As UC San Diego’s School of Medicine celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the campus recently honored medicine faculty chair holders with an inaugural investiture ceremony at the T. Denny Sanford Medical Education and Telemedicine Center.

They are carefully melded to the earth, absorbed into woodlands and sewn into the fabric of existing structures. Meandering the 1,200-acre UC San Diego campus, you will likely stumble upon a treasure—a giant, vibrantly colored bird embellished with a gilded crown, an oversized red shoe frolicking through the theatre district, or a secret lookout with coded messages.

The Preuss School UC San Diego is celebrating 20 years of inspiring young people from underserved communities across San Diego County to take intellectual risks that set them up for academic success, to effect change in society, and to transform their communities.

“Finances shouldn’t be a hindrance to going to UC San Diego,” said UC San Diego alumnus Alan Braynin. He feels so strongly about giving back and helping students at his alma mater that his company, Aya Healthcare, has pledged $200,000 to establish ten $5,000 UC San Diego scholarships per year over the next four years.