Sheldon Schuster
President, Keck Graduate Institute
Just 32 miles from Los Angeles, Claremont is a small city situated in the Pomona Valley, at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. The city is well-known for its lush greenery, charming tree-lined streets, and elegant historic architecture. Along with the serene beauty of mountain peaks and trees, Claremont also hosts some of the nation's most highly respected educational and cultural institutions. Graduates and research scholars, smitten by the foliage, the abundance of parks, and the downtown village area, often make Claremont their permanent home. It’s no wonder, as this city was nicknamed "The City of Trees and PhDs!”
Proud to be one of the seven Claremont Colleges is Keck Graduate Institute, otherwise known as KGI. Founded in 1997, by Henry E. Riggs, then President of Harvey Mudd College, KGI was established to serve the need for scientists and engineers to help translate basic scientific discoveries into practical applications to improve the health of people.
KGI was founded through a generous $50 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation and received a tremendous boost from the same to lead the way forward. Henry E. Riggs became KGI’s founding President and guided the institution through its first seven years. Today, under the direction of President Sheldon Schuster, KGI continues to grow—both in terms of its number of enrolled students and its reputation for excellence—and it represents The Claremont Colleges’ first entry into graduate-level, application-based scientific research and education. In fact, it remains the only graduate institute in the country with this sole focus.
At the core of every function is KGI’s mission statement: “To enrich society with breakthrough approaches to education and translational research in the life sciences.” To that end, KGI ensures excellence in the areas of life science with an entrepreneurial approach and an emphasison hands-on industry experience. With a wealth of industry connections, KGI introduces new pathways for students to become leaders within healthcare and the applied life sciences. Through its three schools of academics: Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and the Minerva Schools at KGI, the Institute offers innovative postgraduate degrees and certificates that integrate life and