This article appeared in Catalyst Magazine, Spring 2024
Photo left to right: Bobby Sheng, Douglas Clark, Charlotte Kuo.
Bora Pharmaceuticals CEO Bobby Sheng ’94, along with his wife Charlotte Kuo, recently made a significant gift to support Heathcock Hall, the new state-of-the art facility that will house UC Berkeley’s College of Chemistry. Construction on the new building, which will be located at Gayley Road and University Drive, is scheduled to begin this year. To honor this generous commitment, the first floor of Heathcock Hall will be named Sheng Commons.
On November 8, at the Regent Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan, a group of UC Berkeley friends and alums gathered to celebrate the signing of the gift agreement. There, Sheng sat down with Lauren Haney, the College of Chemistry’s senior assistant dean of development, for a conversation about his engagement with Berkeley, his decision to support Heathcock Hall, and why it is important to gather Berkeley alums in every corner of the world. Below we share a lightly edited version of their conversation.
LAUREN HANEY: Tell us a bit about your background and what led you to attend Berkeley.
BOBBY SHENG: I grew up in Orange County. I visited one summer, and I was just in awe of the campus. What stood out was the diversity, how everybody just kind of accepted everybody for who they were. As an undergrad, I loved the way everybody co-existed together.
One of the biggest clubs in Berkeley at the time was the Young Republicans Club, believe it or not. We had People's Park, nudist rallies, conservative rallies, and everybody just coexisted.
LH: That's awesome. So what led to your decision to support the College of Chemistry in Heathcock Hall with this gift? And when you envision Sheng Commons, what do you see?
BS: Well, obviously the College of Chemistry is one of the most prestigious colleges, I would say in the world, but especially in the chemistry community. But the reason why I'm so honored to contribute to the College of Chemistry is that I felt it was imperative to continue that legacy, and considering how competitive it is now as a public university, I think we need to contribute as much as we can. Specifically, we need to keep it at the forefront of the next generation of innovation, which is definitely in chemistry and biochemistry. We talk about AI, but the continuation of humanity really relies on the next generation of innovators, who are hopefully going to gather in a place like Sheng Commons.
LH: Great! Tell us a bit about serving as president of the Berkeley Club of Taiwan. What are some of the highlights of your experience with the club and why is it important to gather Berkeley alums and friends in Taiwan?
BS: Okay, I think for that question, I want to start with this gift would not have existed without the Berkeley Club of Taiwan. I think it's really important for any institution, but especially Berkeley, with the success of all of our alumni, to continue to reach out and let them know that the alumni community is the extension of their college experience. What I experienced was the leaders before me bringing me into the alumni association and helping me understand where Berkeley is now and understand my role as an alum. That's what the alumni association does. It allows us to have a commonality amongst each other and it's almost a fraternity in a way.
LH: Is there anyone in particular in the Berkeley Club of Taiwan or at Berkeley or in general in your life who influenced you to make this particular gift to the college?
BS: Oh, easy. Steve Pan. He's been my personal friend for more than thirty years. When I started branching out into the business that I have now, he was my mentor. He guided me through the process. He said, you can be the president of this Berkeley club. He is the sole reason, to be honest with you.
LH: What advice would you offer to young people, including Berkeley students, who seek to emulate your career or follow a similar path?
BS: For Berkeley? Students, tap into the network! It's not as, I would say, organized or as chummy as a lot of the Ivy Leagues may be. But there are people like me, like Steve, and all the presidents that really have an affiliation with and an affinity for Berkeley. So, reach out to that organizer, that network will guide you in your career path. Just like Steve guided me, I'm guiding some young students. But for young people in general, I would say I would never consider myself successful. It's a journey. Success is sort of an endpoint, which you don't really have in business. But I would say number one, always believe in yourself. A key phrase that I have had on my computer every day for the last fifteen years, since I started Bora, was why not me?
This is a condensed version of the story. Read the full story on the Berkeley Inspire website.