Ceremony concludes two days of celebration, including inaugural symposium

In a time-honored tradition, Michael V. Drake, M.D., will be officially inaugurated as UC Irvine's fifth chancellor during a campus ceremony Friday, April 7.

Open to the public, the 2-3:30 p.m. ceremony at the Bren Events Center will be attended by regents, governmental officials, faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members. Presiding will be Gerald L. Parsky, chair of the University of California Board of Regents. UC President Robert C. Dynes will perform the investiture.

U.S. Surgeon General Richard C. Carmona will be keynote speaker.

Also honoring Drake, a special inaugural symposium will take place 1-3 p.m., Thursday, April 6. Titled "The University and Society in the 21st Century," the symposium at the Irvine Barclay Theatre will feature Francisco J. Ayala, University Professor and Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences; Nohema Fernández, dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts and professor of music; Dr. Daniel Lowenstein, UC San Francisco vice chair and professor of neurology and director of physician-scientist training programs; James L. McGaugh, research professor and founding director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory; Henry Samueli, chairman and chief technical officer of Broadcom Corp.; and Ngugi wa Thiong'o, director of the International Center for Writing and Translation and Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature.

The symposium also is open the public. Both events are free and will be followed by receptions.

Drake, 55, became chancellor of the university July 1, 2005, taking the helm from Ralph J. Cicerone, who had served the preceding seven years.* Prior to his appointment as chancellor, Drake served as University of California vice president for health affairs, overseeing education and research activities at UC's 15 health sciences schools, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, public health, optometry and veterinary medicine. In that capacity, he also oversaw the UC Special Research Programs, including research on tobacco-related diseases, breast cancer and HIV/AIDS; the California/Mexico Health Initiative and the California Health Benefits Review Program.

Prior to his appointment in the Office of Health Affairs, Drake was Steven P. Shearing Professor of Ophthalmology and the senior associate dean for admissions and extramural academic programs at the UC San Francisco School of Medicine. In this role, he was responsible for the school's admissions process and educational outreach programs; he also served as a clinician, physician-scientist and teacher.

Drake has received a number of awards for teaching, public service, mentoring and research, including the UCSF School of Medicine's Clinical Teaching Award and the UCSF Chancellor's Award for Public Service, which he won as a medical student. He was inducted into the Gold Headed Cane Society in 2003. He has written dozens of scholarly articles and chapters, and has co-authored four books.

Drake is a member of several national scientific and scholarly societies. In 1998, he was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. He is the immediate past national president of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and chair-elect of the board of trustees of the Association of Academic Health Centers.

In 2004, he became the fifth recipient of the Herbert W. Nickens Award from the American Association of Medical Colleges, in recognition of his career-long efforts to promote social justice through medical education.

Drake and his wife, Brenda, live in Irvine.

* Along with Cicerone, previous UCI chancellors are Laurel L. Wilkening, 1993-1998; Jack Peltason, 1984-1992; and Daniel G. Aldrich Jr., 1962-1984.

Celebration Information

April 7
Inauguration of Michael V. Drake, M.D.
Location: Bren Events Center, UCI
Time: 2-3:30 p.m.
Open to the public. Reception to follow ceremony.
Special limited reserved seating for media available. Please call media contact.

April 6
Inaugural Symposium Honoring Michael V. Drake, M.D.
Location: Irvine Barclay Theatre, UCI
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Open to the public. Reception to follow symposium.
Topic: "The University and Society in the 21st Century"

Scheduled speakers include:

• Francisco J. Ayala, University Professor and Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences: "The University in the Western Tradition."
• Nohema Fernández, dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts and professor of music: "Creativity and the University: Cornerstones of Community Strength."
• Dr. Daniel Lowenstein, UC San Francisco vice chair and professor of neurology and director of physician-scientist training programs: "I Can Get It .."
• James L. McGaugh, research professor and founding director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory: "Research Universities: Engines of Ideas and Innovation."
• Henry Samueli, chairman and chief technical officer of Broadcom Corp.: "The Importance of Research Universities in Sustaining the High-Tech Economy."
• Ngugi wa Thiong'o, director of the International Center for Writing and Translation and Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature: "The Modern Patron: The Role of the University in the Global Community."

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 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 $3.3 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.