Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences at UC Irvine

Congratulations to all the ICS staff who marked milestones at the recent UC Irvine Staff Service Awards! 🎉👏💙💛

Special shoutout to Hans Wunsch, who celebrated 30 years at ICS! 🙌💙💛
See his Q&A:

ics.uci.edu

Congratulations to our UC Irvine ICS Class of 2026! This milestone is a testament to your dedication, resilience, and strength. We are proud of you all for walking across the stage!

Photo credit: Pencil Box Events

More about Commencement: https://ics.uci.edu/2026/06/15/commencement-2026-celebrates-community-and-courage-to-face-the-unknown/


Image descriptions:
1. Students in graduation gowns lined up to enter Commencement venue.
2. Students smiling in graduation gowns next to "ICS 2026" pop-ups.
3. Students smiling in graduation gowns.
4. Students smiling and celebrating Commencement.
5. Audience of students seated looking at the Commencement stage.

2026 ICS Commencement Student Speaker Harshvardhan (Harsh) Rathore kept a secret -- until now. Mild-mannered computer science student researching multi-agent systems and AI, working as a peer advisor and serving as ASUCI Senate President by day. Then transforming into beloved UC Irvine mascot Peter the Anteater after hours.

“My time here has been a complete arc from uncertainty to accomplishment…All of it came from just saying yes and being willing to try.”

More: https://ics.uci.edu/2026/06/14/student-spotlight-harsh-rathores-secret-identity-peter-the-anteater/

Image description: Harsh Rathore with Peter the Anteater costume

University of California, Irvine University of California UC Irvine Athletics

The 2026 UC Irvine ICS Project Expo was a success! The showcase was full of 125 creative capstone projects and gathered over 1,000 attendees including local industry leaders, UC Irvine faculty and alumni, and many more from our ICS Community. Congratulations to all the winners and participants and thank you to all our industry partners!

Read the full story: https://ics.uci.edu/2026/06/12/2026-uc-irvine-ics-project-expo-breaks-records/

Congratulations to WICS UCI for winning Outstanding Mentorship Program and Vinh Luong, ICS OAI director, for winning Advisor of the Year from the 2026 Anteater Awards! 🙌💙💛

More about Anteater Awards: https://campusorgs.uci.edu/signature-programs-events/spring-quarter/anteater-awards/

Photos by UCI COVP on Instagram.

Images: WICS Members and Vinh Luong

Way to go, Jermiah! 🙌💙💛

Jeremiah did not follow a traditional path, but he made the most of every opportunity to ensure his success.

He began high school at age 16 without prior formal education and built his academic journey on his own terms, earning four associate degrees before transferring to UC Irvine.

At UC Irvine, Jeremiah excelled as a computer science student, honors scholar, campus leader, and marketing assistant, demonstrating that overcoming challenges and achieving success can be done at an individual pace.

As Jeremiah prepares to graduate and begin his career as a Solutions Engineer at Capital Group, his story serves as a reminder during this commencement season that extraordinary achievements can follow unique timelines.

Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences at UC Irvine



Image Description
Jeremiah stands smiling beside a Capital Group sign outdoors, wearing a white button-down shirt and dark pants.

Great to see Lucas Zhuang, UC Irvine ICS graduating senior, featured in Irvine Standard!

"Choosing UC Irvine was a no-brainer for Lucas (Kaixiang) Zhuang. It checked every academic box, offering strong programs in computer science and business information management. A dual major proved the synergistic sweet-spot for Zhuang’s high-tech aspirations. It landed him a spot in Carnegie Mellon’s master’s program for software engineering, an offer from Google and the foundation he needed to launch his own AI startup."

“'Having two dedicated schools for the two majors I wanted to pursue was helpful. UCI was the only university I applied to that had both.'”

More: https://ics.uci.edu/2026/06/08/uc-irvine-provides-the-right-recipe-for-success-lucas-kaixiang-zhuang

Photo by Irvine Standard. Image Desription: Lucas (Kaixiang) Zhuang

Meet Arnav Nigam, senior majoring in computer science and Class of 2026, who shares his UC Irvine ICS journey from outsider to insider.

"ICS gave me opportunity after opportunity to grow, to learn, to be myself, and even to make an impact on the school in return. That’s what I’m most grateful for. It gave me the chance to succeed."

More: https://ics.uci.edu/2026/06/08/student-spotlight-arnav-nigams-ics-journey-from-outsider-to-insider/

Meet Lizbeth K. Ramirez, who is creating healthy communities by using data for good. As a first-generation college student, she overcame obstacles to make the most of her UC Irvine ICS experience, including co-founding CODEC UCI.

"I hope to be a mentor to others and be there to provide resources and give back to the communities that have given me so much love and support."

More: https://ics.uci.edu/2026/06/02/student-spotlight-lizbeth-ramirez-creates-healthy-communities-by-using-data-for-good/