BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

$3.9 million donation to fund solar researchAn anonymous donor has given UC Irvine $3.9 million to open a solar research center on campus, according to a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that served as a middleman for the gift.

Gerlie Collado, a spokeswoman for the California Community Foundation, said the donor had provided UCI’s School of Physical Sciences with the money at the beginning of March.

The gift marked the second major donation to UCI to be announced this week. The estate of Sylvia Holden Robb, a longtime supporter of UCI libraries who died last year, also gave the university about $1.86 million for its libraries and medical school.

Catholic diocese plans inter-religious dinnerIn an effort to spur dialogue and collaboration, the Diocese of Orange’s Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Commission will host more than 200 worshippers from local churches and mosques for its first Catholic and Muslim inter-religious dinner Saturday at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach.

Bishop Tod Brown said it is crucial that the Roman Catholic diocese encourage understanding between religious communities at a time when “fear and misunderstanding proliferates our world.”

“The goal of the dinner is really to get the Muslim community and the Catholic community together to start talking and build relationships so they can do more positive community outreach together,” diocese spokesman Ryan Lilyengren said. “We hope it’s a first step to something greater.”

The dinner is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 2046 Mar Vista Drive, Newport Beach. It is free and open to the public.