2014 School of Biological Sciences renamed for Francisco J. Ayala In 2014, UCI’s School of Biological Sciences was renamed for acclaimed evolutionary geneticist Francisco J. Ayala, a University Professor who in 2011 had donated $10 million to the school – the largest gift ever by a UCI faculty member. Read more here.
2015 Vicki Ruiz receives National Humanities Medal Vicki Ruiz, Distinguished Professor of history and Chicano/Latino studies, received the 2014 National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama at the White House on Sept. 10, 2015. She is the first UCI recipient of the award. Ruiz was recognized for her pioneering work sharing the stories and histories of twentieth-century Latinas.
