Foundation to donate $1 million for San Diego State University’s Asian studies
By Bryan Ke
August 17, 2023
The Charles Wei-hsun Fu Foundation has recently announced its plan to give a $1 million gift to San Diego State University’s (SDSU) Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS).
Key details: Sandra Wawrytko, a faculty member at SDSU who teaches Asian philosophy at the College of Arts and Letters, was chosen to give CAPS the $1 million gift through the Charles Wei-hsun Fu Foundation, where she serves as its president.
The foundation was established in 1997 and was named after Wawrytko’s husband, a scholar and educator who died in 1996. The educational nonprofit initially focused on Asian philosophy but now supports a large variety of ethnic studies.
About the gift: The endowment will reportedly generate around $40,000 annually for CAPS and help fund scholarships, events and programming.
Its significance: For Wawrytko, the gift is “a need driven both by cultural heritage and the global economy.” Around 14% of SDSU’s undergraduate student body is of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American descent.
Funding SDSU’s Asian Studies will also help prepare students for “this globalized world,” Wawrytko noted.
Longtime dedication: Ronnee Schreiber, SDSU’s College of Arts and Letters interim dean, acknowledged Wawrytko in a statement, saying, “As a faculty member, Sandra understands the importance of stable funding for ongoing student programming, events, and experiential learning such as study abroad. We know her transformational planned gift will eventually establish CAPS as a leading center of its kind.”
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