Photo taken prior to April 2020
“A lot can change in a year. But one thing remains constant: your commitment to pioneer the extraordinary. Your investment in our shared vision of a brilliant future continues to transform lives in every way imaginable. Thank you for making an incredible difference. Together, we will stop at nothing to transform healthcare and wellness, to advance the American dream, to accelerate world-changing research and to explore the human experience.”
Chancellor Howard Gillman
When we announced the launch of Brilliant Future: The Campaign for UCI last October – with the ambitious goals to raise $2 billion in philanthropic support and meaningfully engage 75,000 alumni – the world looked very different.
Yet, against the backdrop of a pandemic and one of the largest social movements in our history, we continued to create positive change in our community and beyond.
The advancements we’ve made this year would not be possible without our alumni and donors. As of October 7, 2020, we have raised $920.5 million, nearly halfway toward our goal. Thank you for your participation so far. Together, we are creating a brilliant future.
“This is about sharing in a time of need, whether you can give money or volunteer your time or help a neighbor with grocery shopping,” says Carol Choi ’85. “If everybody pitches in, we’ll all be better for it.”
With the support of foundations and donors, the UCI School of Social Sciences’ Deconstructing Diversity Initiative gives students a deeper understanding of racial issues in the U.S.
After Damon Mills injured his spine, his family researched the best available treatments and hope for his condition.
“The final year of your Ph.D. program can be really intense… This fellowship allowed me to focus on my research.”
“Being the products of graduate studies, we know what it takes and what it means,” Ara Apkarian says. “It is very difficult to carry out graduate studies without financial support.”
“We can’t thank Lisa enough for her gift. Her contribution will go a long way toward not only preserving her father’s legacy, but also keeping mentoring excellence as one of UCI’s top priorities for graduate education.”
Throughout their lives, Bob Altman and Michelle Sandler made annual gifts to a variety of causes, including Bob’s alma mater.
Sheila Peterson, left, supports UC Irvine graduate student Tomoko Ozawa through the Medici Circle program. Named after the Medici family of Florence who supported Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, the program allows community benefactors to support UC Irvine’s budding artists.
Hooshang Meshkinpour, M.D., and Dr. Farzan Naeim considered many ways they could support UCI. Ultimately, their confidence in Dr. Kenneth Chang and his vision for the CDDC tipped the scale.
This is as of October 7, 2020. View the latest campaign progress numbers here.
On behalf of our students, researchers, patients, faculty and staff, thank you for your participation so far. At a time when less than 10 percent of UCI’s budget comes from the state of California, your support is not only a vote of confidence in UCI’s great work to date but also a powerful investment in what’s to come. Together, we will create a brilliant future.
