The University of California, Irvine’s Samueli School of Engineering has received a major philanthropic pledge from Hoang Nhu, CEO and founder of NousLogic Telehealth, and his sister Thuc Trinh Thi Nhu M.D., co-founder with Hoang of Eye-AI Inc. The donation will support the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science’s key priorities.
The contribution establishes the Nhu Family Endowed Fund, which will provide ongoing flexible support for the department. This endowment is intended to help department leaders pursue projects focused on interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. In recognition of this gift, the department will be renamed the Hoang Nhu Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
“This is an exciting moment for the Samueli School of Engineering,” said Magnus Egerstedt, the Stacey Nicholas Dean of Engineering. “We want to ensure that what happens in our labs and classrooms has real-world impact. The Nhu family’s generosity directly supports our ability to move ideas from lab to market – where innovations can improve lives here in Orange County and beyond.”
The department currently serves nearly 1,700 students and is internationally recognized for research in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, wireless communications, embedded systems, circuits and devices, bioelectronics, and computer architecture.
Hoang Nhu has over 30 years’ experience in technology companies including Broadcom and Hewlett-Packard. He holds several patents related to digital signal processing and system-on-chip design. His company NousLogic Telehealth developed an AI-based remote patient monitoring platform combining wearable sensors with smart medication dispensing technology.
Eye-AI Inc., co-founded by Hoang Nhu with his sister Thuc Trinh Thi Nhu M.D., an ophthalmologist who graduated from UC Irvine’s School of Medicine in 1993, focuses on using AI-based retinal imaging techniques to screen for diabetic retinopathy. These methods are also being explored for detecting other diseases such as cardiovascular conditions or Alzheimer’s disease.
Thuc Trinh Thi Nhu currently serves as an assistant clinical professor in ophthalmology at UC Irvine after completing her medical residency at UCI Medical Center.
Reflecting on their background as refugees who left Saigon fifty years ago before settling in the United States, Hoang Nhu said: “We are bestowing this gift at a meaningful time, on the anniversary of beginning our new life, and in celebration of achieving our American dream. We want to now create new opportunities for the next generation.”
The naming gift comes as the department has improved its national ranking over recent years. The new endowment aims to encourage further philanthropic support while advancing engineering innovation both regionally and globally.
According to university officials, funds from this endowment will help integrate artificial intelligence across various disciplines within science and engineering research at UC Irvine. Areas expected to benefit include medical technologies and autonomous systems development.
“Hoang understands how innovations take shape and how they reach the world,” Egerstedt said. “Our partnership with the Nhu family will allow the Samueli School to push boundaries, train future leaders and accelerate discoveries that address society’s greatest challenges.”
UC Irvine was founded in 1965; it is a member of the Association of American Universities with more than 36,000 students enrolled across 224 degree programs. The university contributes significantly to Orange County’s economy each year through employment opportunities as well as research output (www.uci.edu).
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