An anonymous donor has committed to a $9.2 million gift to the University of Hawaii to fund scholarships and support programs and projects in the sciences and culinary arts, the UH Foundation announced Wednesday.

"It’s almost a dream come true, to see these areas where we have national and international expertise, now finally have support for the people in those units to expand and become really the best of the best," said Donna Vuchinich, president and CEO of the foundation.

The donor, who has been giving to UH for the past decade, made the deferred gift as part of an estate plan, Vuchinich said, and funds will be given to UH upon the donor’s death.

One thing the gift will do is establish and support a UH systemwide scholarship fund for undergraduates, particularly those from underrepresented groups.

"This gift will greatly help students on their personal and academic journeys," John Morton, vice president for community colleges, said in a news release. "For many of the students, this means entering the system through the community colleges and then transferring to a baccalaureate institution if a four-year degree is their chosen path.

"Without scholarship support," he said, "many students, particularly our underrepresented groups, find the transition from affordable community colleges to the more expensive baccalaureate institutions overwhelming."

The foundation provides about $10 million in scholarships from private donations to UH system students annually, Vuchinich said.

The gift will also help fund construction of the Culinary Institute of the Pacific’s new seven-building facility at Diamond Head for advanced culinary training.

Morton said the approximately $34 million project, which has been in the works for more than a decade,could break ground as soon as early next year for possible completion in 2015.

The main dining room of the facility’s signature restaurant will be named in honor of the donor.

The gift will also support the construction of the Hawaiian Rare Plant Program conservation lab at the Lyon Arboretum, and provide funding for scholars and research in astronomy, microbial oceanography and geriatric medicine at UH-Manoa.

"It’s our whole world, all of humanity and our quality of life that the donor is really making the investment in," Vuchinich said. "From the oceans, to space, to our flora and fauna, to the quality of our health, the quality of our food, and then investing in the people in terms of students and faculty, it doesn’t get much better than this. It’s very inspiring."