James L.
Easton, chairman and CEO of sports equipment company Jas. D. Easton Inc., has
given $2 million to the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied
Science to fund research on advanced carbon materials for sports equipment and
aerospace applications. Easton
spent five years in the aerospace industry before joining his father, Doug
Easton, in the world's leading aluminum arrow shaft business.

 

Jas D.
Easton Inc. is the world's largest archery company and owns three major
companies in the archery market: Easton Technical Products (arrows, snowshoes
and structural frame tubing for mountaineering tents), Hoyt Archery (recurve
and compound bows) and Delta Sports (targets).

 

A
subsidiary of Jas. D. Easton Inc., Easton Sports was merged with the Riddell, Bell and Giro companies
under the Easton Bell Sports Inc. name and ownership in 2006. Its products include Easton baseball and softball bats, ice-hockey sticks, and
cycling components; Riddell football helmets; and Bell and Giro ski and cycling helmets. Easton
Sports recently introduced a new line of cutting-edge carbon-fiber bats and
hockey sticks.

 

“Few
institutions have the capabilities and expertise of UCLA,” said Easton, who received his
bachelor's degree in engineering from UCLA in 1959. “Few universities can study
carbon nanotubes for sports equipment, conduct leading-edge research in cancer
and Alzheimer's, and be home to over 100 national sports championships.”

 

Easton is a pioneer in the use of carbon
nanotubes for real-world applications. Carbon nanotubes are single or multiple
atomic layers of graphite wound into tubes. Because of their size and
composition, they have unique electrical, mechanical and other physical
properties. Their light weight, strength and resistance to corrosion make them
ideal for use in a variety of applications, including flexible optoelectronic
devices for energy harvesting and energy storage, compressed natural-gas tanks,
and aerospace and sports equipment.

 

“Jim
is a visionary leader,” said Vijay K. Dhir, dean of UCLA Engineering.
“The potential applications of carbon nanotubes are vast, ranging from
nanotechnology, electronics and optics to aerospace and leading-edge sports
equipment. We are thankful for Jim's generous gift to fund research in such a
vital area.”

 

The UCLA
Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, established in 1945,
offers 28 academic and professional degree programs, including an
interdepartmental graduate degree program in biomedical engineering. Ranked
among the top 10 engineering schools at public universities nationwide, the
school is home to five multimillion-dollar interdisciplinary research centers
in wireless sensor systems, nanotechnology, nanomanufacturing and
nanoelectronics, all funded by federal and private agencies.