IRVINE -- With the goal of sparking discoveries in medicine, the environment and sustainable energy, UC Irvine is launching a $1 billion fundraising effort. The effort aims to foster economic and cultural opportunities and produce a new generation of leaders who will drive growth and development in California.
The "Shaping the Future Campaign" was announced Oct. 4 at an annual gala honoring recipients of the university's highest honor, the Medal. More than 800 campus donors and friends attended the celebration at the Bren Events Center.
"The challenges we face in the world today have not overwhelmed hope, and solutions can be found. That's what great universities do," said Chancellor Michael V. Drake, M.D. as he announced the initiative that will raise $1 billion by 2015.
The announcement kicks off the public phase of the campaign. The quiet phase, which took place during the past three years, has generated more than $405 million of the $1 billion goal. The campaign also launched a new Web site, www.UCIFuture.com, to tell the stories of community leaders, alumni, students, parents and faculty who are involved in the campaign.
"We are one of the best public universities in America, and more students want to come to UC Irvine than ever before," Drake said. "We've just completed our new hospital, which already is ranked among America's best. We have half-a-billion in capital improvements under way for our students, and we're opening the first new public law school in California in more than 40 years. I can't imagine a more exciting time to be at UC Irvine."
The campaign will raise private support for scholarships and graduate fellowships; add new buildings, equipment and labs; create and enhance academic programs; and fuel interdisciplinary collaborations to address global challenges. It also provides funding for campuswide priorities, including attracting and retaining world-renowned faculty.
The campaign will end on Dec. 31, 2015. The university ended the 2007-08 fiscal year with a record-breaking $130 million in gifts and pledges -- the third consecutive year the university has seen donors contribute more than $100 million.
"Our campus is an innovative and dynamic university, and it is also among the youngest universities ever to embark on a $1 billion fundraising campaign," said Thomas J. Mitchell, vice chancellor of University Advancement and president of the University of California, Irvine Foundation. "Our alumni and friends are helping us take on issues that matter to all of us every day, such as improving healthcare, developing sustainable energy solutions and ensuring that California remains competitive in the world economy. We are very grateful to our supporters for helping us meet today's challenges and prepare the next generation of leaders."
The announcement was made at UCI's largest annual fundraising event, "A Celebration of Stars -- The Medal Awards," Oct. 4. The gala, attended by campus and community members, included entertainment by the Pacific Symphony; Grammy nominated beach band, Papa Doo Run Run; student performers from the Claire Trevor School of the Arts; and Kaba Modern -- a campus dance troupe whose members were finalists on the nationally syndicated television show, "America's Best Dance Crew."
This year's event broke a new fundraising record with more than $2 million generated in gifts and pledges, net proceeds of which will benefit key campus programs, such as the Regents' Scholars program and graduate fellowships.
The gala celebrated the recipients of this year's Medal awards, which annually give formal and lifelong recognition to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the university's mission, spirit and vision.
This year's honorees are:
• Carol and Ralph Cicerone, an academic power couple known for their devotion to UCI. They came to UCI in 1989, and by the time they departed in 2005, when Ralph became president of the National Academy of Sciences, they had left an indelible mark upon the campus. Ralph was UCI's fourth chancellor and is a renowned atmospheric chemist whose research on the role of chlorine in destroying stratospheric ozone was recognized in the citation for the 1995 Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to UCI professor F. Sherwood Rowland. Carol, a respected professor of cognitive sciences, served on the Academic Senate Committee on Research and the UC Committee on Research Policy while at UCI.
• James Mazzo, chairman and chief executive officer of Advanced Medical Optics, a global ophthalmic medical device company. At UCI, he is a Foundation trustee, a member of the Chancellor's Club and Engineering Advisory Board, and he chairs the capital campaign to establish the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute -- a new research, education and treatment facility. He and his wife Kelly co-chaired the 2005 Medal event, which set a fundraising record at the time.
• Stanley van den Noort, a pioneer in multiple sclerosis education, research and patient care. He came to UCI in 1970 as professor and chief of neurology, and built the department from the ground up, later serving as the dean of what is now the School of Medicine. An active volunteer for the Multiple Sclerosis Society for many years, he has served the organization as member and chair of the Medical Advisory Board, chair of the Clinical Care Committee, and co-chair of the Long-term Care Committee.
This year, the Medal event was held over the course of two evenings. To honor UCI's past awardees, "A Parade of Medalists" was held at the Irvine Barclay Theatre Oct. 3 and included entertainment by world-renowned clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, whose music was brought to life in spontaneous paintings and animations by Kevork Mourad.
A Celebration of Stars -- The Medal Awards is one of Orange County's premier events and was co-chaired this year by Salma and Hazem Chehabi, M.D. The Medal Awards event was hosted at UCI's Bren Events Center by Chancellor Drake and the University of California, Irvine Foundation.
"With Salma's and Hazem's leadership, and the incredible dedication of our volunteer committee, this year's Medal celebration was a tremendous success," said Mitchell, who assisted with the presentations. "We broke the event fundraising records, for the sixth straight year, and we have increased vital support for the university's students and programs."
The Medal was first awarded in 1984, when the medallion went to the campus's founding chancellor, Daniel G. Aldrich Jr. Since then, medalists have included Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, authors, inventors, industry leaders, scientists and pioneers in virtually every field of endeavor.
About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 27,000 undergraduate and graduate students and nearly 2,000 faculty members. The third-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.6 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.
News Radio: UCI maintains on campus an ISDN line for conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. The use of this line is available free-of-charge to radio news programs/stations who wish to interview UCI faculty and experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and approval by the university.
UC Irvine maintains an online directory of faculty available as experts to the media. To access, visit http://today.uci.edu/news/experts.asp.
For information about the campaign, go to www.UCIFuture.com