Fielding Receives $1 Million Gift from Alum

Dr. Dianne Kipnes Donation Will Support University Library

Santa Barbara, CA — Fielding Graduate University has received a gift of $1,000,000 from 1998 School of Psychology alum Dianne Kipnes, PhD. The gift will support the university’s library operational needs, including online subscription services, additional volumes on psychodynamic psychotherapy, and books for new masters programs in Couples/Marriage & Family Therapy and Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

“This gift is a wonderful example of alumni who remain committed to the success of the scholarship of our students,” said President Katrina Rogers, “which shows the value of a Fielding education in people’s lives long after they’ve graduated.”

The library will henceforth be named the Dr. Dianne Kipnes Library in recognition of this generous gift.

“I am old enough to experience for myself how theories and practices vary over the decades, but it is very important that we have previous recorded knowledge upon which our theories were based,” said Dr. Kipnes, who was the convocation speaker for Fielding’s summer 2016 graduation ceremony. “It is only then that we can build on those ideas, both rejecting and adopting new concepts, and proceed with our major goal: to help people advance towards a healthier life. Libraries are an essential component of that objective. I am therefore delighted to name this library and contribute towards the learning of future Fielding students.”

Dean of Student Development Dr. Dang agrees. “This is such a wonderful and exciting gift to the Fielding community,” she said. “It will allow us to expand our online databases and provide better access to information to support the research interests of our students and faculty.”

Dr. Kipnes is a clinical psychologist who was in private practice until retiring in 2015. In 2016, she made a generous gift to Fielding to establish The Dianne Kipnes Fund for Social Innovation. The Fund supports projects from Fielding alumni that demonstrate innovation and collaboration for improving the lives of individuals, organizations, or communities.

Last July, Fielding alum Dr. Carrie Arnold, PhD 2017, was selected as the first recipient of the Dianne Kipnes Fund for Social Innovation based on her proposed project, “The Silenced Female Leader: Coaching Women to Find Purposeful Voice.”