Class of ’24; LIFTED program expands

May 28, 2024

A green wall contrasts with yellow buds and the golden hue of a stairwell wall in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. (Photo: Steve Zylius/UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

#IamUCI – class of 2024 ready to take on future

#IamUCI 2024 showcases stories from graduating students in each school. Those featured have worked hard to push boundaries, pursue their dreams, make their debut in the workforce and advocate for change.

Men’s baseball heads to NCAA tournament

This year, the ’Eaters finished the regular season with a record of 43-12 and earned a bid to the NCAA tournament, where they will play in the Corvallis, Oregon, regional starting Friday. It is the 10th postseason appearance for UCI as a Division I program, eighth as an at-large, and 15th overall. Scroll down to read about one of the team’s star players.

LIFTED program adds English minor

Launched at UC Irvine, Leveraging Inspiring Futures Through Educational Degrees is the first in-prison B.A. program in the University of California system. It offers qualified incarcerated people the opportunity to transfer to UC Irvine as juniors and earn a bachelor’s degree in sociology while completing their sentence. Now the program has expanded to add an English minor. “Education is the most effective rehabilitative intervention we know for people in prison,” says program director Keramet Reiter, a professor of criminology, law and society. “According to a recent RAND report, every $1 invested in prison education generates $5 in economic returns for society. Moreover, education is a powerful tool to mitigate the systemic discrimination and dehumanization of mass incarceration.”

UC NEWS

Summer travel? UC medical plans have you covered

If you’re vacationing out of town this summer, you hopefully won’t need medical attention. But if you do become ill or injured, UC medical plans cover emergency and urgent care for you and covered family members. Once the condition is stable, you or the doctor should contact your medical plan to report that you’ve received care and to coordinate any follow-up care you may need. UC’s health experts have compiled some helpful tips for anyone with summer travel plans.

#IamUCI

Okinawan batter aids Anteaters’ epic season

Jo Oyama: “When I first came here, I didn’t know anything about baseball in America and I didn’t speak English. But my coach and teammates always tried to help me, and I can’t thank them enough.”

Jo Oyama grew up in Okinawa before heading to Merced College shortly before the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, during which he bulked up his batting power with weights and his English by watching movies. After being named a 2022 Junior College Second Team All-American, he transferred to UC Irvine, where he has now helped bring the Anteaters to the NCAA tournament (see above story). Once his journey here comes to an end, Oyama would love to continue his American dream by playing professional baseball and inspiring the next generation of Japanese players. “I definitely want to continue playing baseball,” Oyama says. “If I get any chance I will take it.”

#UCIconnected spotlights interesting updates from the UC Irvine community. #IamUCI spotlights profiles of students, faculty, staff and alumni. Send submissions via email or post on social media with the #UCIconnected or #IamUCI hashtags.