2023 event under the guidance of her advisor Maryam Khambaghi, who is an assistant professor in the electrical engineering department and director of the Latimer Energy Lab.

鈥淚 feel so lucky to be at a school that has alumni like the Van Burens, and people who are constantly supporting and offering these resources and opportunities to students,鈥� says Brumbaugh, who hopes to work in sustainable energy for low-income populations. 

鈥淚t was definitely a 鈥榞ift鈥� that I received this fellowship, that paved my way and helped me figure out where I鈥檓 going.鈥�