2019 Year in Review

2019

Year in Review

Robots and Rubik’s Cubes. March Madness and Middle Earth. Squid-inspired space blankets and Shakespeare on trial. In 2019, UCI had yet another remarkable run of scientific discoveries, creative splashes, medical breakthroughs and academic feats. The men’s basketball team won its first-ever game in the NCAA tournament. UCI’s stellar blend of educational excellence and accessibility dethroned Princeton University as the No. 1 campus on Money magazine’s list of “best colleges in America” and earned UCI top billing among public universities on Forbes’ “best value colleges” survey. In addition, the campus attracted more in-state freshman applications than any other California university, including the most from first-year Latino, Asian American, low-income and first-generation students. To build on that momentum, in October, UCI unveiled Brilliant Future, a $2 billion fundraising campaign and alumni engagement effort. Here’s a look at some 2019 highlights:

UCI launches largest philanthropic drive in O.C. history

Campus seeks $2 billion for research, healthcare, scholarships, cultural endeavors

Anteaters shining brighter

Making a difference
Entertaining and informing
Hoops hoopla

#IamUCI – Class of 2019 takes on the future

50 years of eclectic sound on KUCI-FM

A historic run for UCI men’s basketball

Advancing the American dream

UCI helps students of all backgrounds climb the economic ladder

Featured stories:

LIFEvest proves to be life-changing – Financial literacy program for teens gives incoming, first-gen freshman the confidence and skills to pursue college degree
Brain Explorer Academy expands young minds – Innovative outreach effort encourages youngsters to consider STEM careers
Studying the students – UCI pilots national survey on undergraduate life and learning, aiming to improve both

Dyandra Magdaleno is awarded a certificate by Andrew Policano, former dean of the business school and founding faculty director of its Center for Investment and Wealth Management. This fall, Magdaleno will return to UCI as an incoming freshman. Photo: Xiaohan Liu

Transforming healthcare and wellness

University aims to revolutionize medical care and research

Prescription: nutrition – Culinary medicine class teaches future doctors how to help patients eat better

The Alzheimer’s crunch – New leader of clinical research operations at UCI MIND aims to accelerate translation of discoveries into effective treatments

Treating breast cancer through pregnancy – Top-flight cancer care saves pregnant woman and her baby

Accelerating world-changing research

UCI continues its tradition of trailblazing discoveries

Underwater sleuth – UCI researcher investigates threats to coral and other ocean life

AI masters Rubik’s Cube – Algorithm sets stage for robotic systems that can think and reason

Toddlers choose broccoli over cake if asked the right way – Study analyzes youngsters’ decision-making process

Antarctica losing six times more ice mass annually now than 40 years ago – Climate change-induced melting will raise global sea levels for decades to come

Exploring the human experience

Campus tackles vexing social issues and reimagines creativity

Featured stories:

Arts trek – Class embarks on 1,900-mile mission to examine artworks embedded in the environment
In defense of smartphones and social media – Study finds little evidence of harm to teens
Dissecting Disneyland – New UCI course examines inner workings and idiosyncrasies of theme park
MOOCS with a message – UCI faculty create massive open online courses to counter extremism