UC Irvine honors exceptional leaders with 2025 UC Irvine Medal

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 9, 2025 - In a special ceremony held Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the University of California, Irvine proudly awarded the 2025 UC Irvine Medal to seven individuals whose extraordinary service, philanthropy and dedication have significantly shaped the university's legacy.

As UC Irvine celebrates its 60^th anniversary and prepares for the successful conclusion of the Brilliant Future philanthropic campaign in October, it has revived one of its most esteemed traditions. Bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the university's mission, the UC Irvine Medal is the university's highest honor.

This year's recipients are Paul Butterworth '74, M.S. '81, and Jo Butterworth '75; Julie Hill; Goran Matijasevic, M.S. '85, Ph.D. '91; Sheila and Jimmy Peterson; and James Irvine Swinden.

First awarded in 1984 to UC Irvine's founding chancellor, Daniel G. Aldrich Jr., the UC Irvine Medal has since been conferred upon Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, a U.S. president, trailblazing inventors, pioneering scientists and transformative community leaders. Their impact continues to drive UC Irvine's global reputation for innovation, excellence and social progress.

"The 2025 UC Irvine Medal recipients exemplify the values and vision that have propelled UC Irvine into a world-class institution," said Chancellor Howard Gillman. "Through their generosity, leadership and unwavering commitment, they have helped shape our university's remarkable past and promising future."

2025 UC Irvine Medal recipients:

Paul Butterworth '74, M.S. '81, and Jo Butterworth '75

UC Irvine alumni Paul and Jo Butterworth share a lifelong passion for their alma mater and the students it serves. Paul Butterworth is a renowned technology innovator and co-founder and chief technology officer of Vantiq Inc. He has been on the UC Irvine Foundation board of trustees since 2011and the Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences Dean's Leadership Council since 2005. The couple made a record-breaking $35.5 million estate gift to the ICS school - the largest alumni bequest in UC Irvine's history. The donationwill fund scholarships, awards, fellowships, research initiatives and faculty chairs.

Julie Hill

An influential business leader and long-serving UC Irvine Foundation trustee, Julie Hill chaired the board through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. During her two terms, she significantly diversified its members' backgrounds and skill sets. Hill has also helmed the Paul Merage School of Business Dean's Advisory Board and the Chief Executive Roundtable. She is currently the "chair of chairs" of all the UC boards of trustees. Hill has spent more than three decades as a CEO and board member of public, private and nonprofit organizations. Throughout her career, she has been committed to championing access and opportunities for all traditionally underrepresented groups.

Goran Matijasevic, M.S. '85, Ph.D. '91

A UC Irvine alumnus and tireless ambassador for the university, Goran Matijasevic serves as executive director of the UC Irvine Chief Executive Roundtable and senior assistant vice chancellor for alumni and constituent relations. He is dedicated to building connections between the regional business community and UC Irvine across all campus areas.In addition to providing philanthropic support for multiple UC Irvine schools, including several endowed graduate student scholarships, Matijasevic volunteers his time mentoring students and alumni. He has received the UC Irvine Alumni Association's Lauds & Laurels awards for Distinguished Engineering Alumnus and Outstanding Staff Achievement.

Sheila and Jimmy Peterson

As co-chairs of the Brilliant Future campaign and UC Irvine Foundation trustees, Sheila and Jimmy Peterson have played a critical role in the university's recent growth. Jimmy Peterson, former chairman and CEO of Microsemi Corp., is now executive chairman of Mobix Labs Inc. They're both on the UC Irvine Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences Advisory Board. Sheila Peterson is also chair emeritus of the advisory board for the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute and serves on the School of Social Ecology Dean's Leadership Council, the Claire Trevor Society Leadership Committee and the School of the Arts Dean's Arts Board. The couple were jointly named Orange County's Outstanding Philanthropist in 2011.

James Irvine Swinden

The UC Irvine schools, research institutes and museum that James Irvine Swinden and his legendary family have supported span the entire campus. Both his grandmother, Athalie R. Clarke, and his mother, Joan Irvine Smith, received UC Irvine Medals for the instrumental roles they played in the founding and ongoing legacy of the university. A staunch supporter of the arts, Swinden founded the UC Irvine museum through the transfer of The Irvine Museum's collection of California impressionist art to the university in 2016. He's also one of the original founders of the campus's School of Law. Swinden has been a trustee of the UC Irvine Foundation since 1998 and is a member of the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing Dean's Advisory Council and the law school's Board of Visitors. He received the UC Irvine Alumni Association's Lauds & Laurels award for Outstanding Community Friend in 1997. Swinden was appointed by Govs. Gray Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown to serve on the California Cultural and Historical Endowment board.

"Each of this year's honorees has gone above and beyond in supporting the university's mission," said Gary Singer '74, chair of the UC Irvine Foundation board of trustees. "Their contributions reflect the very spirit of community and innovation that defines UC Irvine, and we are proud to recognize their lasting legacy."

About UC Irvine's Brilliant Future campaign: Publicly launched on Oct. 4, 2019, the Brilliant Future campaign aims to raise awareness and support for UC Irvine. By engaging 75,000 alumni and garnering $2 billion in philanthropic investment, UC Irvine seeks to reach new heights of excellence in student success, health and wellness, research and more. Learn more by visiting https://brilliantfuture.uci.edu.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UC Irvine, visit https://www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus studio with a Comrex IP audio codec to interview UC Irvine faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UC Irvine news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at https://news.uci.edu/media-resources.