Oct. 27, 2026

Brett Sanders, Chancellor’s Professor of civil and environmental engineering, speaks during a press conference to announce $38.2 million in state funding in support of climate research across the UC system. (Photo by Steve Zylius / UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Linking drones with AI

With a father in the Air Force, Peter Burke (above center) grew up aspiring to be a pilot. “I was too tall. Pilots have to fit in the cockpit and my vision wasn’t good enough,” said Burke, who is 6-foot-2 and wears glasses. Instead, Burke became an electrical engineering & computer science professor and is now creating cutting-edge drone technology at UC Irvine. He began building drones in his garage, and in 2022, he won the Guinness World Record for farthest distance to control a drone. Now Burke and his students are linking drones to AI. “We’re pushing the boundaries of how to integrate the drones with AI,” Burke said. “What we've demonstrated so far is using AI to control the drone and using AI to give it information about its environment.”

UC Irvine experts on: Baseball statistics

In this video, Michael McBride, professor of economics, breaks down what the box score misses about teamwork, contribution and fair credit.

Thousands take the Anti-Cancer Challenge

More than 3,800 participants joined the 10th-annual UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge on Oct. 10 to support lifesaving research at the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and its pediatric affiliate, Rady Children’s Health. Participants this year raised more than $1.3 million ahead of the Oct. 31 donation deadline. It brings the total raised to over $9 million since 2017 to support innovative research to advance cancer therapies and seek potential cures at the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in Orange County.

Dining survey

UC Irvine Dining is conducting a survey to better understand Anteaters’ noshing habits and preferences. By sharing your thoughts, dining will gain valuable insight to enhance future menu offerings and implement improvements across campus locations. The last day to take the online survey and make your voice heard is Nov. 13.

UC NEWS

Forbes ranking names UC campuses as the best public universities in the country

University of California’s undergraduate campuses continue to define higher education excellence in Forbes’ latest America’s Top Colleges ranking, with eight among the top 40 public schools and all nine in the top 100. UC Irvine ranked 11th among the top public universities and 37th among the top 100.

Is a UC degree worth it? Here’s what the data shows

In this video, UC President James B. Milliken discusses whether a degree from a UC campus is still a good investment, and he has some good news. It is!

#IamUCI

Student pharmacist spotlight: Viviana Montalti-Díaz

Viviana Montalti-Díaz, a second-year pharmacy student, grew up in Venezuela, where access to medications and healthcare resources was limited. “It gave me a firsthand understanding of the impact healthcare professionals can have and taught me to be resourceful,” she said. “Pharmacy became the perfect combination of my love for chemistry, my desire to help others and my commitment to providing compassionate patient care while honoring values my father instilled in me.”

#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.

UC IRVINE NEWSMAKERS

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