Newsroom

Through the support of double UCI alumna Lisa Dawn (“LD”) Reyer, MBA ’94, the UCI Paul Merage School of Business is now offering the LD Reyer Student Award, a scholarship opportunity for business students with high merit and high need.

Reyer wants to give the gift of a Merage School education to a student that cannot afford it on their own. Reyer, who is of Mexican, Puerto Rican and German descent, is dedicated to giving back to the Latinx community and any other underrepresented minority group looking to further their education at the Merage School.

“I was lucky enough to be able to afford college,” said Reyer. “But so many other students work hard but just don’t have the means to get their degree.”

Reyer’s father served as director of financial aid for UCI and has lived in University Hills for 35 years. As a result, Reyer grew up in and around campus since the age of four.

“For me, this gift is about giving back to something that has been a part of my life almost since I was born,” said Reyer. “It’s been fun to be a part of something I’ve watched grow and blossom into a world-class university.”

Reyer currently serves as Chief Financial Officer at Murphy O’Brien, a Los Angeles based public relations agency. She is a two-time CFO of the Year nominee from the Los Angeles Business Journal and manages financial strategy, legal and compliance, financial reporting and planning, taxation and information technology for the over $10 million company.

Since she joined Murphy O’Brien in 2000, Reyer’s fiscal stewardship has seen the company grow at an average annual rate of 10% per year. Previously she was a financial manager for Nissan Motor Corporation supervising all aspects of Nissan North America's gross profit. Prior to that, LD spent many years as an independent financial consultant. 

Her donation to the School also includes a legacy gift—demonstrating a commitment to the overall vision of The Paul Merage School of Business.

Reyer and her family are long term supporters of UCI, particularly the athletics program. Reyer’s mother is a zealous fan of the anteater basketball team, and her father serves as co-chair of the UCI Scott Brooks Golf Invitational. At the Merage School, Reyer has served as a member of the Dean’s Leadership Circle for over five years.
 
“I am so pleased to be able to give back to the Merage School through the gift of scholarship,” says Reyer.  “It is truly a family tradition to support UCI, and I am proud to champion Dean Spangenberg’s vision for greater access to business education for the underserved.”

Everyone gives in their own way. Find your way through The Paul Merage School of Business Office of Advancement.