A Gift to a University that "Punches Way above Its Weight"

Valerie and Jeffrey "Jeff" Engle are not scientists—Valerie is a retired certified public accountant and Jeff is a retired optometrist—but they are passionate about science's ability to invoke wonder and fuel progress.

So, when the time came to plan their estate, the Engles knew they wanted to support higher education. They took a systematic approach: They drafted a short list of universities to consider, and Valerie evaluated each one's size, impact, and risk.

"By all standards, Caltech punches way above its weight," she says.

Even though they have never even visited Caltech's campus, the Engles have made a generous investment in the future of science and technology by funding scholarships for Institute undergraduates.

Read their story.