UCI School of Physical Sciences

We’re excited to welcome Seth Cohen as the next dean of the UC Irvine School of Physical Sciences, effective August 1. An internationally recognized inorganic chemist and educator, he joins us from UC San Diego, where he spent nearly 25 years. Read more about Dean Cohen: https://ps.uci.edu/news/seth-cohen-to-become-new-dean-of-uc-irvines-school-of-physical-sciences/

Seth Cohen has been appointed dean of UC Irvine's School of Physical Sciences. Cohen, an internationally recognized inorganic chemist, comes to UC Irvine from UC San Diego.

“Dean Cohen brings to UC Irvine an impressive mix of teaching, research leadership and policy development attributes that will help him succeed as dean of the School of Physical Sciences,” said Chancellor Howard Gillman.

Visit this link to learn more about Cohen: https://bit.ly/4bwzJmS

Image description: Incoming UC Irvine School of Physical Sciences dean Seth Cohen is pictured in front of a brick wall and glass windows.

UCI School of Physical Sciences

On February 14, 2026, Orange County middle school and high school students came to the UC Irvine School of Physical Sciences to compete in a regional Science Olympiad competition. Around 1225 students from 53 schools participated in events that covered topics ranging from astronomy to robot building. The UCI Science Olympiad student group led the effort to make the day a success.

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UC Irvine chemists have uncovered how tiny age-related changes in eye proteins may lead to cataracts—bringing us one step closer to preventing vision loss before it starts.

Yeonseong (Catherine) Seo, a UC Irvine Ph.D. candidate in chemistry, led the research alongside UCI Chemistry's Professor Rachel Martin.

Published in Biophysical Reports, this NIH-supported research showcases the innovation happening right here at UCI.

Read more at: https://ps.uci.edu/news/uc-irvine-chemists-shed-light-on-how-age-related-cataracts-may-begin/

The University of California, Irvine Society of Physics Students has been awarded a Marsh W. White Award from the American Institute of Physics. This support is helping expand their physics outreach program, bringing interactive demonstrations and college-readiness guidance to high school students across Orange and Los Angeles counties. From exploring circuits and waves to discussing college pathways and undergraduate research, these students are making STEM more accessible than ever. UCI Physics & Astronomy

UC Irvine students expand physics outreach with award from American Institute of Physics UC Irvine’s Society of Physics Students has been awarded a Marsh W. White Award from the American Institute of Physics to support an expansion of its physics outreach program, bringing interacting demonstrations and college-readiness guidance to high school students across Orange and Los Angeles c...

UC Irvine scientists discover how fast the world's deltas are sinking.

A study led by Earth System Science professor Leonard Ohenhen offers the first high-resolution look at elevation loss across 40 major deltas — and identifies human-driven groundwater extraction as a leading cause.

The findings will help communities prioritize effective, science-backed adaptation strategies.

Read more at: https://ps.uci.edu/news/uc-irvine-scientists-discover-how-fast-the-worlds-deltas-are-sinking/

Astronomers from UC Irvine have identified the Universe's largest known stream of intensely heated gas.

This scorching gas, observed by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, is being ejected from both sides of the host galaxy, forming two extended nebulae due to an active supermassive black hole.

UCI postdoctoral scholar Justin Kader and research astronomer Vivian U, disclose that this marks the first instance of witnessing a precessing, galactic-scale radio jet — altering our comprehension of black holes and galaxy evolution.

Find out more at: https://ps.uci.edu/news/uc-irvine-astronomers-spot-largest-known-stream-of-super-heated-gas-in-the-universe/

UC Irvine researchers have uncovered why some wildfire seasons are far more destructive than others — and it comes down to clusters of lightning-ignited fires known as fire complexes.

The study found that when multiple lightning-sparked fires ignite close together and merge, they don’t burn out as expected. Instead, they intensify, driving extreme fire behavior and accounting for a disproportionate share of total area burned in California and Arctic-boreal regions.

Led by Rebecca Scholten of UCI’s Department of Earth System Science and published in Science Advances, the research highlights how merging fires can generate fire-triggered thunderstorms and overwhelm suppression efforts, highlighting the need for improved dry lightning forecasting as wildfire risk grows.

UC Irvine scientists discover what drives California’s worst fire years Irvine, Calif., Jan. 2, 2026 — What makes one fire season worse than another in fire-prone parts of the world like California is poorly understood, but in a new study, scientists at the University of California, Irvine reveal how clusters of lightning-ignited fires called fire complexes are t...

Happy Holidays from the UC Irvine School of Physical Sciences! Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and healthy holiday season!

It's almost time for everyone's favorite physics lecture and live demonstration! Explore the science of sound, light, and the cosmos at the upcoming Adventures in Physics: Waves from Music to Space on Feb 7 at UC Irvine. All are welcome!

RSVP now at: 2026adventuresinphysics.eventbrite.com