UC Merced Magazine - Volume XVII, Issue 3

» FRED AND

MITZIE RUIZ: INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

Fred Ruiz deliver sthekeynotea dd ressatthe2022 Spring Co m mencement. Image by Veronica Adrover, UCMerced

By Francesca Dinglasan, UC Merced

Since UCMerced's earliest days, Fred andMitzie Ruiz have believed in the transformative effects a major research and teaching institution could have on the Central Valley. "We are very underserved, especially in higher education and medical services,"Mitzie Ruiz said. "If we can get more kids in college and help them with their hardships, we have a better chance of them staying here." The Ruizes are devoted Valley natives and have long championed the success of local students, establishing numerous endowments at UCMerced to provide greater higher education access and opportunities to scholars. That's why they established the Fred andMitzie Ruiz Endowed Scholarship to provide comprehensive, multi-year financial support to incoming and transfer students who hail from the Valley or from out-of-state counties in which Fred's family business, Ruiz Foods, has operations. This new scholarship program represents the largest donation ever made to the university from a family, with Chancellor Juan SanchezMufioz unveiling the Ruizes' $15 million gift at Illuminate, an event in October that celebrated the public launch of Boldy Forward, UC Merced's first comprehensive fundraising campaign. Mufioz also announced the university's intention to name the administration and enrollment services building the Fred andMitzie Ruiz Administration Center in tribute to the donors' legacy of generosity, leadership and advocacy. That's just one of the numerous accolades the Ruiz family has received for their generosity, commitment and service in support of their beloved community and region.They also were honored by UCMerced as part of the campus's Celebration of Philanthropic Leaders, and Fred Ruiz is a recipient of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education's (CASE) James L. Fisher Award for Distinguished Service to Education for his contributions to educational initiatives in the San Joaquin Valley.The Fisher Award recognizes extraordinary service in education and the field of educational advancement The Ruizes' substantial contributions to UCMerced- through both philanthropy and service- span several decades. Fred Ruiz, who is chairman emeritus and

co-founder of Ruiz Foods, is a founding member of the UC Merced Foundation Board ofTrustees and served as regent on the University of California's governing board from 2004 to 2016. In addition to being the lead donors in establishing a $1 million UCMerced Foundation Board ofTrustees Presidential endowed chair to recognize an outstanding scholar at the campus, the couple created the Ruiz Family Chair in Entrepreneurship to support teaching, research and public service in entrepreneurship and related disciplines. The entrepreneurial spirit is a key part of the Ruiz family story. Fred Ruiz's father, Louis, and his brothers first opened a tortilleria in the late 1950s. Fred and his father teamed up to form Ruiz Foods in 1964, growing a humble business that started in a small warehouse to what it is today- the nation's top manufacturer of frozenMexican foods and the largest private employer inTulare County. That pioneering spirit is part of why the Ruizes feel an affinity toward the newest UC campus - the students are forging their own paths into the future. The Ruizes also recognize the rich cultural and socioeconomic diversity of UCMerced and the Central Valley and have created their endowments to ensure students have resources to help them pursue their academic and professional development goals. The Fred andMitzie Ruiz Endowed Fellowship specifically supports graduate students who contribute to the diversity of the campus, and the Rose R. Ruiz Endowed Scholarship and Fellowship Fund provides financial aid to highly promising scholars who face obstacles, such as being first-generation college students or meeting eligibility standards under the California Dream Act.The endowment was named for Fred Ruiz's mother, who inspired and encouraged her children to realize their dreams - reflecting the Ruizes' hopes for UCMerced students. "The Valley has benefitted greatly from a UC campus - it has contributed to our growth and helped our students," Fred Ruiz said. "My personal goal is to help UCMerced to grow, but I'm most interested in how its presence helps the region continue to develop and benefits the students."

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