August 1, 2025
Berkeley’s Aerospace Engineering program is thrilled to announce a $3 million gift by C. Bryan Cameron to establish an endowed faculty position in the college. This generous endowment will enable the new Cameron Family Leadership Chair in Aerospace Engineering, an administrative chair to be held by the program’s faculty director.
The gift, coming three years after the launch of Berkeley Engineering’s aerospace engineering undergraduate major, will provide critical support for instructional and other educational activities of the Aerospace Engineering program. As of Fall 2025, there are 210 undergraduate students majoring in aerospace engineering, with the first cohort expected to graduate in May 2026. In addition, the Aerospace Engineering program is expanding its research and teaching profile, with plans to hire six new faculty members who will define the next era of Berkeley Engineering’s leadership in the aerospace engineering sector.
“It is an honor to make this gift in support of the Aerospace Engineering program at UC Berkeley,” said Cameron. “In my philanthropy, I try to invest in institutions and people who are determined to achieve excellence in their endeavors. It is evident to me that the administration within the College of Engineering, the faculty, and students are exceptional and capable of building an Aerospace Engineering program to be recognized as the best in the nation in support of developing future leaders in civilian and defense aerospace. This is important work for the university and the nation, and I hope others will consider joining in support of this endeavor.”
Panos Papadopoulos, the founding faculty director of UC Berkeley’s Aerospace Engineering program, will be the first faculty to hold the new administrative chair.
“We are indebted to Bryan Cameron for his generous support of our program and for his unwavering commitment to Berkeley’s academic excellence,” said Papadopoulos. “This is an extraordinary time of growth in aerospace engineering, and Bryan’s gift will make an immediate impact on the education of our students.”
The aerospace engineering major was established to meet a growing demand for professional engineers and researchers with a broad agenda to support government and industry initiatives in sustainable aviation, autonomous flight, and space exploration, among others, in line with Berkeley’s long-standing commitment to academic excellence and service to the state and the nation.