Scholarship winners honored

UC Irvine held its annual luncheon Thursday to honor students who earned prestigious scholarships in the last year.

At noon in the campus University Club, administrators recognized nine of UCI’s scholarship winners from the 2005-06 academic year. The students won or placed as finalists for the Fulbright Fellowship, Beinecke Scholarship, Barry M. Goldwater Fellowship, Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and others.

One student, Vivek Mehta, achieved national recognition this year when USA Today named him to its College Academic All-Star Team.

During the luncheon, UCI officials gave certificates to the scholarship winners present. Scholarship Opportunities Program director Audrey Devore, who founded the program 16 years ago, said the number of scholarship applications had risen as UCI’s reputation grew.

“As we’re getting more experience educating our students, more outstanding students are coming to the university,” she told the audience.

UCI Provost Michael Gottfredson praised the recipients and wished them luck on their pending research projects, many of which will be conducted overseas.

“This is an early achievement for you,” he said. “It’s the beginning of something, I’m sure.”