Proceeds will benefit students and key programs at UC Irvine
More than 850 campus and community members turned out for the University of California, Irvine's single-largest fundraising evening on Saturday - and set a new fundraising record for the event.
The UCI Medal Ceremony, which honored this year's recipients of the UCI Medal - the highest honor bestowed by the university - raised nearly $1.3 million, a 35-percent gain over last year's total. A new record for attendance also was set at the sold-out venue. Proceeds support campus programs such as the UCI Regents' Scholars program and graduate fellowships.
"This year, community leaders joined forces to raise more money than ever in the history of this event," said Chancellor Michael V. Drake. "We thank everyone who made a commitment to support Regents' Scholarships, graduate fellowships and other key campus areas while honoring the distinguished recipients of the 2005 UCI Medal."
The UCI Medal Ceremony, hosted by The UCI Foundation, is one of Orange County's premier events. This year's ceremony was co-chaired by James Mazzo, chairman and CEO of Advanced Medical Optics, and his wife, Kelly, a philanthropist and volunteer in the community. The event was hosted by Chancellor Drake and The UCI Foundation, which is chaired by Doug Freeman.
"Jim and Kelly Mazzo committed time, energy and generous support to make this year's UCI Medal Ceremony more successful than ever before," said Freeman. "Their leadership and enthusiasm were contagious, and I applaud all members of The UCI Foundation for their determined efforts to generate vital support for the university."
The UCI Medal gives formal and lifelong recognition to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the university's mission, spirit and vision. This year's honorees are:
Dr. Thomas Cesario, dean of the UCI School of Medicine, and Mary Cesario, community leader and UCI volunteer, for steadfast support and raising awareness of the School of Medicine since 1971; for serving as UCI ambassadors while meeting with community leaders and foreign dignitaries; and for Dr. Cesario's contributions of teaching, research and patient care to the university.
Walter Fitch, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, for his contributions as one of the most influential evolutionary biologists in the world; for establishing a new scientific field, molecular phylogenetics, while at UCI; and for serving the university's efforts to recruit other world-class faculty by bringing recognition to UCI through his groundbreaking work.
Paul Merage, chairman of Falcon Investment Group and co-founder of Chef America, for his leadership and service to UCI. Merage is a member of the Chief Executive Roundtable, is a frequent lecturer at the business school, and supports scholarships and fellowships for students. The Paul Merage School of Business was named in his honor after he donated a leadership gift.
Janice Smith, community leader and UCI volunteer, for her longtime and unwavering support of UCI's Claire Trevor School of the Arts; for her service on its Dean's Leadership Council; and for her service and support for the New Hospital Campaign, the School of Humanities, the Libraries and the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences.
The UCI Medal was first awarded in 1984, when the medallion went to UCI's founding Chancellor, Daniel G. Aldrich Jr. Since 1984, UCI medalists have included Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, authors, inventors, captains of industry, scientists and pioneers in virtually every field of endeavor. The 2005 event was brought back to campus for the first time since its inception as part of UCI's 40th Anniversary celebration.
About the University of California, Irvine: Celebrating 40 years of innovation, 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 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.