July 27, 2026

A barn owl glides over the San Joaquin Marsh Reserve near Campus Drive. (Photo by Steve Zylius / UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Experts urge ‘developmental lens’ for AI

Some of the nation’s leading researchers and child development experts gathered July 16 at the Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering at UC Irvine to make a clear case. When it comes to artificial intelligence and its impact on young people, the conversation must be grounded in science, not fear. “How Today’s Children Learn, Play and Thrive,” was the second installment in the series “Raising the Next Generation in the Age of AI.” The panel called on policymakers, parents and tech developers to adopt a “developmental lens” that puts children’s well-being at the forefront of how AI is designed, regulated and used. “We are running a massive, uncontrolled experiment on an entire generation of children,” said Gillian Hayes, moderator and vice provost for academic personnel and Chancellor’s Professor of informatics. “And sadly, the loudest voices in that conversation are too often the least informed by science.”

The symphony’s new movement

Since taking the helm of the UCI Symphony Orchestra, Geoffrey Pope (above) has followed this plan: play more music, by more people, more often. He’s already made a major impact, creating UC Irvine’s new Symphony Express series, launching a Side-by-Side rehearsal series with the Pacific Symphony and keeping the ensemble thriving amid a challenging time for arts funding. “Geoffrey's repertoire choices for the symphony reflect a wonderful commitment to balancing traditional and modern works, and the students have been very enthusiastic about his leadership,” said Michael Dessen, professor and chair of the Department of Music. “In addition to the symphony, he also brings a wide range of teaching expertise in conducting, composition, orchestration and the music industry, and it's been exciting to see the diverse courses that he's developing here in those areas as well.”

Moles & melanoma: Everything you need to know

Nearly every adult has a few moles. Fair-skinned people may have as many as 40 on their bodies. Most of them are nothing to worry about. “Yes, a common mole can turn into melanoma, but that’s very rare,” said Dr. Maki Yamamoto, surgical oncologist with the Melanoma Center at UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. A suspicious mole, however, warrants quick action. Yamamoto shares what she wants everyone to know about moles and preventing melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer.

UC NEWS

How veteran care at UC transforms the future of medicine

California is home to approximately 1.5 million veterans, the largest veteran population in the country. At UC, veterans and their healthcare needs are at the forefront – from patient care to breakthrough research to partnerships that help train the next generation of health professionals.

#IamUCI

Dean Ian O. Williamson named chair

Ian O. Williamson, dean of UC Irvine's Paul Merage School of Business, has been named chair of the board of directors of AACSB International, the world's largest business education network and the global standard-setting body for business schools. His one-year term began July 1. “Business education has entered a period of dramatic change. Artificial intelligence is rewriting the skills our graduates need. Global markets are shifting,” said Williamson. “In the face of these changes, society is asking business schools to prove, with evidence, that what we do matters. Our new Global Standards were built for exactly this moment. It is a privilege to lead AACSB’s board as we support more than a thousand business schools worldwide to have a positive social impact in their communities and to bring what we are learning at the Merage School to that global conversation.”

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