UCI School of Social Ecology

09/03/2026

Coming up: The University of California, Irvine School of Social Ecology tackles today’s toughest issues—groundbreaking research, life-changing programs, and a $500,000 boost for Orange County’s Young Adult Court. See how these leaders are shaping the future, next. https://ow.ly/HP7Y50ZIvaP

09/03/2026

A nonprofit that restores, protects and enhances the ecological health of Orange County's urban wildlands, Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC) heralds its partnership with the Wildland‑Urban Interface Climate Action Network (WUICAN).

Read the IRC newsletter piece, "Where Science Meets Indigenous Culture," to learn more about this alliance with WUICAN, which operates out of the Research Justice Shop at the University of California, Irvine.

https://ow.ly/czEZ50ZIpn3

09/03/2026

Congratulations to University of California, Irvine psychology post-baccalaureate alum ('22) Liz Attick (formerly Van Lente) for earning a M.A. in psychology from the University of Virginia.

As a post-bacc, she volunteered as a research assistant in Associate Professor Paul Piff's Morality, Emotions, and Social Hierarchy Lab and continued working part-time in the same lab as a paid manager position after completing the post-bacc program.

Liz headed east after being awarded the Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship at the University of Virginia in March 2023.

09/02/2026

Mohammed W. Bah, a University of California, Irvine doctoral student in the UCI Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy, was awarded a prestigious 2026 Excellence, Equity, and Inclusion Fellowship from the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM). Read why "Mo" is "incredibly honored" to have been selected: https://ow.ly/7IrV50ZHWIz

09/02/2026

The finale of the popular Hulu crime thriller "Furious" gets the science right when it comes to fentanyl, DNA and amnesia forensics, according to Tech Times, which in making its case cites the "foundational research on memory malleability" by Elizabeth Loftus, University of California, Irvine Distinguished Professor of psychology, criminology, law & society, and law.

Furious Hulu Season 1 finale Hart Island solves its central mystery through fentanyl postmortem detection, familial DNA searching, and dissociative amnesia -- and gets all three exactly right. Emmy Rossum’s crime drama uses forensic mechanisms that work precisely as depicted, including the

09/02/2026

Orange County 3rd District Supervisor Don Wagner invites all to a Wildfire Preparedness Townhall 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17 in the Hewes Middle School Multipurpose Room, 13232 Hewes Ave., Santa Ana.

He will be joined by representatives of the Orange County Fire Authority, the Orange County Sheriff's Department, CA's Emergency Management Division, Southern California Edison (SCE) and the University of California, Irvine - including Associate Professor Nícola Ulibarrí of the UCI Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy.

09/02/2026

Research that challenges assumptions. Programs that change lives. People who inspire communities. The September 2026 edition of Advocate offers a compelling look at how the University of California, Irvine School of Social Ecology is helping address today's most urgent social challenges while preparing the next generation of leaders.

At the center of this month’s issue is a landmark study examining the relationship between study provides new data to inform one of the nation's most debated policy issues and has sparked coverage across major media outlets around the globe.

The newsletter also explores the state of the American Dream in Orange County through insights from the latest UCI-OC Poll; programs producing meaningful community impact such as Orange County’s Young Adult Court (which recently secured a $500,000 grant from the Samueli Foundation to expand and sustain its work); and Master of Urban and Regional Planning program's innovative corporate sponsorship model.

Read about more groundbreaking studies, watch our "artful" Director of Graduate Affairs Jennie Craig Welti, join our salute to faculty, students and alumni recognized for amazing achievements, accept our invitation to upcoming can't-miss events and engage with podcasts and a substantial collection of media coverage that further demonstrates the growing influence of Social Ecology scholarship on public conversations. https://ow.ly/e3yO50ZHZm0

09/01/2026

Doctoral student Carlo Chunga Pizarro of the University of California, Irvine shares “On the Frontlines of Risk: Lessons from Informal Outdoor Workers After the 2025 Eaton Fire,” which examines the experiences of day laborers and outdoor workers who engaged in cleanup and recovery activities following the January 2025 Eaton Fire in Los Angeles County.

Two of Carlo's professors from the UCI Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy - Michael Méndez and Walter Nicholls - were part of his team that crafted the policy brief for the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute.

https://ow.ly/pnAS50ZHvNw

09/01/2026

What does the impactful memory research of University of California, Irvine Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Criminology, Law & Society, and Law Elizabeth Loftus have to do with an acclaimed Chinese animated series? Please allow Ronald Holman to explain in his Tech Times review of season 3 of 'Link Click.'

Link Click Season 3 is streaming on Crunchyroll today, weeks ahead of its original October 2026 window. The acclaimed Chinese sci-fi donghua’s supernatural mechanics -- consciousness transfer via photographs, timeline branching, and ability awakening -- each map onto real neuroscience and quantum

09/01/2026

The University of California, Irvine School of Social Ecology's Social Impact Hub and Newkirk Center for Science & Society seek a detail-oriented program analyst who is passionate about community-engaged research, research translation and meaningful stakeholder engagement. Learn more at https://ow.ly/gwoU50ZHuw0