UCI’s top honor goes to four at O.C. event tonight

UC Irvine will bestow its highest honor, The Medal, to four people who have contributed to the university’s mission, spirit and vision tonight in an Orange County marquee event.

The “Celebration of the Stars” will honor Gavin Herbert, founder and former chief executive of Allergan, Inc., a global specialty pharmaceutical and medical device firm in Irvine. Herbert was instrumental in forming the university’s Department of Opthalmology.

UCI’s winningest water polo coach, Edward Newland, will also be recognized.

For the first time in The Medal’s history, a posthumous award is being given. William Pereira, an architect and planner who was prominent in the master plan of UCI and the city of Irvine, will be celebrated.

Audrey Schneiderman, a community leader, philanthropist and longtime contributor to UCI, will be applauded Saturday.

The Medal was created in 1984, with the first award going to UCI’s founding chancellor, Daniel G. Aldrich Jr.

— Joseph Serna