Oct. 15, 2026

Anteater Time Machine: A student nods off while studying, circa 1974. (Photo courtesy of UC Irvine Libraries Archives)

UC IRVINE NEWS

40 years in the light

Former Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic director Bruce Tromberg left UC Irvine to become director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. He returned to campus on Oct. 8 to be the featured speaker at BLI’s 40th anniversary celebration.

In 1980, Michael Berns sent invitations to every biotech and medical company CEO he could find in Orange County. A UC Irvine cell biologist with a habit of pointing lasers at things nobody else thought to aim them at, Berns wanted them to see the Laser Microbeam Program – a machine he’d spent a year building that could fire a tunable laser beam at living cells. Almost no one showed up. But one man did. On a rainy night, Arnold O. Beckman – then 80 years old, the inventor of the pH meter, and still running Beckman Instruments nearby – walked into Berns’ lab and was captivated by what he saw. Beckman’s investment in an unproven young professor would, within a few years, produce something that didn’t exist anywhere else in the world: a single building where laser physicists, cell biologists, engineers and practicing doctors worked off the same hallway, turning lab ideas into patient treatments. And now, the Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Creating community, building belonging

Naty Rico ’17, program director for UC Irvine’s Disability Cultural Center, is flanked by Alex Lee (left), a third-year genetics major, and Dani Galvan ’25 (right), a graduate student in informatics, at the new center, which opened in February.

When Naty Rico (center) was an undergraduate at UC Irvine, getting across campus could sometimes be more challenging than anything waiting for her in the classroom. A donated power scooter eventually helped change that trajectory. But the experience also changed her. It made her an advocate. Rico, who identifies as physically disabled and neurodivergent, is back at her alma mater as program director for the campus’s new Disability Cultural Center, helping build the community and support network she wished she had had as a student. “Returning to UC Irvine has been a full-circle moment,” Rico says. “It feels like I paved my way to this role back when I was an undergraduate.”

UCI Health and Hyundai continue partnership

The UCI Health Family Health Center, the oldest Federally Qualified Health Center in Orange County, has once again partnered with Hyundai Motor America to spread awareness of child passenger safety to local families. Through Hyundai Hope, Hyundai's corporate social responsibility initiative, it donated another $25,000 to support the UCI Health Federally Qualified Health Center locations in Anaheim and Santa Ana and its Car Seat Safety Program.

An ode to the purist communicator

One goal of the Strategic Communications & Public Affairs office is to empower communicators across UC Irvine to harness AI's capabilities while preserving the creativity, discernment and accountability that define our profession. Human judgement will always determine what is worth communicating, why it matters, and how it will be received – a responsibility we have to the people and communities we serve. This perspective inspired “An Ode to the Purist Communicator,” a short film brought to life by Philip Thompson, a professor of acting at UC Irvine. Created entirely through human writing, talent and production, it is a lighthearted invitation to embrace AI without losing the creativity and judgment that makes communications work meaningful.

UC NEWS

An update on your 2027 health benefits

In this message, Vice President of Systemwide Human Resources Dianna Henderson shares an update on the work of UC teams to shape the employee benefits program for 2027. With significant changes to plans and costs, UC offers an overview and answers to frequently asked questions to provide advance notice of the most significant changes, so you can begin planning before Open Enrollment begins.

SAVE THE DATE

Hear from Counseling Center staff about preparations leading up to graduation and beyond.

Journey to Graduation and Beyond: Motivation and Values

Oct. 20, 1 p.m. (sponsored by UCI Counseling Center)

Portillo Children Memorial Pickleball Tournament

Oct. 17, noon (sponsored by HD-CARE)

Project Giving Light: Birthday Boxes for Foster Youth

Oct. 20, 3 p.m. (sponsored by Staff Assembly)

Mysteries of Muscle and Movement

Oct. 20, 4 p.m. (sponsored by the Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences)

Data Disposal Day

Oct. 21, 8 a.m. (sponsored by Information Security)

Go Abroad Fair

Oct. 22, 11 a.m. (sponsored by Study Abroad Center)

Bike Friendly Driver Training

Oct. 22, 1 p.m. (sponsored by Transportation & Distribution Services)

UCI Santora Pitch Lab Grand Opening

Oct. 22, 4 p.m. (sponsored by the ANTrepreneur Center)

For more events, visit UC Irvine Today.

#UCIconnected

Phi Beta Kappa Society’s 250th anniversary

UC Irvine celebrated the Phi Beta Kappa Society’s 250th anniversary with a special event on Oct. 9 that honored the organization’s storied history, recognized its continued impact on education and academic inquiry, and looked ahead to consider the importance of its mission in the face of a rapidly evolving world.

#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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