Currently the Robert A. and Barbara L. Kleist Chair in Informatics at UCI, with additional appointments in the School of Education and the School of Medicine, Gillian R. Hayes will assume her new role on Sept. 1. Steve Zylius / UCI photo: Steve Zylius/UCI

Irvine, Calif., July 23, 2019 — The University of California, Irvine has named Gillian R. Hayes vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate Division, effective Sept. 1. Hayes replaces Frances Leslie, who is retiring.

A member of the UCI faculty since 2007, Hayes is currently the Robert A. and Barbara L. Kleist Chair in Informatics, with additional appointments in the School of Education and the School of Medicine. Her multidisciplinary research interests focus on leveraging innovative information technologies to support vulnerable populations.

Hayes has worked to advance graduate education in a variety of roles throughout her career at UCI. She was vice chair for graduate affairs in informatics, a position in which she established doctoral programs in informatics and software engineering, evolved Ph.D. recruitment and retention processes, and championed efforts to support female and underrepresented doctoral students. She also helped create the Informatics Graduate Student Association and serves on UCI’s Graduate Council and as founding faculty director for the master of human-computer interaction & design program.

Most recently, Hayes honed her industry leadership and development skills as president and CEO of an innovative group purchasing organization for aviation, AVIAA, a software, data and supply chain company launched from a pair of offices in the Cove at UCI Applied Innovation.

“Her interdisciplinary background and dedication to inclusive excellence and advancement will provide a strong foundation for collaboration with faculty, students and staff to build bridges across campus and drive a strategic vision for graduate education at UCI,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Enrique Lavernia.

UCI has nearly 7,000 graduate students and 174 graduate programs, 29 of them ranked in the top 50 nationwide by U.S. News & World Report. Seven fields of advanced study place in the top 10 among public universities.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

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