E D U C AT I N G CITIZENS FOR CALIFORNIA AND A GLOBAL SOCIETY
Sea of Opportunity
Bentson Foundation fosters future leaders Gaucho grads Laurie Bentson Kauth and
a great boost to what we can offer
longtime marine biology teacher now
our undergrads from the standpoint
retired from Santa Barbara High School.
of research experience as well as of
“When Bill was teaching, there
The Bentson Scholars Program will benefit marine science undergrads, such as those above.
Bentson Foundation will fund the
enrichment,” Carlson said. “This looks
was a sort of unofficial collaboration
like a win-win for students supported by
between his class and UCSB — they
the scholarships and the faculty working
visited the campus labs quite often —
with these outstanding students. It will
and it was wonderful,” Bentson Kauth
create opportunities for undergrads and
recalled. “With the Bentson Foundation
help them excel in this important field.”
we have scholarships in other places, so bringing one here seemed like the perfect thing to do. And we’re really
A gift of $500,000 from the
“This fantastic gift clearly gives
husband William Kauth — the latter a
excited about it.”
Which is precisely the point, according to Bentson Kauth. “We hope these students go on to help save the ocean, which is really the
So is UCSB marine scientist Craig
reason that you study marine biology,”
Bentson Scholars Program at UC Santa
Carlson, department chair in Ecology,
she said. “Certainly UCSB is one of the
Barbara, a merit-based initiative for
Evolution and Marine Biology, where
very best places to do that. Hopefully
undergraduates with an interest in
the Bentson scholarships will support
they will be so inspired that they will
aquatic biology. It was created by
high-achieving aquatic biology students.
eventually give back to UCSB, too.”
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