THe Medal Awards

First awarded in 1984 to founding UC Irvine Chancellor Daniel G. Aldrich Jr., the Medal is the university's highest honor. This year's Medalists join a select group that comprises forward-thinking community leaders, innovative faculty and stellar alumni who have made a profound difference for UC Irvine's future.

The Medal ceremony is one of Orange County's premier events. Proceeds from the gala support key campus priorities, such as Regents' Scholarships and graduate fellowships, which benefit some of UC Irvine's top students. These bright young stars have the potential to follow paths similar to those undertaken by former UC Irvine Medalists, whose ranks include Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, world-renowned doctors and scientists, and other pioneers in their fields.

A Celebration of Stars

Sponsored by the University of California, Irvine Foundation, for the first time ever, the 2008 Medal Ceremony, "A Celebration of Stars," will be held on campus over the course of two spectacular evenings on October 3, at the Barclay Theatre, and October 4 at the Bren Events Center. A Celebration of Stars is one of Orange County's premier events — and one you will not want to miss!

The incredible evenings' events will offer moving tributes to Medal recipients, a wonderful dinner with colleagues and friends, and memorable entertainment. This is a celebration not to be missed and, by joining your friends and colleagues at this premier event, you will help UC Irvine advance its exceptional programs and expand educational opportunities for its best and brightest students.

Touching personal tributes bring audiences to their feet. And an air of grandeur surrounds this unforgettable evening of shared friendship and renewed commitment to higher education. In this section, you'll find a brief history of the Medal, more about the ceremony and the complete list of recipients dating back to 1984.