Aaron S. Cohen, a Southern California engineering entrepreneur and an influential and generous supporter of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, died on March 21. A member of the graduating class of 1958, he was 77.

 

The founder of National Technical Systems, Inc., Cohen supported his alma mater with generous contributions and years of service on various boards and committees. He and his wife, Nancy D. Cohen, made gifts to the school in excess of $2.1 million.

 

The Cohens created the Nancy D. and Aaron S. Cohen Engineering Scholarship, providing much-needed financial assistance to talented UCLA Engineering undergraduate students of limited means.

 

Cohen was a UCLA Chancellor's Associate, a UCLA Foundation Governor and a member of the Dean's Advisory Council of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. He also served on the boards of the UCLA Engineering Institute for Technology Advancement and the Engineering Alumni Association. In 2012 he was named the UCLA Engineering Alumnus of the Year.