2025 Year in Review

The past year saw UC Irvine celebrate its 60^th anniversary. Throughout those decades, the campus has grown by leaps and bounds, earning accolades for excellence and achievement along the way. Here we highlight how, in 2025, the university reached new heights.

Creating a brilliant future

Philanthropic giving from the UC Irvine community and other friends and supporters of the university is critical to the success of the institution, leading to scholarships for our brilliant students, powering the research of our world-class faculty, and supporting initiatives and programs throughout the campus. In the fall, UC Irvine celebrated the close of the Brilliant Future campaign - the largest fundraising effort in Orange County history, with more than $2.4 billion. Read more about the support and the donors that made 2025 an unprecedented year for UC Irvine.

Alec Glasser's gift to the School of Social Ecology will endow the Center for the Power of Music and Social Change.

"The vast power of music can be used as a tool in medicine, social services, education, sports and many other fields to improve results and open new alternatives," says Alec Glasser, here speaking with a few of the Glasser Scholars during a recent meeting at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. Karen Tapia

Researchers at the Eddleman Quantum Institute are positioned to lead the next wave of technological innovation powered by quantum science.

"Quantum science holds significant promise for humanity," said philanthropist Roy T. Eddleman in 2021 of the motivation for his generosity. "To realize its fullest potential, we need to provide adequate support to the young scientists who want to pursue careers in this field." Science History Institute

UCI MIND will soon have a new state-of the-art facility thanks to support from the Quilter family and others.

"UC Irvine has always been part of who we are," says Ann Quilter (lower left). "Our family believes deeply in building community and in supporting the people and places that make a difference. UCI MIND represents hope - not just for scientific breakthroughs but for the families and caregivers who face Alzheimer's every day." She's joined here by family members (from left) Chris, Charles, Patrick, Patty and Matt Quilter.

On Dec. 10, UCI Health - Irvine welcomed its first patients to the nation's first all-electric, 144-bed acute care hospital within the region's only academic health system. Designed around advanced care, human-centered spaces and connections to nature, it offers a new kind of patient experience.

UCI Health - Irvine is making history as the first all-electric acute care hospital in the United States. Camila Navarro / UCI Health

In September, UC Irvine completed its acquisition of the Orange County Museum of Art, marking a bold new chapter for the arts in our region. In December, the university announced the appointment of Kathryn Kanjo as museum director of the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art.

"This is a watershed moment for the visual arts in Orange County and beyond. The UC Irvine Langson Museum unites three celebrated California art collections - Irvine, Buck, OCMA - into a singular museum supported by UC Irvine's commitment to critical inquiry and excellence," says Kathryn Kanjo, newly appointed museum director of the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art. Stacy Keck

The best and the brightest

UC Irvine welcomes students from all walks of life and all corners of the globe. The university serves as a catalyst to provide these talented individuals with opportunities to improve their lives and those of their families and impact everyone they come across.

More than 110 graduating medical students were "matched" to residency programs across the country.

More than 8,600 students participated in commencement ceremonies, with 42 percent of those receiving baccalaureate degrees being the first in their families to earn a degree.

Bringing the university to the community for 60 years

2025 marked the 60^th anniversary of UC Irvine. Beginning with a class of just 1,589 students, it has grown into a powerhouse driving the city, county and beyond. Throughout the course of the year, the university hosted hundreds of arts, cultural, athletic and other events that welcomed members of the community to campus to enjoy all that UC Irvine has to offer.

UC Irvine's University Art Galleries held exhibitions highlighting their impact on the artistic and academic communities on campus and beyond for the past 60 years.

1,500 attendees celebrated their heritage and culture during the School of Social Ecology's Día de los Muertos festivities.

Participants from across campus teamed up in the fight against cancer for the annual UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge.

The university and UCI Health partnered to bring a bit of UC Irvine to the community during the Irvine Global Village Festival.

Programs with purpose

Initiatives, programs and partnerships expand UC Irvine's ability to generate new knowledge and translate discoveries into real-world impact. By fostering collaboration across disciplines and with external partners, these efforts accelerate innovation, enrich academic opportunities for students and faculty, and strengthen community engagement. The UC Irvine Climate Collaboration is the university's most recent effort to address complex societal challenges.

A unique cohort of 16 Anteaters - all incarcerated individuals - were awarded bachelor's degrees in sociology thanks to the university's LIFTED program.

UC Irvine teamed up with Pratt & Whitney to launch a new center of excellence in the Samueli School of Engineering to advance solidification and materials science, focusing on critical jet engine components and fostering nationwide academic partnerships.

Diran Apelian, UC Irvine Distinguished Professor of materials science and engineering, will be the inaugural director of the Pratt & Whitney Center of Excellence, which will foster research and industry collaboration, internships and hands-on learning. UC Irvine

Students, faculty and staff from the School of Law provided pro bono legal services to Southern Californians affected by the 2025 wildfires, assisting with FEMA claims, insurance disputes and other disaster-related legal issues through multiple relief clinics.

Honors and awards

UC Irvine has earned wide recognition for its academic excellence, groundbreaking research and commitment to public service. The university consistently ranks among the nation's top public institutions, with numerous faculty receiving prestigious national and international honors for their scholarship and innovation. These accolades reflect UC Irvine's enduring impact as a leader in discovery, education and community engagement. 2025 was another year in which the university distinguished itself.

In its 60^th year, UC Irvine earned its highest placement ever in the U.S. News & World Report's list of "Best Colleges."

UC Irvine research led to the creation of a device honored by Time magazine.

The makers of Memory Air received foundational support from UC Irvine's entrepreneurial ecosystem, including guidance from Beall Applied Innovation's licensing team. Beall Applied Innovation

The university's commitment to providing exceptional education at an affordable cost earned it a fourth-place ranking among The Princeton Review's "Best Value Colleges."

UCI Health was one of only five health systems nationwide recognized by Vizient in 2025 for excellence in outpatient care. The honor reflects UCI Health's strong performance across key measures of access, quality, efficiency and care continuity, underscoring its leadership as Orange County's only academic health system.

UCI Health was named one of Becker's Hospital Review's top 150 places to work in healthcare for 2025. Its generous benefits, inclusive culture, and strong record of employee support and excellence were cited. The honor highlights the system's commitment to fostering a positive, growth-oriented work environment while advancing its mission as a leading, patient-centered academic health system.

Thirty years ago, UC Irvine made history while also saving the world.

UC Irvine's F. Sherwood Rowland (left) and Mario J. Molina made the Nobel Prize-winning discovery that compounds in aerosols called chlorofluorocarbons were eating a hole in the Earth's protective ozone layer, leading to a worldwide ban on the chemicals. UC Irvine

The Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health made significant strides in graduate program rankings.

The ongoing pursuit of scientific discovery

Research at UC Irvine drives the creation of new knowledge that can improve lives, inform policy and spark technological breakthroughs. By empowering faculty and students to explore complex questions, the university is an engine of innovation that advances society in fields ranging from medicine and engineering to the arts and humanities.

UC Irvine's federally funded research is leading to real-world breakthroughs.

Support from the National Institutes of Health is leading to new ways to treat Alzheimer's.

Supported by a $55 million gift dedicated to advancing depression research, neuroscientist Diego Pizzagalli aims to deepen scientific understanding, improve patient outcomes and mentor the next generation while engaging the public on effective, science-based approaches to mental health.

Distinguished Professor Diego Pizzagalli is the founding director of the Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries at UC Irvine. Steve Zylius / UC Irvine

A UCI-OC Poll shed light on the changing nature of work in Orange County two years after the official end of the COVID-19 pandemic.