About the Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society, and the Environment

Help Bring Global Collaboration to Scripps's Backyard

The Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society, and the Environment (nicknamed the Scripps Seaside Forum) is the fusion of many people's dreams, from descendants of the founding Scripps family, to present and past Scripps researchers and leaders, to the larger community that will be able to share in Scripps's rich intellectual resources. The Scripps Seaside Forum invigorates and renews Scripps' involvement in community life, enhancing the southern entrance and bringing the campus into greater harmony with the surrounding neighborhood.

Through its leadership in ocean and earth science research and education, Scripps has become a world center for scientific cooperation and collaboration. Exchanging ideas is often the key to increased understanding, and, despite advances in technology and widespread use of electronic mail and the Internet, nothing can replace personal, face-to-face communication. Timely, pertinent, and probing exchanges can be the catalyst for transforming intellectual boundaries into frontiers of new scientific knowledge. These exchanges are essential in developing the scientific understanding needed in the search for a sustainable environment and in connecting scientific discovery to decision making.

Who is Robert Paine Scripps?

The son of Scripps Oceanography founder E.W. Scripps and nephew of patroness Ellen Browning Scripps, Robert Paine Scripps (1895-1938) was born and spent his life in the San Diego area. As a youth, he frequently visited the Scripps campus and sailed on its research vessels. Scripps Oceanography survived the depression thanks to Mr. Scripps. Not only did he more than double his family’s support during this period, but Mr. Scripps also made these gifts strategically, arranging for the state of California to match the family’s contributions. After his death, Mr. Scripps’s widow, Margaret Culbertson Scripps, continued to support Scripps Institution and provided operating funds for R/V E.W. Scripps from his estate. Many of Mr. Scripps’s children and grandchildren have become good friends of the institution and continue their family’s legacy of support. 

Why New Meeting Facilities?

Scripps has hosted a number of scientific meetings over the years, but the lack of modern facilities and space has become a significant handicap. Several new programs and centers are being created at Scripps and the demand for meeting space is increasing. The only other auditorium on the Scripps campus, Sumner Hall, is more than 40 years old and is poorly designed to meet the needs of modern scientific meetings. In addition, there are only three other conference rooms capable of holding more than 40 participants. None of these conference spaces have had adequate audiovisual, computer, or teleconferencing capabilities.

What Does the Scripps Seaside Forum Offer?

The  Scripps Seaside Forum addresses the need for modern meeting facilities. It consists of several adjacent buildings with more than 9,000 assignable square feet of meeting and support space. Located south of the Director's Office, the main building of the Scripps Seaside Forum is an auditorium with flexible seating space for 275 persons. Seats from the main floor are removable to accommodate many different types of meetings and events. A balcony with fixed seats and rear-walkway entrances overlooks the main floor of the auditorium, serving as a gallery for students and observers. It has complete multimedia and conferencing capabilities, including a wireless network to allow conference participants to connect to their offices and labs during the meetings.

Four freestanding meeting rooms, each with an ocean view, are next to the auditorium, separated from it by a covered walkway. They, too, have advanced multimedia and networking capabilities. The conference rooms range in size to accommodate from 20 to 100 people. There is abundant space, both inside and out, for interaction among students, scientists, and visitors.

What are the Benefits of the Scripps Seaside Forum?

With this modern conference facility, Scripps is now able to host researchers and decision makers from all over the world. The Scripps Seaside Forum provides a site for scientific planning of multi-institutional and multi-national programs and proposals. There is space for scientific meetings and workshops focusing on particular topics and for site visits from funding agencies. Scripps and UCSD students benefit from interacting with the global scientific community, policy makers, and corporate leaders. Hosting scientific meetings of high consequence enhances Scripps' ability to attract top-flight scientists and students, further strengthening academic and educational excellence. In addition to scientific meetings, the Scripps Seaside Forum also provides a much-needed facility for research symposia, academic classes, public lectures, and other educational gatherings. The Scripps Seaside Forum is a focal point for the continued development of the intellectual capital necessary to accomplish Scripps' mission.

How Can I Help?

Your gift in support of the Scripps Seaside Forum is greatly needed and will be appreciated by Scripps, as well as the global scientific community this facility serves.

Learn More

Have questions about supporting the Scripps Seaside Forum? Scripps Development is happy to help. Call us at (858) 822-1865 or email supportscripps@ucsd.edu.