March 23, 2026

Eastern Redbud trees bloom clusters of magenta flowers as students stroll on Ring Road. (Photo by Steve Zylius / UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Homecoming recap

In this recap video, the campus buzzes with school spirit as approximately 2,000 Anteaters of all ages came together for the festive Homecoming Block Party at the Bren celebration.

Voices of resilience

Simon Cole, professor of criminology, law & society, introduced his “Miscarriages of Justice” course to what he describes as “a voice for resilience, justice and second chances” – Jofama Coleman and his tireless advocate, Jessica Jacobs. Coleman was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder in Los Angeles and sentenced in 2007 to 72 years and eight months in prison. His journey to freedom culminated in February 2024 with the dismissal of all charges and a finding of factual innocence.

Age-related cataracts

Cataracts affect 25 million people in the U.S., and these numbers are expected to rise as Americans age and life expectancy increases. A subtle chemical change in an eye lens protein can make the protein more likely to clump together over time, suggesting an early step in cataract formation according to a new study from UC Irvine researchers. “What surprised us is that the protein can still look mostly normal, but even a small chemical change makes it much more likely to stick to other proteins,” said Yeonseong (Catherine) Seo, lead author and Ph.D. candidate in chemistry. “Over time, those small interactions can add up and cloud the lens.” The National Institute of Health supported the work. #SpeakUp4Science

UC NEWS

No. 1 in patents

The University of California is No. 1 in a National Academy of Inventors ranking of U.S. schools granted the most U.S. utility patents. UC has rights to over 6,800 active patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. #SpeakUp4Science

#IamUCI

Investing in integrity

When Jerry Braakman studied economics in the School of Social Sciences in the 1990s, he thought he might hit it big on Wall Street. But the first brokerage firm he worked for turned out to be a pyramid scheme, with coworkers who could have been characters straight out of Boiler Room or The Wolf of Wall Street. He decided to return to UC Irvine’s Executive M.B.A. program and earned his degree in 2008. Because he so deeply values his own higher education experience, Braakman gives back to his alma mater and supports a new generation of students. “Fundraising for the school has never been more important than it is now, as the federal government is threatening to pull funding from higher education,” he said.

#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.

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