Alumni Ralph and Shirley Shapiro receive UCLA Medal

Civic Engagement

UCLA alumni Ralph and Shirley Shapiro received the UCLA Medal, the campus’ highest honor, on April 2, at the Chancellor’s residence.

“When we talk about service as a core mission of UCLA — alongside research and education — two of the names that always come to my mind are Ralph and Shirley Shapiro,” Chancellor Block said at the medal ceremony. “They met at UCLA, formed a beautiful partnership here and have both made UCLA very proud. My hope is that UCLA will continue to graduate students who share their values and will extend their legacy.”

Through the Shapiro Family Charitable Foundation, they have been prolific philanthropists who have supported medical and environmental research, as well as education, arts and children’s welfare programs, including initiatives that serve children with developmental disabilities and their families.

The Shapiros have also been lifelong supporters of UCLA, having endowed more than a dozen faculty chairs and contributing to more than 20 different campus units. Their most recent gifts spearheaded the establishment of the Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law and extended their leadership support for research and scholarship at the law school’s Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

Read more on UCLA Newsroom.
Read Chancellor Block’s speech.