July 16, 2026

Anteater Time Machine: Elementary school students use microscopes to explore the wonders of biology at a summer camp program, circa 1988. (Photo courtesy of UC Irvine Libraries Archives)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Happiness in bloom

Professor Sarah Pressman’s class from this year’s Happiness Week events.

This May, UC Irvine buzzed with an unusual kind of final assignment – one that asked students not to cram for tests but to make strangers smile. Hundreds of students enrolled in Professor Sarah Pressman’s positive psychology course fanned out across campus as part of Happiness Week with carefully designed interventions to boost the well-being of their fellow Anteaters. The projects ranged from yoga sessions and bracelet-making to a cuddly dog available for pet therapy and collaborative art stations, inviting strangers to pause, create and connect. “Happy feelings can act as a buffer against the negative effects of stress,” said Pressman. “Highlighting the importance of prioritizing happiness in our lives, especially during the times when it’s hardest to do so.”

Spark wins Growth Prize

Spark, the Measuring Undergraduate Success Trajectories project supported by Office of Information Technology, has won a $150,000 Growth Prize in the 2026 Tools Competition. Spark is a mobile-first, Canvas-embedded guidance platform that brings together institutional data to give students personalized dashboards that connect their academic progress, extracurricular involvement and career development in one place. “This recognition is a testament to years of a research-practice partnership with the larger campus, focused on using data to improve institutional performance and advance educational equity,” said Richard Arum, professor of education and sociology and principal investigator of the MUST Project. “Spark empowers students with the ability to better understand and navigate campus educational opportunities, and this award gives us the resources to take that work even further by integrating extracurricular engagement with academic and career service data in the platform.”

Preventing dangerous heat illnesses

While many people may be familiar with terms like heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, few understand the critical differences between them or recognize when a medical emergency is unfolding. "Heat-related illnesses range from mild to severe,” said Dr. Isabel M. Algaze Gonzalez, UCI Health emergency medicine specialist. “Without prompt intervention, symptoms can rapidly escalate, especially during extreme heat or physical exertion. Understanding the warning signs – and how to respond – can save lives.”

UC NEWS

UC Partners with Building Trades

The University of California, in partnership with the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California and its affiliated unions, has announced a first-of-its-kind systemwide Community Workforce Agreement to help deliver major construction projects across UC campuses and medical centers. The agreement will also establish a framework for workforce development, infrastructure modernization, project coordination and long-term state investment across the UC system. “This partnership reflects our commitment to delivering critical infrastructure for our campuses and health systems while investing in California’s workforce," said Nathan Brostrom, executive vice president and chief financial officer for the University of California Office of the President. "By working collaboratively with our labor partners, we can support project reliability and create meaningful opportunities for workers and communities.”

SAVE THE DATE

SoCal Pediatric Optometry Symposium

July 19, 7 a.m. (sponsored by Gavin Herbert Eye Institute)

For more events, visit UC Irvine Today.

#UCIconnected

Future science teachers explore wildfire science

Future science educator students (above) in Professor Hosun Kang’s science methods course participated in an innovative learning experience to connect scientific research, community engagement and classroom instruction. The Master of Arts in Teaching students took part in a field-based learning opportunity to understand the impacts of recent Southern California wildfires and explore how scientists study environmental change.

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