Compiled by Kelly Ryan
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences elected four new fellows. The Irvine Company Chairman Donald Bren was recognized for his commitment to philanthropy. He was listed eighth in a list of the 50 most generous philanthropists in the nation by BusinessWeek magazine. Also elected as fellows were University of California, Irvine, Chancellor Michael Drake and professors Peter Li and Yvonne Rainer. Since 2005, Drake has led UC Irvine to achievements in stem cell research and enrollment of a record freshman class. Li studies differential geometry and partial differential equations. Rainer is known as a pioneer of postmodern dance and author of “No Manifesto.”
Michael A. Mussallem received the Outstanding Public Company CEO award at the 14th Annual High-Tech Innovation Awards. Mussallem is chief executive of Edwards Lifesciences Corp. in Irvine. Also, the Edwards FloTrac Sensor earned finalist honors in the medical devices category. The awards were presented by the Orange County and Inland Empire councils of the American Electronics Association.
UC Irvine honored individuals with its 2007 Medal Award. Gavin S. Herbert is founder and former chief executive of Allergan Inc. Allergan has supported the Department of Ophthalmology at UCI for more than 25 years. Edward N. Newland coached six UCI water polo teams to national championships. The late William L. Pereira was an architect who designed the Irvine master plan. Audrey M. Schneiderman’s support of the School of Biological Sciences has provided scholarships and opportunities for growth on the campus.
Hugh Christensen of Irvine-based HBLA Certified Public Accountants Inc. was awarded the Accredited in Business Valuation credential. The credential is given exclusively to CPAs who are members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Christensen has taught accounting, tax, valuation and forensics at UCI, California State University, Fullerton, the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Return Exchange in Irvine was recognized with the Innovative Software Award at the American Electronics Association’s 14th Annual High-Tech Innovation Awards. Return Exchange won the award for its Return Rewards software system, which seeks to make the return process easier for loyal retail customers.
President Randy Regier of Taylor Architecture received the 2007 Vista Award from the American Society of Healthcare Engineering and the American Hospital Association in association with the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health. The award recognizes the designers of the Sue and Bill Gross Women’s Pavilion at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian for its teamwork throughout the construction process.
The Ocean Institute in Dana Point named Lake Forest resident John Mrak 2007 Volunteer of the Year. For the past three years, Mrak has been a volunteer instructor. He is certified in fluorometry and volunteers onboard the RV Sea Explorer collecting and recording data for various research partnerships
Lyndon Group LLC in Newport Beach was selected as one of four finalists for the Small Business of the Year Award at the OC Small Business Conference 2007. The award celebrates exemplary small businesses in the region. Lyndon Group was picked from a group of 30 businesses nominated this year. Lyndon Group specializes in project management, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and Securities and Exchange Commission reporting.
Aliso Viejo-based Enclarity Inc. was named to the Top 100 Private Technology Companies in North America by Red Herring magazine in its Red Herring 100 Spring 2007 Awards. The awards recognize new and innovative technology companies and entrepreneurs. Enclarity gathers comprehensive and accurate data about healthcare providers in the U.S. and offers solutions to the healthcare payer market.
The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity presented the Chuck Jones Student Achievement Award for Ex-cellence in Animation to Khoa Le. Le is a graduating senior in the feature animation program at Laguna Col-lege of Art & Design. The award recognizes Le for his attitude and approach to classical animation.
Kelsea Ballantyne and Zach Bloomfield are the first two Chapman undergrad students to be awarded Fulbright grants. Ballantyne will travel to India to research globalization and its effects on Indian women. Bloomfield will study the process of economic development and its impact on young Tunisian men.
