More than 700 community and campus leaders are expected to attend UC Irvine’s single-largest fund-raising event Friday evening to celebrate this year’s recipients of the university’s highest honor, the UCI Medal, at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. Two individuals and one couple will be awarded the medallion, created in 1984 to recognize outstanding commitments to teaching, research and community service at the campus.

“Thanks to tremendous community involvement, more money than ever in the history of this event has been raised this year for Regents' Scholarships and graduate fellowships for UCI students,” said Chancellor Ralph J. Cicerone. “We are very grateful to everyone who made a commitment to help our students while honoring the 2003 recipients of The UCI Medal.”

Community leaders and other supporters helped raise more than $800,000 for this event — a record amount and a 26 percent gain over last year’s total. Proceeds from the annual UCI Medal event benefit undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships.

The ceremony, hosted by Chancellor Cicerone and The UCI Foundation, is co-chaired this year by David E.I. Pyott, chairman and CEO of Allergan, Inc., and his wife, Julianna, a community leader.

“We are extremely grateful to the Pyotts for committing their energies to UC Irvine and its students,” said Ted Smith, chair of The UCI Foundation. “Their leadership and support helped guide the success of this year’s event, and I congratulate all members of The UCI Foundation for their determined efforts to raise money for student support.”

This year's honorees include:

Marian Bergeson, a former California secretary of education, state legislator and member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Bergeson is an advocate for UCI at local, state, regional and federal levels of government. She is a UCI Foundation ambassador and member of the Center for the Study of Democracy’s Leadership Council;

Dr. Philip Di Saia, chief of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology at UCI Medical Center, and professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and of radiological sciences in the College of Medicine. His vision has been instrumental in U.S. News & World Report’s recognition of UCI Medical Center as one of the nation’s leading hospitals for the care of women with ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers;

Elizabeth and John Stahr, community leaders and steadfast supporters of UCI. Elizabeth, a UCI Foundation ambassador, was recognized as Woman of the Year by the state legislature in 1992. John, a partner in Latham & Watkins, is retired from active practice. He and Elizabeth received the Orange County National Philanthropy Day Spirit of Philanthropy Award in 1998 and the Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award as Community Visionaries in 2002. The couple’s support dates back to 1964 when UCI was in its infancy. The Stahrs received the UCI Alumni Association’s Lauds & Laurels Award for University Service in 1990.

The UCI Medal Ceremony, hosted by The UCI Foundation, is one of Orange County’s premier events. Proceeds support the UCI Regents’ Scholars program and graduate fellowships. For more information, call (949) 824-1810.

The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked public university dedicated to the principles of research, scholarship and community. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,300 faculty members. The third-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3 billion.