State and local officials joined community leaders Monday at the State Capitol to welcome Sir Nigel Thrift, Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Warwick in Coventry and Warwickshire, England, to California to further cement a partnership to develop a teaching and research campus for the University of Warwick in Placer County.

“This is a momentous occasion,” said Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Nielsen), who represents Roseville and the surrounding area in the State Legislature. “This private university will complement our local public universities and colleges to make the Greater Sacramento area a world-class destination for higher education opportunities. I look forward to the groundbreaking, and more importantly, the first students walking to class.”

City of Roseville Council Member Tim Herman added, “The University of Warwick is known for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, a campus with Warwick's focus will bolster our economy and create jobs. I believe the addition of the University of Warwick to Placer County will improve our quality of life for generations to come.”

Envisioned by the University Development Trust and through the generosity of its donors, the campus hopes to be home to 6,000 students by 2031.

The University Development Trust is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization whose marquee project is to develop a world class teaching and research university on the 1,159 acres it received as a donation from the Angelo K. and Sofia Tsakopoulos Family, William and Claudia Cummings, the Wayne L. Prim Family and more than 40 partners in the Placer 2780 Partnership. The Trust is providing 600 acres of land for the campus.