Sherie and Donald Morrison
UCLA Athletics Receives Gift from Professors Sherie, Donald Morrison
November 29, 2023 | Cross Country, Track & Field, Women's Basketball, Bruin Athletics
The UCLA Athletic Department is pleased to announce two major commitments from UCLA Professors Emeritus Sherie and Donald Morrison to benefit the UCLA Track & Field/Cross Country and Women's Basketball programs. In honor of the Morrisons' gift, the head track & field/cross country coaching position, held currently by Avery Anderson, will now be known as The Sherie L. and Donald G. Morrison UCLA Director of Track & Field/Cross Country.
ย
The deferred gift to UCLA will come from proceeds from the sale of real estate valued at $15.4 million and will be shared equally to benefit four areas of the University: UCLA Athletics, the UCLA College Division of Life Sciences, the UCLA Anderson School of Management and the UCLA Faculty Club. The gift extends the Morrisons' decades of philanthropic support of the UCLA campus that has been their academic and professional home for more than 30 years. The Athletics portion of their new gift builds upon Don and Sherie's already tremendous legacy of philanthropic investment in UCLA Athletics, including well over $1 million in direct support of the Women's Basketball program and a transformational gift to the Drake Stadium Enhancement, recognized with the naming of the "Sherie and Don Morrison Plaza" at the stadium in 2017.
ย
Designed to make a major, ever-lasting, positive impact on the student-athlete experience for UCLA Track & Field and Women's Basketball, the Morrison's pledge is part of UCLA's Women of Westwood initiative, honoring 50+ years of comprehensive excellence from UCLA female student-athletes and coaches since the creation of Title IX in 1972. The Women of Westwood fundraising initiative allows for alumni, fans and friends of UCLA Athletics to share in the commitment of empowering female student-athletes and coaches both past and present to help build a sustainable future for the women's athletics programs at UCLA. To date, the Women of Westwood initiative has resulted in nearly $12 million in philanthropic support for UCLA's women's athletic teams and student-athletes.
ย
"UCLA's coaches prioritize development of the young women and men for life after sports just as much, if not more so, than winning," stated Don Morrison. "The student-athletes truly areย studentsย as well as athletes. We are blessed to be able to make these gifts as we receive more than we give from the student-athletes and coaches. Sherie and I are proud Bruins indeed!"
ย
"On behalf of UCLA Athletics, I'd like to thank Don and Sherie for their visionary impact on UCLA Athletics both over the past three-plus decades, as well as long into the future through this generous new gift," said Martin Jarmond, UCLA's Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics. "Their support serves as further testament to the lasting impact of investing in the programs that develop our student-athletes."
ย
Now both holding titles of Professor Emeritus from UCLA, Sherie and Don came to UCLA from Columbia University to join the UCLA faculty in 1988. Sherie built an academic career as a world-renowned immunologist while serving as a distinguished research professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics. ย Sherie's patented antibody technology is the basis for medicines used to treat a variety of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and multiple sclerosis. During more than a decade as department chair, Sherie led the successful effort to bring together UCLA's Departments of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, now ranked among the top microbiology departments in the country. Don served as a distinguished professor of marketing with the UCLA Anderson School, authoring or co-authoring more than 90 articles on marketing research and applied statistics. Both have received numerous international honors for their teaching and research, including Don being awarded the highest honor of the American Marketing Association in 2002, when he was named the McGraw-Hill/Irwin Distinguished Educator of the Year. In 2019, the Morrisons were jointly recognized as recipients of the UCLA Medal - the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by UCLA. It is awarded to those who have earned academic and professional acclaim and whose work demonstrates the highest ideals of UCLA.
ย
The Morrisons' connections to intercollegiate athletics date to Don's undergraduate days as a varsity student-athlete at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he excelled as a member of the track & field team, setting numerous school records and serving as team captain. In addition to his service to the UCLA Anderson School of Management, Don also served as UCLA's faculty athletic representative from 1994-2014, a record tenure in the position, mentoring countless student-athletes and championing student-athlete academic welfare and success at the conference and national levels on behalf of UCLA.
ย
"Sherie and Don have already made an incredible impact on this campus and the UCLA Track & Field program, and I'm honored to now hold the title of 'The Sherie L. and Donald G. Morrison UCLA Director of Track & Field/Cross Country," said Anderson. "This gift will impact generations of student-athletes to come for this program, and we couldn't be more grateful for this extraordinary investment in the future of our program."
ย
"This gift is a fantastic affirmation of the impact that philanthropy can have on our mission to mentor, teach and equip our student-athletes for success not only as basketball players, but also as developing students and community members," shared Cori Close, the Michael Price Family UCLA Head Women's Basketball Coach. "Don and Sherie's philanthropy and personal commitment to the success of our student-athletes is second to none, and we truly appreciate this remarkable new commitment to bolster the long-term success of UCLA Women's Basketball."
ย
For more information on Women of Westwood or to support UCLA student-athletes and make a tax-deductible gift, contact the UCLA Athletics Development Office at 310-206-3302 or CLICK HERE.
ย
ย
The deferred gift to UCLA will come from proceeds from the sale of real estate valued at $15.4 million and will be shared equally to benefit four areas of the University: UCLA Athletics, the UCLA College Division of Life Sciences, the UCLA Anderson School of Management and the UCLA Faculty Club. The gift extends the Morrisons' decades of philanthropic support of the UCLA campus that has been their academic and professional home for more than 30 years. The Athletics portion of their new gift builds upon Don and Sherie's already tremendous legacy of philanthropic investment in UCLA Athletics, including well over $1 million in direct support of the Women's Basketball program and a transformational gift to the Drake Stadium Enhancement, recognized with the naming of the "Sherie and Don Morrison Plaza" at the stadium in 2017.
ย
Designed to make a major, ever-lasting, positive impact on the student-athlete experience for UCLA Track & Field and Women's Basketball, the Morrison's pledge is part of UCLA's Women of Westwood initiative, honoring 50+ years of comprehensive excellence from UCLA female student-athletes and coaches since the creation of Title IX in 1972. The Women of Westwood fundraising initiative allows for alumni, fans and friends of UCLA Athletics to share in the commitment of empowering female student-athletes and coaches both past and present to help build a sustainable future for the women's athletics programs at UCLA. To date, the Women of Westwood initiative has resulted in nearly $12 million in philanthropic support for UCLA's women's athletic teams and student-athletes.
ย
"UCLA's coaches prioritize development of the young women and men for life after sports just as much, if not more so, than winning," stated Don Morrison. "The student-athletes truly areย studentsย as well as athletes. We are blessed to be able to make these gifts as we receive more than we give from the student-athletes and coaches. Sherie and I are proud Bruins indeed!"
ย
"On behalf of UCLA Athletics, I'd like to thank Don and Sherie for their visionary impact on UCLA Athletics both over the past three-plus decades, as well as long into the future through this generous new gift," said Martin Jarmond, UCLA's Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics. "Their support serves as further testament to the lasting impact of investing in the programs that develop our student-athletes."
ย
Now both holding titles of Professor Emeritus from UCLA, Sherie and Don came to UCLA from Columbia University to join the UCLA faculty in 1988. Sherie built an academic career as a world-renowned immunologist while serving as a distinguished research professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics. ย Sherie's patented antibody technology is the basis for medicines used to treat a variety of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and multiple sclerosis. During more than a decade as department chair, Sherie led the successful effort to bring together UCLA's Departments of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, now ranked among the top microbiology departments in the country. Don served as a distinguished professor of marketing with the UCLA Anderson School, authoring or co-authoring more than 90 articles on marketing research and applied statistics. Both have received numerous international honors for their teaching and research, including Don being awarded the highest honor of the American Marketing Association in 2002, when he was named the McGraw-Hill/Irwin Distinguished Educator of the Year. In 2019, the Morrisons were jointly recognized as recipients of the UCLA Medal - the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by UCLA. It is awarded to those who have earned academic and professional acclaim and whose work demonstrates the highest ideals of UCLA.
ย
The Morrisons' connections to intercollegiate athletics date to Don's undergraduate days as a varsity student-athlete at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he excelled as a member of the track & field team, setting numerous school records and serving as team captain. In addition to his service to the UCLA Anderson School of Management, Don also served as UCLA's faculty athletic representative from 1994-2014, a record tenure in the position, mentoring countless student-athletes and championing student-athlete academic welfare and success at the conference and national levels on behalf of UCLA.
ย
"Sherie and Don have already made an incredible impact on this campus and the UCLA Track & Field program, and I'm honored to now hold the title of 'The Sherie L. and Donald G. Morrison UCLA Director of Track & Field/Cross Country," said Anderson. "This gift will impact generations of student-athletes to come for this program, and we couldn't be more grateful for this extraordinary investment in the future of our program."
ย
"This gift is a fantastic affirmation of the impact that philanthropy can have on our mission to mentor, teach and equip our student-athletes for success not only as basketball players, but also as developing students and community members," shared Cori Close, the Michael Price Family UCLA Head Women's Basketball Coach. "Don and Sherie's philanthropy and personal commitment to the success of our student-athletes is second to none, and we truly appreciate this remarkable new commitment to bolster the long-term success of UCLA Women's Basketball."
ย
For more information on Women of Westwood or to support UCLA student-athletes and make a tax-deductible gift, contact the UCLA Athletics Development Office at 310-206-3302 or CLICK HERE.
ย
UCLA Football Media Availability - Coach Skipper (Sept. 24, 2025)
Wednesday, September 24
UCLA Football Media Availability - Nico Iamaleava (Sept. 24, 2025)
Wednesday, September 24
UCLA Football Media Availability - Players (Sept. 23, 2025)
Tuesday, September 23
UCLA Football Media Availability - Coach Skipper (Sept. 22, 2025)
Monday, September 22