Thomas T. Tierney

 

University of California, Irvine Foundation Trustee since 1986

 

Biography

Thomas T. Tierney is the chief executive officer of VitaTech International, Inc., a manufacturer of food supplements and nutraceuticals.

Mr. Tierney is a trustee of the University of California, Irvine Foundation and a member of the Executive Committee. He and his wife, Elizabeth, also co-chaired the successfully completed Capital Campaign for the new 480,000 sq. ft. UC Irvine Douglas Hospital. He served as chair of the UCI Foundation from 1998-2001. 

The Tierneys have endowed a lifetime Chair in Peace Studies, the first in the history of the UC System. Their generosity has continued with the establishment of scholarships to the Claire Trevor School of the Arts and the School of Humanities as well as programs in Global Peace and Conflict Studies. Their names also grace the Thomas T. and Elizabeth C. Tierney University House, the chancellor’s residence. The couple received the 1990 UCI Medal, and Lauds and Laurels Awards for University Service in 1989 and the Extraordinarius Award in 1999. In addition, they were honored with the 2001 Giving Is Living Award presented by the Volunteer Center of Orange County and the Los Angeles Times.

Mr. Tierney is a regent of Bastyr University in Seattle. He is an avid enthusiast of the arts and is an emeritus trustee of the Orange County Museum of Art, past president of the Laguna Art Museum and a director emeritus of the Orange County Performing Arts Center, as well as a Commissioner and professional services reserve of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Mr. Tierney served in the Air Force from 1960-1971, including a tour of duty in Vietnam during the TET offensive. After completing this tour, he was assigned as a Pentagon Research Associate at the Rand Corporation. His bachelor of arts degree in business is from Wayne State University. His master of science degree in logistics management is from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

In his spare time, Mr. Tierney helps create positive futures by assisting others to advance and apply new knowledge discovered at the University of California, Irvine.