Palm Desert Graduate Center

History of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center

The University of California has been active in the Coachella Valley for nearly 100 years.

In 1998, UC Riverside administrators had an idea to establish a Desert Water Institute in the Coachella Valley. Seeking funding, they approached internationally-famous desert entrepreneur and water resource advocate Richard J. Heckmann to see if he might be interested in donating to the cause. Heckmann was indeed interested in working with the university, but countered with an idea of his own, one that would promote growth of entrepreneurship in the Coachella Valley.

Heckmann envisioned a graduate degree center focused on training new executives by combining faculty expertise with real-world knowledge. University officials met his vision with a complete proposal delineating all facets of a proposed graduate center from acquisition of real estate through facility and academic program planning. The facility would be known as the Richard J. Heckmann International Center for Entrepreneurial Management and it would be the anchor building of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center.

Heckmann’s $6 million gift and the acquisition by UCR of a 20-acre parcel of land from the City of Palm Desert at the corner of Cook Street and Frank Sinatra Drive marked the start of the project. A second building on the site was planned following a commitment of an additional $10 million by then-Governor Gray Davis. On April 15, 2005, the buildings were completed and opening ceremonies were held.

Classes began in September 2005 for students in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts programs. A low-residency version of the MFA launched in fall 2008 and an Executive MBA will debut in fall 2009.

In 2006, the center began implementing a series of programs designed to enhance the breadth of offerings and build greater community engagements. These included the creation of community programs, strategic alliances, and events and appearances of guest speakers to complement the graduate level academic programs. The center is also now home to university researchers in conservation biology and Native American studies.