Three individuals and one couple each will receive the University of California, Irvine's highest honor, the UCI Medal, in recognition of their exceptional support for the university's mission of teaching, research and public service.
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"The 2006 UCI Medal recipients embody the vision, mission and spirit of the University of California, Irvine," said Chancellor Michael V. Drake. "They bring honor to the campus through their dedication, leadership and support, and we are proud to recognize them for their many accomplishments."
This year's medal dinner will be held Oct. 21 at UCI's Bren Events Center, with an expected crowd of more than 800 campus and community leaders. Proceeds from the celebration will benefit key campus programs such as Regents' Scholarships and graduate fellowships.
This year's honorees:
Julie Boyle is the first staff employee to receive the UCI Medal. A clinical oncology nurse and director of patient care at UCI Medical Center's Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, she is responsible for developing and managing new oncology programs and support services. Boyle has been instrumental in facilitating the development of the Women's Enhancement Center and the Child Life Center, respectively concerned with the special needs of women and children with cancer. She also established the Outpatient Infusion Center and an on-site patient authorization unit to address the financial impediments to care. Boyle began her career at UCI in 1982 as a clinical nurse for the surgery/oncology- and medical/surgical-patient populations. In 1983, Boyle was promoted to nurse manager of oncology, and in 1998 she received the American Cancer Society's prestigious Lane W. Adams Excellence in Caring Award, which recognizes exemplary leadership in caring for cancer patients. She is a member of the Professional Advisory Board for The Wellness Community - Orange County, and at UCI she is a member of the DiSaia Endowed Chair Advisory Board and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Leadership Council. Boyle has supported a number of areas at UCI, including nursing scholarships.
Douglas Freeman is chairman and national managing partner of Irvine-based IFF Advisors, LLC, which provides strategic planning and consultation for private and independent foundations, high-net-worth families and individuals, and nonprofit institutions. He also is a founding partner of Freeman, Freeman & Smiley, a 40-attorney firm with locations in Los Angeles and Irvine. Freeman, a longtime advocate for the campus, serves as chair of The University of California, Irvine Foundation, is a member of the foundation's executive committee and a past member of UCI's Chief Executive Roundtable. He co-authored a leading treatise for family foundations, "A Founder's Guide to the Family Foundation" and two textbooks, as well as dozens of professional articles. Active in the community, Freeman is founder of the American Institute for Philanthropy, a public foundation; founder of National Philanthropy Day; and co-founder of the National Committee on Planned Giving. He is also a former chairman of the board of the Pacific Symphony and a current member of its executive committee, and he is a director on seven public and private foundation boards. In 2005, he was recognized by Worth Magazine as among the 100 best lawyers in the United States, and in 1999, he was featured by Bloomberg Financial as one of the nation's leading estate-planning attorneys.
Edward and Helen Shanbrom have generously supported numerous entities on campus, including UCI Medical Center, the School of Medicine and Claire Trevor of School of the Arts, for more than three decades. They also are active in the community and support a variety of organizations, including many of the performing arts in Orange County.
Edward Shanbrom, a pioneer in the field of blood and plasma sterilization, is a hematologist and a former clinical instructor at the School of Medicine. He was Orange County's first oncologist and one of the inventors of the first clinical treatment for hemophilias. Today he works in his home and in the Edward Shanbrom, M.D. Laboratory for the Study of Blood and Natural Products at UCI Medical Center.
Helen Shanbrom is a founding member of the Friends of the Library at UCI as well as a past member of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts Dean's Advisory Council. In addition to her UCI philanthropy and support, she is a highway-safety activist who has been a proponent of traffic laws that increase truck safety on the highways.
This year, the building at UCI Medical Center that houses his laboratory will be renamed "Edward Shanbrom M.D. Hall" to recognize the couple for their support of UCI, as well as honor Shanbrom for his pioneering research.
Raymond Watson, former president of The Irvine Company, served as chief planner of UCI during the '60s and '70s. After rising through the ranks at The Irvine Company and serving as its president and CEO from 1973 to 1977, Watson left to form his own firm, Newport Development Company, where he served as president and partner until he returned to The Irvine Company in 1983, at the request of Donald Bren. Now retired, he currently serves as a board member of The Irvine Company. Watson is a former trustee of The University of California, Irvine Foundation and a former member of The Paul Merage School of Business Dean's Advisory Board. He is a lifetime member and past president of the Chancellor's Club, was chair of the Daniel G. Aldrich Society and, in 1997, was honored with the Sumigarden Award, now known as the Real Estate Conference and Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2004, he retired from Walt Disney Company's board of directors after serving 30 years, including two years as chairman. For his many contributions to UCI and the community, he was honored in 2005 with the naming of the pedestrian bridge that connects UCI to University Center.
Hosted by The University of California, Irvine Foundation, the UCI Medal dinner is one of Orange County's premier events. This year's gala, "A Celebration of Stars," will be chaired by Mike Mussallem, chairman and CEO of Edwards Lifesciences, and his wife, Linda.
Each year a call for nominations for the UCI Medal is sent out to the UCI community, including alumni, faculty, staff and board members, as well as corporate and foundation leaders in the community. A UCI Medal committee reviews the nominations and makes recommendations to the chancellor for his approval.
Founding Chancellor Daniel G. Aldrich Jr. was the first to receive the UCI Medal, which was created in 1984. Since that time, more than 75 individuals have been honored. For more information on tickets and sponsorships, please call Kathy Ruvolo at (949) 824-3303.
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.