Feb. 3, 2026

Students walk under the canopy of a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. (Photo by Steve Zylius / UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Build-A-Bot workshop

The inaugural Build-a-Bot Workshop, hosted by the Office of Information Technology’s ZotGPT team, brought together staff members from across campus to learn, create and build an AI assistant from scratch in just one week. “We knew our campus community was creative and innovative, but what we saw exceeded all our expectations,” said Sarkis Daglian, director of AI. “These AI assistants are solutions to real problems that will save time, reduce frustration, and allow our staff and faculty to focus on what matters most.”

UCI Health – Brea Outpatient Center

The UCI Health – Brea Outpatient Center is now open. It represents a further expansion of the academic health system into northern Orange County. Located at 380 W. Central Ave., the center offers ophthalmologists from the renowned UCI Health Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, as well as highly skilled ear, nose and throat specialists offering comprehensive care for a wide range of conditions.

Accelerated greenhouse gas breakdown

UC Irvine researchers have found that the time nitrous oxide remains in the atmosphere is being shortened by human-caused climate change. The difference in N2O lifespan has direct impacts on atmospheric ozone that protects Earth’s surface from solar radiation. “The change in the life cycle of atmospheric nitrous oxide is a critical piece of the puzzle that has been largely overlooked,” said co-author Michael Prather, professor of Earth system science. “While most research has focused on projecting changing N2O emissions from human activities, we’ve shown that climate change itself is altering how quickly this gas is destroyed in the stratosphere – and this effect cannot be ignored in future climate assessments.” NASA and the National Science Foundation helped support the research. #SpeakUp4Science

UC NEWS

Putting AI to the test

UC researchers are using AI to advance health, energy, agriculture and meteorology, as well as ask thoughtful questions about the transformation this technology brings. Mohammad Javad Abdolhosseini Qomi, UC Irvine associate professor of civil & environmental engineering and materials science & engineering, was specifically lauded for leading Geophysicist.ai – an effort to blend large language models, physics-based models and real-world data from geothermal drilling sites across the Western U.S. into an AI that will give engineers a much sharper understanding of the conditions and risks of drilling in a particular area.

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Black hair wellness

For many, hair is a symbol of identity, resistance, creative expression and freedom. The Black hair wellness event – presented by the Graduate and Family Housing Affinity Group in partnership with School of Medicine ABC Scholars, the Black Faculty and Staff Association, and the Center for Black Cultures, Resources and Research – brought together professional hair stylists, barbers, faculty, staff, students and families for an afternoon of radical self-care and community building.

(Photos by Max Vidal)

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