April 1, 2025

Artwork near the Beall Center for Art + Technology. (Photo by Steve Zylius/UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Five honored as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Five UC Irvine scholars have been newly elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (clockwise from top left): Kevork Abazajian, professor of physics and astronomy; Thomas Zimmermann, Chancellor’s Professor of informatics; Melinda Gormley, research and policy coordinator at the Center for Population, Inequality and Policy; Aaron Barth, professor of physics and astronomy; and Nalini Venkatasubramanian, professor of computer science. UC Irvine

Five researchers from the schools of physical sciences, information & computer sciences, and social sciences join a total of 471 scientists, engineers and innovators as 2025 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest scientific organization. For their achievements, the Irvine 5 will receive a certificate and a gold-and-blue rosette pin, symbolizing science and engineering, respectively, to commemorate their election. They will be celebrated in Washington, D.C., on June 7, and will also be featured in the AAAS News & Notes column of this month’s issue of the journal Science. With this latest group, UC Irvine has 154 AAAS fellows.

Bren Events Center to host NIT basketball watch party today

The history-making men’s basketball team has advanced to the National Invitation Tournament semifinals today against the University of North Texas at the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Join your fellow Anteaters and cheer them at the Bren Events Center alongside Peter the Anteater, the band and Spirit Squad. Admission is free. Doors open 3:30 p.m. at the Bren Events Center Entrance 3; the game starts at 4. (It will also be televised on ESPN.) The first 100 fans to arrive will receive ZOT Foam Fingers. During the watch party, concessions will be available, and fans can enter to win raffle items during commercial breaks. Attendees will also get vouchers for complimentary admission to the baseball game afterwards at 6 p.m. against the University of San Diego a short walk away in the Anteater Ballpark.

By Any Means is a student group launched at UC Irvine in 2017 to help the local community – specifically the unhoused – via services such as soup kitchens, food banks and more. Establishing a strong connection with the Friendship Shelter in Laguna Beach and Orange County Rescue Mission in Tustin, By Any Means helps prepare and serve easily accessible meals like tacos and pasta to residents at least once every academic quarter. In collaboration with organizations such as Mary’s Kitchen Pantry in Anaheim, Community Action Partnership of Orange County in Garden Grove and Someone Cares Soup Kitchen, volunteers also pack boxes of produce and nonperishable food for disadvantaged individuals.

UCI Health celebrates first anniversary of UCI Health Community Network

From left to right, Kent Clayton, UCI Health — Los Alamitos CEO; Dr. Ramandeep Brar, chief of staff; Chad T. Lefteris, UCI Health president and CEO; Dr. Prakash Narain, board chair; Tatyana Popkova, UCI Health chief strategy officer, and other UCI Health leaders celebrate the one-year anniversary of the UCI Health Community Network.

UCI Health marks the first anniversary of the UCI Health Community Network, formed by the historic acquisition of four community hospitals in Los Alamitos, Lakewood, Fountain Valley and Placentia Linda and their associated outpatient locations. The acquisition transformed UCI Health into one of the state’s largest academic health systems with 1,317 beds.

UC NEWS

Family members’ eligibility reverification

UC is working with UnifyHR to confirm that family members are still eligible to be enrolled in health and welfare benefits as dependents. Selected employees subject to reverification will receive a packet from UnifyHR between March and November. If you receive a packet from UnifyHR, please read the directions to understand which documents to submit, and be sure to respond by the deadline to continue your family members’ benefits, as failure to verify will result in the cancellation of your family members’ coverage. Visit UCnet to learn more.

#IamUCI

In high school, Olivia Sirchio decided that she wanted to volunteer with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and offer her services as a translator for asylum seekers in Dallas. Entering college, the Department of Global and International Studies piqued her interest. “I’m really interested in how to materially secure human rights for people across the Americas, including Latin America,” she said. Mentored by Sylvia Croese, global and international studies assistant professor, Sirchio is conducting senior honors research on the Mexican public housing program INFONAVIT, working on a comparative analysis of INFONAVIT's first two phases to try to understand what its future may look like, and how urban development and sustainability can help alleviate poverty.

#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.

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