April 8, 2025

A lesser goldfinch gathers material for a nest in Aldrich Park. (Photo by Steve Zylius/UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Graduate programs among nation’s best

UC Irvine graduate programs continue to earn national acclaim in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings released today, with three programs – English, sociology and education – ranked in the top 10 among public universities. This year, public health also climbed 19 spots to No. 27 overall (No. 17 among public universities) – a milestone for the newly established Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health (founding dean Bernadette Boden-Abala with students pictured above). These top-tier rankings reflect UC Irvine’s standing as a world-class public research university across a wide range of disciplines.

Encyclopædia Iranica finds a new home

The Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies has been designated as the new home for the Encyclopædia Iranica. The multi-volume, multi-disciplinary work provides a detailed and accurate picture of Iranian civilization over a span of several thousand years. Touraj Daryaee, the Maseeh Chair in Persian Studies & Culture and center director, has been appointed as the new editor-in-chief. “Encyclopædia Iranica is the most important scholarly tool for Iranian studies in the world. It is an honor to take charge of the Encyclopædia Iranica and continue its mission for introducing the Iranian world to its largest extent,” he said.

Arab American Heritage Month resource guides

April marks Arab American Heritage month. UC Irvine Libraries continue to grow its collections on Arab American history and related topics that help document and honor the works of Arab Americans. To celebrate Arab American Heritage Month, UC Irvine Libraries has compiled a guide that gathers a partial list of available online resources, media (both fiction and nonfiction) and books.

Sustainability achievements and tips from UC Irvine

Preparing for a green future

The Sustainability Resource Center’s “Campus as a Living Lab” program is a hybrid seminar and mentorship experience, offering an opportunity for undergraduates to become sustainability leaders while preparing for the green careers of the future. Students can participate in a three-quarter seminar that introduces weekly concepts and applies them to our most pressing environmental, social and economic challenges. Concurrently, they partner with a UC Irvine department to improve the sustainability of campus operations, systems and practices through applied projects. Applications are open through April 28.

UC NEWS

Majority of UC medical students match in California residencies

Of the 748 University of California medical students who discovered where they will continue their graduate medical education at this year’s Match Day, 67 percent will remain in the state, serving California patients. Recent years have shown that nearly 70 percent of UC medical school graduates go on to practice as licensed physicians in California — giving the Golden State the highest physician retention rate in the nation. Match Day was Friday, March 21. This year, 111 graduating UC Irvine medical students participated at UC Irvine. Watch this inspiring video that captures the emotion of the day.

#UCIconnected

Gaining a healthy mindset

On March 21, Sam Solorio became the 46th graduate of the Young Adult Court program – a collaborative court for felony offenders between the ages of 18 and 25. One of the most consequential incentives of participating in Young Adult Court is the reduction of a felony charge to a misdemeanor or the complete dismissal of the felony charge when participants graduate from the program. “The goal of the two-year program is to have these young men put their lives back on track and serve justice,” said Elizabeth Cauffman, psychological science professor and Young Adult Court co-creator.

#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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