Sierra Chen, M.A. '93
UCLA Newsroom published a piece honoring Sierra Chen, M.A. '93, detailing her longtime visionary philanthropy supporting the UCLA Olga Radko Endowed Math Circle and describing her life and career path, which brought her to the U.S. from Taipei when she was 14. Chen earned her master's degree in mathematics, then took on the responsibility of running her family’s global business and also taught math part-time at Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College for nearly seven years.
From the Newsroom story:
Over the years, Chen has made a series of significant financial gifts to support the circle, known as ORMC, including a commitment of $1 million in November 2024. But that’s only one aspect of how she has given back to her community.
“It’s inspiring to see what a difference Sierra has made for so many, but she is a very private person,” said Andrew Atkeson, UCLA’s Stanley M. Zimmerman Professor of Economics. “People at UCLA always want to celebrate her for everything she’s done, but she would rather keep the spotlight on the work she supports...”
“Her gifts are our lifeline, especially since the circle and summer programs have grown so much; it’s thanks to her generosity we now have a string of very strong postdocs and a great associate director,” said Oleg Gleizer, director of the ORMC. “And through it all, Sierra remains so nice and business-focused.”
One of the many ways Chen also helps is through longtime service as a member of the ORMC steering committee. Using her business acumen, Chen has offered budgetary guidance and helped establish internal procedures early on that have ensured it runs smoothly...
When she was 14, her parents sent her to the U.S. to complete her education. Although they arranged for her to live with family friends and even stayed with her for a couple of months to help her settle in, they eventually had to return home.
Left largely on her own to navigate a new country and — perhaps even more daunting, freshman year of high school — Chen faced the moment with the resolve that would one day make her a cool-headed businesswoman.
“I was a bit scared, but I made a silent vow to myself that there was no turning back: I knew I had to make a life here,” she said. “And so I did.”
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