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UC Berkeley Receives $252 Million From Donor To Build 'Data Hub' Facility

BERKELEY (CBS SF) – UC Berkeley has received its largest donation ever in its more than 150 year history, to fund a new data-science facility.

The gift of $252 million all came from an anonymous donor.

Cal officials say the "Data Hub" will be located on an open space on Hearst Avenue, just north of Koshland hall. The facility is expected to include laboratories, work and teaching spaces, plus an auditorium.

"The Data Hub will be a magnet, bringing together scholars from disciplines across campus to forge new collaborations and take on some of the most critical questions facing society today," said Jennifer Chayes, the assistant provost for the Division of Data Science and Information and the Dean of the School of Information.

The university said data science is the school's fastest-growing major, with more than 6,000 undergraduates.

No word on when construction would begin.

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