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Visionaries | Bertie Bialek Elliott and The Berkshire Foundation
Gifts from longtime CSUMB donor Bertie Bialek Elliott have had a transformative impact on the campus, but she sums up her philanthropic vision in simple terms: “I like to help my grandchildren, and I like to help other people’s grandchildren, too.”
Over the university’s 25-year history, Bertie has contributed to many initiatives: the Women’s Leadership Council and Scholarship Fund, the Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library, the Tri-County Scholarship Fund, and more. Her greatest impact has been on the College of Science.
This emphasis is due in large part to the legacy of her late husband, Hilton Bialek, who cared passionately about preparing local youth for good careers. He felt that science education in particular provided a solid pathway to employment opportunities.
In the university’s early days, Hilton and Bertie supported the construction of the first new academic building, the Chapman Science Academic Center, where a wing is named in their honor. The center is home to some of the university’s fastest growing programs in environmental science, marine science, and biology, as well as math and statistics.
In the coming years, the college will increase its offerings with two additional degree programs in agricultural plant and soil science and mechatronics engineering. These new programs will help meet the workforce demands of the area’s agriculture and burgeoning ag tech industries. To accommodate this expansion, plans are underway for a new academic building, dubbed Science Ⅱ.
When the university approached Bertie with the need for additional space, she was happy to help. “The school has had good leadership in Presidents Ochoa, Harrison, and Smith,” she said. “That’s been important—it’s a tough job. The university is a living animal and thanks to that leadership it is still growing.”
Her gift in support of Science Ⅱ is her largest gift to the university to date, and will help provide additional classrooms, labs and faculty offices for professors and students.
In addition to supporting capital projects and scholarships, Bertie and her daughters—Carolyn, Susan, and Cynthia—have sponsored since 1999, the deeply meaningful Recruitment in Science Education (RISE) program through their Berkshire Foundation.
RISE began as Hilton’s idea. The concept was to prepare underserved local kids to pursue education and careers in science—starting in middle school. They piloted it 20 years ago with 40 seventh graders from Salinas, Seaside, and Marina. The after-school program made science fun while providing students with guidance to complete high school and get into college. If a student remains in RISE through college acceptance, they receive a $1,000 scholarship.
Each year, Bertie attended the culmination ceremony, often with one or more of her daughters. They watched the graduating high schoolers receive their scholarships and read out which college they’d be attending and what they hoped to major in. Through RISE, Bertie and her daughters got a more intimate view of the impact their philanthropy has on the lives of individual students, and how that impact ripples back out to others.
"I’m always knocked out by the student’s show of gratitude to their family and the community that supports them,” said Bertie. “So often they express the desire to come back and help in their own communities. It touches me that they have such lovely feelings toward family and community, and a sense of responsibility to help others."
Thanks to oversight and direction from Professor Sharon Anderson and RISE admissions counselor Eddie Chavez, the program evolved over time. True to scientific method, they kept refining the theory and paying close attention to the results. “We saw what worked and what didn’t,” said Bertie.
They kept the program capped at 40 students per class, but raised the age at which students entered the program and put more emphasis on enlisting the support of the students’ families. “Eddie’s been key in making a connection with the families,” said Bertie. “It’s been a wonderful program.”
In the two decades since RISE began, several new federal programs have been developed with similar aims. Rather than provide duplicative services, RISE is evolving again, and will now help incoming CSUMB students from area high schools bolster their science and math skills over the summer. At its core, RISE remains committed to providing foundational science and math education that prepares local students to succeed in college.
"I believe public education is the backbone of our country. It’s how we keep talent coming up through our society,” said Bertie. “I think it’s a wonderful thing to have this university in our community whose top priority is serving students from this geographic area. To find kids who might not get there otherwise and give them a chance—to open those doors. It makes me very excited to be a part of that."
Through her clear vision and committed leadership, Bertie is having a tremendous impact on a new generation of students.
Bertie Bialek Elliott (far R) with her daughters (L to R): Susan, Cynthia, and Carolyn
