$1M Gift to Support UCLA's Mo Ostin Academic Center
March 06, 2019 | Bruin Athletics
A gift of $1 million from philanthropists Ted Ackerley, a UCLA alumnus, and his wife, Danielle, will go toward the development of UCLA's new Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes. UCLA will name the building's main tutor workplace and lounge in their honor.
"We are so grateful to Ted and Danielle Ackerley for this incredibly generous gift that moves us closer to making the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes a reality," said Athletic Director Dan Guerrero. "The Ackerleys are enthusiastic advocates for education, and their gift will truly make a difference in the educational experience of our student-athletes."
Ted Ackerley is a co-founder of Ackerley Partners, LLC, a privately held investment company with a focus on media and entertainment investment opportunities. Ted and Danielle carry on a long family legacy of philanthropy through the Ginger and Barry Ackerley Foundation, for which Ted serves as vice president and Danielle is a board member. The Ginger and Barry Ackerley Foundation, established in 1997, is devoted to improving the lives and futures of generations of children living in the Northwest and has distributed millions of dollars in resources with the purpose of advancing education, especially early learning, in the Puget Sound region in the state of Washington.
"As a former student-athlete at UCLA, I am honored, with my wife Danielle, to support the development of the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes and the Main Tutor Workplace & Lounge," said Ted Ackerley. "This is where real work happens that advances the UCLA student-athlete's pursuit of classroom excellence. My wife and I care deeply about education, as do our three children, Ben, Hunter and Ashley. We are collectively excited to support UCLA student-athletes."
The planned three-level Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes will include both individual and group study spaces, individual and group tutorial areas, state-of-the-art technology labs, and offices for UCLA Athletics' Academic and Student Services staff situated over nearly 20,000 square feet of new space. In addition to the academic space, the facility will feature a new Hall of Champions entry display showcasing UCLA's 116 NCAA Championship trophies and linking the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes to the existing UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.
The new facility's proximity to the J.D. Morgan Center will centralize the academic space in an area close to UCLA's coaching and administrative offices, allowing staff members to affirm the expectation that student-athletes excel in the classroom and demonstrate their support for utilizing resources and services in pursuit of academic goals. Further, the single, unified space for all UCLA student-athlete academic and student services in the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes will allow student-athletes to be more efficient with their time in order to balance their academic and athletic responsibilities.
Gifts of all amounts are accepted for this project and may be tax-deductible; gifts of $50,000 or more payable over five years will be recognized in the new facility, gifts of $250,000 or more payable over five years will be recognized with a dedicated naming opportunity. For more information or to become involved in the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes, please call UCLA Athletics Development at 310-206-3302, or visit UCLAAcademicCenter.com.
