UCLA bestows honors

UCLA will bestow the UCLA Medal on four people this commencement season in recognition of their exceptional contributions as leaders in the fields of public service, architecture and legal affairs. The award is the university's highest honor.

At separate UCLA commencement ceremonies in June, the UCLA Medal will be presented to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a UCLA alumnus who is also a former speaker of the California Assembly; former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, who also served in the House of Representatives for more than 20 years; Chien Chung ("Didi”) Pei, who with his father, I.M. Pei, designed the new Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center; and Morgan Chu, a leading attorney and UCLA alumnus.

UCLA Acting Chancellor Norman Abrams said the medal is awarded to those who have made extraordinary and distinguished contributions to their professions, to higher education, to society or to UCLA.