Ann and Charles Quilter to Receive UC Irvine's Extraordinarius Award for Enduring Contributions

Ann and Charles Quilter will receive the 2026 Extraordinarius Award, the highest honor from the UC Irvine Alumni Association, in recognition of their more than five decades of engagement and generosity with UC Irvine. The award celebrates alumni whose leadership, engagement, and service have made a lasting impact on the university and society.

The award presentation will occur on November 5 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, during the 55th annual Lauds & Laurels celebration. Brian T. Hervey, vice chancellor for university advancement and alumni relations and president of the UC Irvine Foundation, stated that the Quilters “have strengthened UC Irvine through decades of leadership, engagement and generosity.”

The Quilters’ contributions to UC Irvine span research, education, student success, and university leadership. Their transformational gift established Ann Hutchinson Quilter Hall, which will become the future home of the UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, known as UCI MIND. This gift, announced in 2025 during the conclusion of UC Irvine’s Brilliant Future campaign, inspired over $30 million in additional philanthropic commitments for the facility.

Once completed, Ann Hutchinson Quilter Hall is expected to accelerate research into Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, expand patient care and education services, and reinforce UC Irvine’s position as a global center for the research and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Ann Quilter has served on the UCI MIND Leadership Council since 2020, contributing to the institute’s strategic vision.

Beyond their support for health sciences, the Quilters have also significantly bolstered the humanities. Charles Quilter, who received the UC Irvine Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award in 2021 for his sustained support of the School of Humanities, recently partnered with Ann Quilter to establish the Quilter Endowed Chair in the History of Technology. This endowed position will support scholarship exploring the ways technology influences society.

Both Ann Quilter, who earned her M.S. in 1979, and Charles Quilter, who earned his M.A. in 2006 and Ph.D. in 2010, grew up in Marine Corps families, a background that fostered a strong sense of service. Charles Quilter served as a Marine aviator in Vietnam, and later as a colonel in operations including the liberation of Kuwait, Bosnia, and Iraq. In civilian life, he flew as a captain for Delta Air Lines and assisted his brother, Patrick Quilter, in establishing his business. Patrick Quilter is also a benefactor of UC Irvine.

Ann Quilter, after marrying Charles in 1975 and settling in Laguna Beach, became an active civic volunteer. Her roles included leading the League of Women Voters and serving as PTA president at both Thurston Middle School and Laguna Beach High School. She also helped lead humanitarian mission teams to various international and domestic locations through the United Methodist Church of Laguna Beach. These same values have guided their engagement with UC Irvine.

Ann Quilter commented on their long-standing connection to the university, stating that "remaining connected to that journey – and helping create opportunities for future generations – has been one of the greatest rewards of our lives.” Charles Quilter added that their support for UC Irvine is a way to invest in people and discoveries that will improve lives. Their approach to philanthropy emphasizes investing where knowledge can yield the greatest public impact, whether through scientific breakthroughs, the preservation of human understanding, or expanding student opportunities.

The Lauds & Laurels celebration, which has been presented annually since 1971, recognizes individuals whose achievements have contributed to UC Irvine’s excellence. This year’s event also introduces the inaugural Anteater Alumni Spirit Award, honoring Patrick W. Glasgow ’68, Robert G. Ernst ’67, and Schuyler H. Bassett for their role in establishing the anteater as the university’s official mascot. The award will also posthumously honor Johnny Hart, creator of the B.C. comic strip, whose anteater character inspired UC Irvine’s Peter the Anteater and the distinctive cheer, “Zot!”

UC Irvine, founded in 1965, is recognized as one of the nation’s top public universities. It serves over 36,000 students across 224 degree programs and contributes significantly to the local economy as Orange County’s second-largest employer.