Honoring the contributions of Gordon Moore

Gordon and Betty Moore
Gordon and Betty Moore

Science has lost one of its greatest champions with the death of Gordon Moore, a visionary engineer whose pioneering work on semiconductors set the stage for a technological revolution that changed the world in countless ways and enabled research breakthroughs in fields far and wide. 

His genius was only rivaled by his generosity. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, established in 2000 by the Intel Corp. co-founder and his wife, continues to support efforts to create positive outcomes for future generations through its support of environmental conservation and scientific research worldwide. Our campus has been among its many beneficiaries.

Just last month we announced a $5.4 million grant from the foundation to support a major expansion of Lick Observatory’s education and outreach programs aimed at reaching a diverse population of students. It was the latest in a long string of impactful donations Moore made to our campus. The Moore Foundation has provided support for UC Santa Cruz research in climate change, ocean health, experimental physics, adaptive optics, marine microbiology and many other fields. We recognized the couple for their longtime support of our campus in 2012 with the UC Santa Cruz Foundation Medal.

Gordon Moore’s insight and vision changed our world for the better. His philanthropic efforts ensure more scholarly and scientific break-throughs are to come. That is a legacy to celebrate.


Cindy Larive
Chancellor, UC Santa Cruz