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 Keck Graduate Institute logo | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Established | 1997; 28 years ago (1997) |
| Endowment | $67.1 million (2020)[1] |
| President | Mohamed Abousalem |
| Students | 617[2] |
| Location | , U.S. |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors |
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| Affiliations | Claremont Colleges |
| Website | www |
 | |
Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) is aprivategraduate school inClaremont, California, United States. Founded byHenry Riggs and David Galas[3][4] in 1997, it is the seventh and newest member of theClaremont Colleges.
Henry Riggs, then president ofHarvey Mudd College, established the institute in 1997 to address what he perceived as a lack of scientists trained to convert new scientific discoveries into practical uses. He also became the institute's first president, serving until 2003.[5] Co-founder David J. Galas served as the Chief Academic and Scientific Officer, Dean of the Faculty, and Norris Professor of Applied Life Sciences.[6]
The decision to establish Keck Graduate Institute as a seventhClaremont College was met with some opposition, particularly from faculty of the other Claremont Colleges who objected to its lack oftenure, and environmentalists who opposed its plans to build a campus next to theBernard Field Station, an area of undevelopedscrubland. The environmental issue was largely settled when KGI decided to establish its campus at a different location, and other opposition gradually faded.[verification needed][5][7]
The institute received a $50 million endowment from theW. M. Keck Foundation, after which it was named. It awarded its first Master ofBioscience degree in 2002.[5]
In 2003,Sheldon Schuster became the second president in the institute's history and in 2023, announced his retirement. Schuster took over from Riggs, who became chairman of the school's board of trustees. Schuster is a biochemist who previously served as director of theUniversity of Florida's biotechnology research program.[8] In 2024, Keck Graduate Institute's Board of Trustees named Mohamed Abousalem as KGI's third president.[9]
Academic programs at KGI are organized into three schools: Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences, School of Health Sciences, and School of Pharmacy. Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of theWestern Association of Schools and Colleges.[10] The School of Pharmacy is accredited by theAccreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).[11] In August 2019, KGI appointedJ. Mario Molina as dean of the new School of Medicine.[12]
KGI also has aMaster of Science in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling program accredited by Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling.[13]
KGI maintains four research centers: the Center for Rare Disease Therapies,[14] the Center for Biomarker Research[citation needed], the Science Heritage Center[citation needed] and the Amgen Bioprocessing Center. The Amgen Bioprocessing Center was funded by a 2004 grant of $2 million to KGI fromAmgen, a pharmaceutical company based inThousand Oaks, California.
On December 28, 2016, KGI announced a plan to start a Master of Science in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling program funded by an additional $1.5 million grant from Amgen.[15]
Ionian Technologies was founded in 2000,[citation needed] and was the first spin-off company to commercialize technology developed at KGI.[16] Ionian focuses on molecular diagnostics for emerging and infectious diseases,[17] and in 2004 was awarded a contract to develop a handheld biothreat detector using isothermal amplification of DNA.[18] Other KGI startups include Zuyder Pharmaceuticals and Claremont BioSolutions.[citation needed]
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| # | Image | Name | Term start | Term end | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Henry E. Riggs | 1997 | July 14, 2003 | |
| 2 |  | Sheldon Schuster | July 15, 2003 | June 30, 2024 | [19][20] |
| 3 |  | Mohamed Abousalem | July 1, 2024 | present | [9][21][22] |
34°05′34″N117°43′23″W / 34.092796°N 117.723042°W /34.092796; -117.723042
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