Oct. 1, 2026

Anteater Time Machine: In 1981, UCI Health – Orange became the county’s only Level 1 trauma center. (Photo courtesy of UC Irvine Libraries Archives)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Best of the best

UC Irvine has been recognized by the Princeton Review’s latest rankings as fourth overall among the Top 50 Best Value Colleges (public schools). UC Irvine is the highest-ranked member of the University of California system and the highest-ranked university in California. “We take great pride that UC Irvine has been recognized as one of the foremost institutions where world-class teaching, research and opportunity meet affordability,” said Chancellor Howard Gillman. “These latest rankings recognize our efforts to deliver both academic excellence and exceptional value to our students and their families.” Other rankings also highlight the exceptional value proposition that UC Irvine offers. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, UC Irvine placed in the top 100, earning the 97th spot out of nearly 2,300 institutions across the globe.

The secret to affordable biomanufacturing

Han Li, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering (left), and Feng Qiao, professor of biological chemistry (right), work with a graduate student researcher to inspect an atomic-resolution X-ray crystal.

Biomanufacturing helps us create everything from biodegradable plastics to life-saving vaccines, and enzymes are the catalysts for that process. Most enzymes depend on a specific, expensive “fuel” molecule that is a form of vitamin B3 that the cell must carefully produce and manage. “Finding cheaper, cleaner alternatives has been a major unsolved challenge for decades,” said Han Li, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. Partnering with Feng Qiao, professor of biological chemistry, Li led a team of UC Irvine researchers in finally identifying an alternative. That cheaper fuel is called nicotinamide mononucleotide, also a form of vitamin B3. “Crucially, this secret code is not something we invented. We found it already embedded in nature, in proteins from cows and bacteria,” said Li. “We found nature’s own recipe for running biological machines on a cheap, widely available fuel, and we can now transfer that recipe to other machines.”

The evolution of trauma care in Orange County

50 years ago, Orange County didn’t have a Level 1 adult trauma center – let alone the mature trauma system that UCI Health has built as the only Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center for the entire county. “We like to say that UCI Health – Orange is the hospital that trauma built,” said Dr. Michael Lekawa, an emergency and trauma care surgeon and medical director of UCI Health Trauma and Critical Care Surgery Services for 30 years. “The health system has played a significant role in the evolution of trauma care throughout the region.” The trauma program is one of the busiest in California, and its key to success is the highly trained physicians, nurses and staff who deliver lifesaving care for patients at Orange County’s only teaching hospital.

UC NEWS

One year in

In this video, UC President James B. Milliken sits down with Tani Cantil-Sakauye, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California, to discuss his first year leading the University of California and the direction of UC and higher education. They reflect on UC’s accomplishments over the past year and the university’s continued impact on California, the nation and the world.

SAVE THE DATE

Former NASA astronauts Danny Olivas and Steve Smith land at UC Irvine as part of the Astronauts for America national college tour.

Houston, We Have a Mission: VOTE!

Oct. 8, 11 a.m. (sponsored by School of Social Ecology)

Shakespeare in Brown Bodies: Latine Shakespeare at UCI's New Swan

Oct. 5, 6 p.m. (sponsored by School of Humanities)

2026 UC Cybersecurity Summit

Oct. 6-7, 9 a.m. (sponsored by UC Digital Risk and Security)

Reading Smart: Seamlessly Manage Your PDFs and Notes with Zotero

Oct. 7, 11 a.m. (sponsored by UC Irvine Libraries)

Zot Night Out

Oct. 8, 6 p.m. (sponsored by Irvine Company)

For more events, visit UC Irvine Today.

#IamUCI

First day of classes booth

Last Thursday, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Willie Banks greeted students and wished them well on the first day of classes. He sponsored a table with various school supplies and stickers, and shared resources with students as he introduced himself and the division.

#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.

UC IRVINE NEWSMAKERS

Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. UC Irvine Libraries offers free subscriptions to The New York Times, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Orange County Register and The Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.