The Crowd:

The Orange County Chapter of the ARCS Foundation (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) presented $200,000 in scholarship funds to 20 graduate students at UC Irvine. At a recent awards ceremony and dinner at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center, the students were presented to the community, and their significant work in the fields of physical and biological sciences, medicine, and engineering was shared with the crowd that had come to support them.

The formidable dinner event was chaired by Sue Alexopoulous and Diana Casey, attracting a distinguished crowd of Orange County citizens dedicated to the advancement of scientific education. The Orange County Chapter of the ARCS Foundation Inc., which was created a decade ago, has donated $1,398,500 to graduate students pursuing their goals in higher education. The national ARCS Foundation Inc. was founded as a nonprofit in 1958 with the goal of establishing higher standards of scientific excellence for U.S. students. Today there are 17 ARCS chapters nationwide, and, in total, they have raised and donated more than $70 million for the advancement of scientific education. The Orange County Chapter was founded by inaugural President Patricia Beckman, daughter of the renowned scientific couple Arnold and Mabel Beckman for whom the UCI center is named.

Chancellor Michael V. Drake, joining his wife Brenda, addressed the crowd.

“I deeply appreciate your long standing support of our graduate students, whose training and education prepares them to make a positive difference in the world,” he said. “Members of the ARCS Foundation are truly shaping the future of today’s scholars and tomorrow’s leaders.”

Drake was joined by chapter President Joan Torres in welcoming donors, special guests and UCI department heads who introduced the award recipients.

What is most compelling about the relationship between donors in the community and the students is that there is a direct connection between the two. In a formula similar to the age-old mentorship of great minds and formidable talent, local donors specifically support individual students with financial assistance enabling them to pursue various scientific fields of study. All recipients must be United States citizens, have extemporary scholastic standing and also be involved in community enhancement projects.

This year’s recipients were Ruth Barrett, Judy Chen, Gregory Chinn, Matthew W. Davenport, Jennifer Dwyer, Robin Grote, Nicholas Gunn, Francesca Hopkins and Christopher Hoo. Also honored were Matthew Janes, Maya Koike, Patricia Lee, Jose Romero-Mariona, Elizabeth Montalvo, Colleen Lindsay Moore, Zahra Noroozi, Kirk Pak, Hanoz Santoke, Dennis Wang and Henry Wong.

Gathering in a stadium classroom in the Beckman Center, each student made a brief presentation on his or her field of study. In the crowd, among the professors and dignitaries, were a number of the mentoring donors. While they all deserve tremendous praise, a few of the generous included Richard and France Campbell, Ralph and Carol Cicerone, Carl W. Cotman, Joan Torres, Carol and Gary Malouf, Joe and Peggy Stemler, Jackie Murphy, Stanley Behrens and Patricia Beckman.

Following the awards ceremony the crowd was served dinner in the atrium dining room at the Beckman Center. Attending were notable educators, including Albert Bennett, dean of the UCI School of Biological Sciences; Ralph Bras, dean of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering; Debra Richardson, dean of the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science; Ralph Clayman, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine; and John Hemminger, dean of the School of Physical Sciences. Spotted in the dining room were Bill and Eve Thompson, Sunny Sizlo, G.P. Li and Wei-Li Lin, Court Crowther, Frances Leslie, Gigi and Dan Werbin, Lulu Chen, Nira Roston, Kara Nelly, Mary and Dick Allen and Catherine Kusnick. Also front and center for the UCI scientists were Terri Carr, David Casey, Scott Garrett, Richard and Rose Marie Nesbit, Ron and Shari Stern, Ann Rowe and Lido Isle’s Marion Pickens. For more information about the work of the ARCS Foundation, visit www.Arcsfoundation.org.

A major anniversary celebration is approaching for the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa. On April 10, the organization will celebrate 70 years of community service, making the Assistance League the longest standing charitable cause in the Newport-Mesa community.

The ladies and gentlemen of the league will come together for their third annual fundraising dinner event billed as “Dancing for Tomorrow’s Stars.” Taking the lead from the mega-popular television program local celebrities Jill Ayres, Jeannie Lawrence, Heidi Cortese-Sherman, Jim McAleer, Esmael Adibi and football star Vince Ferragamo will be paired with professional dance partners for a wild and exciting dance competition. Newport’s Nora Jorgenson Johnson will serve as the honorary chairwoman, joined by competition judges Janet Curci, Tim Kashani and Pamela Roossin. Ed Arnold will emcee, joined by KABC Television’s entertainment reporter George Pennacchio and celebrity dancer Mindy Stearns. Tickets are $200 per person and last minute reservations are welcome and invited. Visit www.almn.org or call (949) 645-6929.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.