The Vital and Alice Pellissier Distinguished Speaker Series was made possible by a generous gift from the Pellissier family. The family sold the ranch on the west side of Merced where grandparents Vital and Alice established themselves and decided to use part of the proceeds to establish a legacy at UC Merced.
"Because we are losing the physical location and buildings that my grandparents left, we especially wanted to do something to remember them by," said Dennis Pellissier. "UC Merced presented the idea of a distinguished speaker series, and we could see that it was an immediate need and also an opportunity for the community, including our family, to visit the campus."
