University of California President James B. Milliken has presented the UC Presidential Medal to Joan and Sanford I. Weill in recognition of their significant service and support to the university in arts and sciences.
The UC Presidential Medal is the highest honor given by the university. The award was presented during the 2025 Future of the Brain Summit at UC San Francisco on October 29, marking ten years since the founding of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences.
The event included participation from chancellors and senior leaders from UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC San Francisco, as well as former UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D., and Brenda Drake.
“Joan and Sandy’s enormously thoughtful and generous spirit is laser-focused, practical, passionate and future-focused,” said Milliken during the ceremony. “They embody and inspire the ethos of public service that makes the University of California what it is. There are no two people more deserving of the University of California’s deepest appreciation than Sandy and Joan Weill.”
Joan and Sandy Weill have contributed over $1 billion to educational and cultural institutions over seven decades, including substantial gifts to UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC San Francisco.
Their involvement with the University of California includes leadership roles on several advisory boards: they have served on the UC Berkeley Board of Visitors, participated in the UC Davis Chancellors’ Advisory Board, been members of the UCSF Foundation Board of Directors, and joined UCSF Health Executive Council. Their donations have helped advance research in science and medicine across these campuses.
The UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences was established with a $185 million donation from the Weills. The institute brings together researchers and physicians to address complex brain challenges. Led by Stephen Hauser, M.D.—who received a 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences—the institute funds high-risk research projects while supporting early-career faculty members and graduate students.
Additionally, a $100 million matching grant from the Weill Family Foundation supports the new Weill Cancer Hub West—a collaboration between UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Stanford Cancer Institute—to promote discovery in cancer treatment development.
“Joan and Sandy Weill’s partnership, extraordinary in scale and enduring in purpose, has helped us reimagine what’s possible,” said UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood. “Their friendship has sustained our pursuit of a better future, and their commitment has turned dreams into real and tangible breakthroughs.”
The couple also supported multi-institutional collaborations like The Weill Neurohub—founded with a $106 million gift—which involves researchers from multiple universities working on treatments for neurological diseases.
At UC Berkeley, their support extends to Cal Performances arts programming aimed at broadening cultural access. “Sandy and Joan have been outstanding partners for many years,” said Rich Lyons, Chancellor at Berkeley. “Their leadership…and enthusiasm for sustaining…Cal Performances are vitally important to our university….UC Berkeley would not be [the] epicenter of innovation…without [their] support….”
The Weills’ philanthropy includes veterinary medicine at UC Davis where their contributions fund clinical trials such as one involving immunotherapy for metastatic oral melanoma in dogs; this work benefits both animal health outcomes—like that seen with Lola—and broader scientific discovery through translational medicine research endowments created by their giving.
They have personal ties as clients: when their dog Angel fell ill she participated in a trial at UC Davis which improved her quality-of-life while advancing research efforts benefiting other animals.
“Joan and Sandy’s deeply held commitment to improving health…leads them to champion not only human medicine but animal medicine as well…” stated Gary S. May, Chancellor at Davis.
Sandy Weill’s career includes serving as president at American Express before becoming chair/CEO at Citigroup; he currently chairs both his family foundation as well as other organizations supporting education nationwide such as National Academy Foundation (NAF). He holds honorary positions at Carnegie Hall among others.
Joan Weill served fourteen years leading Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (now named after her), advocates women’s health initiatives through New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center affiliations—and contributes leadership across multiple philanthropic organizations focused on meals delivery programs for seniors.
Together they have received awards including Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy (2009), Kennedy Center Award for Human Spirit (2017), Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy (2022).
