Oct. 21, 2025

Leafy vines turn color from green to red near the MSTB building. (Photo by Steve Zylius / UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

A house of second chances

From left: Tiffany Mitchell, Judge Maria Hernandez, Elizabeth Cauffman, Abraham and Rani Mammen cut the ceremonial ribbon at the newly-opened Young Adult Court Recovery-Focused House.

When Abraham first appeared before Orange County Superior Court Judge Maria Hernandez in the Young Adult Court, he carried serious strikes on his criminal record and an uncertain future. Today, he's felony-free, playing college football, employed and safely housed with his own vehicle. As the first successful graduate of the innovative court, Abraham joined the program’s creators and partners Sept. 12 in Fullerton to open the first Young Adult Court Recovery-Focused House. The house is operated by Orangewood Foundation in partnership with UC Irvine and Orange County Superior Court. With $1.2 million in Proposition 47 funding from the California Board of State and Community Corrections, the facility will house up to six participants over 48 months, providing stability during their recovery journey.

Lighting the way

The concept that revolutionized laser surgery came to Dr. J. Stuart Nelson in 1992 while he was watching a baseball game. As medical director of the Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, Nelson had been striving to improve laser treatments for disfiguring vascular birthmarks, such as port-wine stains, in infants and young children. “I remembered what I saw watching a baseball game,” said Nelson, referring to how a trainer would emerge from the dugout and spray ethyl chloride onto a players injury site to numb the pain. That burst of inspiration led to the Dynamic Cooling Device, which was patented in September 1998 and is now standard on many surgical lasers around the world. #SpeakUp4Science

Dust exposure linked to lower lung function

Children living near the Salton Sea are experiencing poorer lung function than children exposed to less wind-blown dust, according to recent UC Irvine research at the Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health. “The drying of the Salton Sea is not only an environmental crisis but also a public health crisis,” said Jill Johnston, associate professor of environmental and occupational health at Wen Public Health. Grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center supported the research in partnership with the Imperial Valley community-based organization Comite Civico del Valle. #SpeakUp4Science

UC NEWS

UC Network marks 75th issue with reader survey

The UCnetwork newsletter was launched in August of 2019, and this month marks its 75th issue. Whether this is your first or 75th time reading UCnetwork, you are invited to take a 2-minute reader survey to share your thoughts on what you like about the newsletter and how it can improve.

#IamUCI

A life in learning

For Kristen Kennefick, an anthropology Ph.D. student, a love of learning has led to a life in academia and a commitment to helping others discover that same joy. “I wanted to be somewhere where I could keep asking questions and where teaching and learning were central,” said Kennefick. That clarity led her to UC Irvine. “I was really drawn to how the department approaches the field – there’s a culture of academic flexibility. People are encouraged to follow ideas where they lead, even if that means changing directions.”

Phi Beta Kappa welcomes a new president

The Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, the Division of Undergraduate Education and the Mu Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa have welcomed Dr. Alpesh N. Amin, professor of medicine, as the new chapter president. Amin will serve a two-year term from 2025 to 2027. “Being president of the Phi Beta Kappa Mu Chapter is a true honor. It represents a chance to give back to an organization that celebrates the life of the mind and the value of a broad, rigorous education. For me, it’s about fostering a community where intellectual curiosity is encouraged, where ideas are respected, and where we continue to uphold the ideals of integrity, scholarship and service,” he said.

#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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