While both Mrs. Grunigen and her husband, Forest (who passed away in 1999), dedicated their professional lives to the medical field, their interests extended to many other arenas: public policy, literature, creative writing, travel, art and architecture, to name a few. She chose to designate this endowment for the general research collections of the Libraries. She wanted to provide a permanent stream of resources for the Libraries to acquire books and other academic materials across all academic disciplines. It was the only way that all of their diverse intellectual pursuits would be represented.
During her first special viewing of the materials that were selected for purchase through this endowment, Mrs. Grunigen was shown 16 titles that embodied the couple's widespread interests, while meeting the research and instruction needs of the students and faculty at UCI. Materials presented ranged from classical music, to the life of Frank Sinatra and contemporary popular music; from nursing management to treatment strategies for multiple sclerosis; and from genetic research to alternative medicine.
Bibliographers presented the various titles and described the significance of the materials and the research and instruction conducted by the faculty members and students who would use them. John Sisson, Research Librarian for Biological Sciences presented Glowing Genes: A Revolution in Biotechnology by Marc Zimmer and discussed the revolutionary applications of research regarding aquatic and other species that are genetically able to generate glowing light. He also discussed Juvenile Justice in the Making by David S. Tanenhaus and how the research conducted by the scholars in the School of Social Ecology informs juvenile justice policy.
Mrs. Grunigen was delighted with the range and quality of the materials that were presented. “I am very impressed with these books. These are just what I would have chosen, had I been the person to make the selections.” Mrs. Grunigen was so intrigued with them that she immediately checked out three to read at home. “This endowment is a source of exceptional pride for me,” she said. “It is deeply gratifying to know that I have been able to contribute to the intellectual discourse and outstanding research that takes place at UCI.”
For further information about library collection endowments, please contact Library Development at partners@uci.edu or (949) 824-4651.
