Flaunting our faculty

When the University of California, Irvine opened its doors in 1965, it was the youngest campus in the University of California system. Unlike older institutions with generations of established traditions and reputations, UC Irvine began with a blank canvas and an ambitious vision.

Over six decades, the campus has matured into one of the nation's premier public research universities, recognized for academic excellence, groundbreaking scholarship and an unwavering commitment to innovation. Yet one of the most notable chapters in UC Irvine's story has unfolded in recent years - not through the construction of new buildings or the introduction of new degree programs, but through the extraordinary achievements of its faculty.

At the center of this transformation is the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning - guided by Vice Provost Roxane Cohen Silver and supported by dedicated colleagues including Andrea Bell, strategic program director; Elspeth Riley, Office of Research editorial director; and the IRAP team.

A Distinguished Professor of psychology, medicine and public health, Silver has long understood that world-class research deserves visibility. Since assuming her role as vice provost of IRAP in 2021, she has worked to strengthen the university's strategic planning while advancing initiatives that celebrate faculty excellence and elevate UC Irvine's national profile. In so doing, Silver has championed a core institutional philosophy that outstanding scholarship should be recognized, shared and celebrated.

"When you have thousands of people who are doing outstanding work, how do we make sure that all of that stays elevated both within the campus and outside the campus?" she asks. "Our answer is to create a culture in which we recognize and nominate our peers for honors and awards."

The process involved a coordinated campuswide effort to increase faculty nominations for major national and international awards and to encourage schools and departments to establish honors and awards committees. The initiative fosters an environment in which colleagues actively recognize one another's achievements, departments collaborate on nominations and faculty receive guidance throughout complex application processes. The endeavor also promotes participation in such enterprises as the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program (the government's flagship international educational exchange program) while establishing best practices for pursuing scholarly recognition across all disciplines.

"For the last three years, I've spoken at new faculty orientation about the importance of keeping one's public profile up to date and how to seek out honors and awards that are level-appropriate," Silver says. "People don't just become members of the National Academy of Sciences - they've won smaller awards along the way."

IRAP has expanded beyond traditional institutional research to become a catalyst for academic distinction, helping position faculty accomplishments within the broader landscape of national and international recognition. One of the most visible examples of this forward-thinking approach is ScholarConnect, an AI-powered faculty profile platform created in partnership with the Office of Information Technology to transform how the university showcases its intellectual capital.

Rather than functioning as a simple directory, ScholarConnect allows users to search faculty specializations through questions or topics - connecting collaborators, industry leaders, journalists, policymakers, philanthropists, students and community organizations with the researchers best suited to address their needs. Faculty profiles highlight areas of expertise, publications, honors and research accomplishments, making UC Irvine's scholarly community more accessible.

ScholarConnect represents more than a technological innovation. It reflects an understanding that visibility matters in modern research. By making faculty expertise easier to discover, the platform encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, expands opportunities for external partnerships, and increases community and media engagement. Every connection made through the platform reinforces UC Irvine's identity as a university where transformative research flourishes.

The results of these efforts are becoming increasingly evident in the growing number of UC Irvine faculty earning election to the nation's most prestigious scholarly organizations. Membership in the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Education and National Academy of Inventors represents the highest level of professional recognition in academia. These groups honor individuals whose discoveries, innovations and leadership have significantly advanced knowledge and improved society.

Between 2000 and 2002, five UC Irvine faculty were elected to these academies; between 2024 and 2026 (so far), 19 have been. In April, UC Irvine celebrated a milestone when six professors - its most ever in one year - were elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, among the oldest honorary societies in the country. The accomplishment is part of a larger upward trajectory built through years of support and sustained institutional commitment.

The university's current faculty distinctions illustrate this momentum. As of July, UC Irvine counts 46 members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 23 fellows of the National Academy of Inventors, 16 members of the National Academy of Engineering, seven members of the National Academy of Medicine and five members of the National Academy of Education among its faculty.

Silver says the academy elections carry significance beyond individual recognition. Membership enhances opportunities for collaborative research, influences national policy discussions, and lures graduate students and prospective faculty. "Every election contributes to a cycle in which distinguished faculty attract new talent, generate innovative discoveries and inspire future generations of scholars," she says.

As ScholarConnect expands campuswide this fall and recognition continues to bear fruit, UC Irvine is positioned to build on its ascent.

"I've been at UCI since 1989. When I arrived, there were 14,000 students and a much smaller footprint," Silver notes. "It's been really gratifying to be part of its growth. One of the main reasons I was drawn to UCI was that it was new, exciting and growing. All of this reflects the mindset of a young, forward-thinking institution that seizes chances to provide a better education for our students and more opportunities for our researchers and our faculty."