2025 year in review; Alumni Through the Decades

Dec. 18, 2025

UC Irvine Digest header featuring 60 years badge

UC Irvine employees Helen Greening, Barbara Hampton and Pat Montgomery strike a pose in front of a flocked tree at an office holiday party in 1963.

Anteater Time Machine: UC Irvine employees Helen Greening, Barbara Hampton and Pat Montgomery strike a pose in front of a flocked tree at an office holiday party in 1963. (Photo courtesy of UC Irvine Libraries Archives)

UC IRVINE NEWS

2025 year in review

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

Alumni Through the Decades

Judith Vormittag Nierman '68 (B.A. English) is a member of UCI's first graduating class

The School of Humanities has announced the launch of Alumni Through the Decades – a new series featuring a graduate from each decade, starting with Judith Vormittag Nierman '68 (B.A. English), a member of UC Irvine's first graduating class.

Preventing accidents around the holidays

Place ladders on a sturdy surface and have a spotter or two to prevent falls, recommends UCI Health emergency medicine physician Dr. Ryan Gibney.

From crowded kitchens to flowing spirits, the holidays are rife with opportunities for mishaps. “It’s probably no surprise that the holidays are our busiest time of the year,” said Dr. Ryan Gibney, emergency room director at UCI Health – Irvine. “There’s more driving, holiday parties, more family gatherings and more alcohol.” He offers a variety of tips for staying safe this time of year.

Note: As we sign off for the year, the Digest team wishes readers a wonderful holiday season and winter break. See you on Monday, Jan. 5. Until then, Happy New Year!

UC NEWS

UC Spotlight: November and December

Andrea Mora, director of the UC Irvine Basic Needs Center, is one of 17 UC Irvine highlights in the UC Monthly Spotlight.

“Seeing so many students gain access to CalFresh benefits through our enrollment parties has been incredibly rewarding,” says Andrea Mora, director of the UC Irvine Basic Needs Center, one of 17 UC Irvine highlights in the UC Monthly Spotlight. Photo by Steve Zylius / UC Irvine

The monthly UC Spotlight for November and December celebrates the UC locations, teams and individual staff members who are helping to make UC a great place to work. This issue highlights multiple UC Irvine achievements:

UC Irvine partnered with the Wellness and Prevention Center to open a new drop-in center for local youth who need mental health services.
UCI Health Family Health Center – Anaheim teamed with Hyundai Motor America to host a free car-seat safety event, offering expert guidance and free car seats to local community members.
UC Irvine Libraries compiled veterans resources and research – including archival materials, media and recent acquisitions – that document the history and experiences of those with military service.
UC Irvine became the first school in the UC system – and one of two R-1 research universities in the state – to offer a Master of Public Administration degree program.
The ANTrepreneur Center unveiled its new Santora Pitch Lab – equipping students and alumni with a dedicated space to pitch ideas, refine startups and fuel innovation.
The Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health at UC Irvine hosted its 11th Annual Women’s Health Summit, uniting 200 attendees under this year’s theme, “Menopause Matters: A Public Health Call to Action.”
UC Irvine Health launched the Live Well with UCI Health podcast, a new way to receive insights from the academic health system’s internationally recognized, trusted experts.
The Basic Needs Center expanded its efforts to fight student food insecurity – co-hosting record-breaking enrollment events that helped far more students access CalFresh benefits faster than ever before.

SAVE THE DATE

Mindful Mondays

Jan. 5, 4 p.m. (sponsored by Center for Student Wellness & Health Promotion)

Anteater Success Resources: LARC Tutorials 101

Jan. 6, 11 a.m. (sponsored by Student Success Initiatives)

Mindful Yoga

Jan. 6, 4 p.m. (sponsored by Center for Student Wellness & Health Promotion)

Immersive Media as a Decolonial Art of Confrontation: The Case of the Phoenix of Gaza

Jan. 7, 2 p.m. (sponsored by School of Humanities)

Pathways to Utopia

Jan. 7, 6:30 p.m. (sponsored by School of Humanities)

UCI Latin American Film Fest: 7 Boxes (2012)

Jan. 8, 5 p.m. (sponsored by School of Humanities)

Inaugural UCI Human Performance Symposium

Jan. 9, 8:30 a.m. (sponsored by UCI Athletics and Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute)

For more events, visit UC Irvine Today.

#UCIconnected

UCI Health leaders named to OC500 list

Chad T. Lefteris, UCI Health president and CEO, holds a plaque as Nathan Shinagawa, chief operating officer, takes a group selfie.

Congratulations to Chad T. Lefteris, UCI Health president and CEO, and Nathan Shinagawa, chief operating officer, for being named to the Orange County Business Journal’s annual OC500 list. They have been recognized for ushering in an era of historic growth, transformation and access to care for the UCI health system, which includes opening the state-of-the-art UCI Health – Irvine acute care hospital. “We are extraordinarily proud of this state-of-the-art facility and the visionaries who have worked tirelessly to bring it to fruition,” said Lefteris.

#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.