Congrats to Daniel Purri, UC Irvine political science major and 2026 Black Lives Matter Research Scholarship recipient! Below, the Anteater from Belo Horizonte, Brazil shares how he hopes to use his degree to create opportunities for others. @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Celebrating firsts | Valerie Grimaldo, '26 political science and social policy and public service, and Diana Hernandez, '26 political science and sociology, share experiences as inaugural graduates of the UC Irvine Labor Studies Certificate Program @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Good exposure | Unexpected avenues, including research and her time with the UCI LIFTED program, have inspired sociology undergrad Lily Wu ’26 to consider a path in industry @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social @ucilifted.bsky.social

Congrats to Victoria Alejandra Serra, ’26 Chicano/Latino studies and political science, who is the recipient of the Alice B. Macy Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research! @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

In the driver's seat | Mina Shin ’26 political science has come to embrace her own agency through her time at UC Irvine and encourage it for others, too   @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Congrats to Ming-Chih Huang, ’26 business economics, who is the recipient of a Social Sciences Education Enhancement Scholarship! Below, he reflects on his UCI experience and what’s next. @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Building a future in advocacy | Jaylin Higgins ’26 sociology pairs her passion for social justice with a certificate in social problems and public policy @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Congrats to Jessica J. Zhang ’26 political science, recipient of the 2026 Justice and Equity Research Paper Award! Below, the soon-to-be grad from Vancouver, BC, Canada shares her award-winning work – “Arctic Food Insecurity: Inuit Health Justice and Digital Sovereignty” – and future plans.

UC Irvine-led research team to develop evaluation protocols, tools for city chatbots | Community-facing project, funded by @ssrc.org, will focus on accuracy, use and impacts of AI on residents’ civic understanding, engagement and inclusion @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Intertwined perspectives | @ucirvine.bsky.social political science and sociology honors student Stephanie Garcia-Mora ’26 centers empowerment in her research and experiences @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Getting grounded | Fourth-year UC Irvine anthropology undergrad Brian Lam has learned more than how to dig in the dirt   @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

From UC Irvine to Manchester | Graduating Ph.D. student Jyotsana Kala, economics, reflects on award-winning research, standout teaching, and lessons table tennis brought to academia @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

The politics of Hello Kitty | How Chicano/Latino studies and political science double major Karen Aiko Rivera's love of Hello Kitty became a lens for understanding identity, community and belonging @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Think globally | UC Irvine social sciences gave student-body president Alondra Elena Arevalo a springboard toward her path in public health @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social @wenpublichealth.bsky.social

From first responder to undergraduate researcher | UC Irvine’s Austin Wagner ’26 leverages AI to advance language science and serve diverse communities www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/n... @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Digging in | UC Irvine’s Claire Kerns ’26 unearths a future for herself in anthropology www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/n... @ucirvine.bsky.social

Congrats to Cocoa Young-Perez, @ucirvine.bsky.social political science undergrad and recipient of a Donald A. Strauss Scholarship for Public Service! The award will help her launch Roots to College which will support college access for Oakland high school students. tinyurl.com/2026StraussS...

Creating her own fairytale | Graduating UC Irvine senior Emory Slane ’26 blends her business economics major with the art of performance and connection @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

True grit | First-generation college student and double major Lisa Nguyen's @ucirvine.bsky.social journey won't end with undergrad More ⬇️

Congrats to Hunter Hilinski, 6th-year @ucirvine.bsky.social political science Ph.D. candidate who has been named a Berlin Program for Advanced German & European Studies Dissertation Fellow! The honor includes research support and a one-year appointment at Freie University Berlin in Germany.

A space to be heard | Yamilett Farias Chaidez, ’26 Chicano/Latino studies and political science, traces immigration, identity and belonging through research, community and law www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2026/2026-05-12-yamilett-farias-chaidez-a-space-to-be-heard @ucirvine.bsky.social

Orange County United Way and @ucirvine.bsky.social to launch homelessness cost study | Haynes Foundation-funded effort will update decade-old analysis of spending, track results news.uci.edu/2026/05/12/o... @unitedwayoc.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Catching waves, building community | UC Irvine business economics major Wynn Schoeman ’26 found connections across surfing, academic support and culture www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/n... @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Bill Maurer appointed to Social Science Research Council Board of Directors | Leadership role will enable the @ucirvine.bsky.social social sciences dean to help steer research agenda focused on pressing social, world challenges @ssrc.org @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

A world within reach | From Palmdale to global policy spaces, UC Irvine social sciences commencement speaker Rocio Celeste Rivera, ’26 political science and international studies, builds a path defined by purpose, persistence and perspective @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Congrats to @erinkaylockwood.bsky.social, UC Irvine political science assistant professor, who has been named one of six inaugural Roosevelt Institute Good Life Residents! The six-month program will support her research on the powers and independence of the Federal Reserve. @ucirvine.bsky.social

UC Irvine social sciences dean Bill Maurer helped Anaheim community members celebrate @unitedwayoc.bsky.social's new SparkPoint site opening at Danbrook Elementary earlier this morning.

A voice shaped by community | @ucisocsci.bsky.social commencement speaker Zayaan Khan, ’26 social policy and public service and quantitative economics, reflects on growth, purpose and community pictured: Zayaan Khan standing next to Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway. @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

The cultural roots of medical care | Carolina Silva, UC Irvine class of 2026, pursues pre-med with a double major in Chicano/Latino studies and public health @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social @wenpublichealth.bsky.social pictured: Carolina Silva

PrisonPandemic brings incarcerated voices into research, teaching | Digital archive includes 4,700 stories, new thematic collections, artwork, curriculum & more socialecology.uci.edu/news/website... @ucirvine.bsky.social @kristinturney.bsky.social @kerametr.bsky.social @naomisugie.bsky.social

Thank you for being part of @ucirvine.bsky.social Giving Day! Because of this community's generosity, @ucisocsci.bsky.social raised $214,775 from 64 gifts, unlocking all three Giving Day challenges, made possible by the leadership of our donor community. Thank you for all that you make possible!

It's Giving Day at @ucirvine.bsky.social! We're seeking support for our newly launched Dean's Leadership Society Dissertation Research Fellowships, which provide timely, flexible funding for graduate students nearing completion of their work. ⁠ Join us in making a difference!⁠

Congrats to our 2025-26 Outstanding Teaching Award recipients!⁠ ⁠ ✅️ @nadiachernyak.bsky.social - Dr. Joseph L. White Award for Outstanding Mentorship⁠ ✅️ @chrisrodelo.bsky.social - Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching⁠ ✅️ Laura Enriquez - Outstanding Teaching Innovation⁠ @ucirvine.bsky.social

👏 Congratulations 👏 to our SIX @ucirvine.bsky.social professors - including four from social sciences and one each from engineering and education - who have been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences! ⁠

We’re giving a big #ucisocsci grad shout out to Gvantsa Gasviani! A member of @ucirvine.bsky.social's inaugural global studies Ph.D. cohort, she’ll be defending her thesis in May and plans to pursue a career in teaching and research. @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

We're one week away from @ucirvine.bsky.social's annual Giving Day! Mark your calendars to join us April 28 in supporting graduate student research with a gift to our newly launched Dean’s Leadership Society Dissertation Research Fellowships. #UCIGivingDay #TogetherForUCIrvine

Taking risks and finding her wings | Second year UC Irvine political science major Kiley Wielenga finds success embracing opportunities outside of her comfort zone @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

How California reduced foster care without risking kids | @kelleyfong.bsky.social, @ucirvine.bsky.social sociologist, explains in this op-ed for @sacbee.com @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Subaltern Silence: A Postcolonial Genealogy | Award-winning book by UC Irvine political science professor Kevin Olson explores politics of subordination and resistance @ucirvine.bsky.social @columbiaup.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social @apsa.bsky.social

LSR’s newest editors are pushing law and society into the future: @ucirvine.bsky.social professors Bill Maurer, Justin Richland and Lee Cabatingan talk with the Law & Society Association's Crissona Tennison www.lawandsociety.org/2026/03/26/l... @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

"Raising children is not supposed to be grueling labor and children are not supposed to be private investment projects to be optimized." @ninabandelj.bsky.social of @ucisocsci.bsky.social breaks down the social forces that cause parental burnout in this @psychologytoday.com op-ed. ⤵️

🎙️ Napping for just 5 minutes can change the trajectory of your day. Here's how | Sara Mednick, @ucirvine.bsky.social cognitive scientist, explains in this podcast with @huffpost.com “Am I Doing It Wrong?” hosts Raj Punjabi-Johnson and Noah Michelson. @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Congrats to Christian Torsell, UC Irvine logic & philosophy of science graduate student, who is the recipient of this year’s Justine Lambert Prize! More below on his pathway to UCI’s LPS Ph.D., his award-winning work and future plans. @ucirvine.bsky.social

Apparently ... Americans don't like each other. @ucirvine.bsky.social sociologist David Meyer examines new @pewresearch.org findings on how Americans view the morality of their fellow citizens on @laist.com’s AirTalk. laist.com/news/what-wa...  (once loaded, scroll down, Meyer starts at 6:19)

LSR’s new editorial terms have started! Learn what Bill Maurer (@ucisocsci.bsky.social), Justin Richland, Lee Cabatingan (@ucisocialecology.bsky.social), @melissacrouch.bsky.social (UNSW Sydney), + Amy Cohen (@templelaw.bsky.social) have planned: bit.ly/LSREditors26 @cambup-law.cambridge.org

Study offers new framework for comparing democratic and authoritarian citizenship | Work by @ucirvine.bsky.social political science Chancellor's Fellow and department chair Sara Goodman published in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies @saragoodman.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

In this episode of Cultural Economy in the Kitchen, @ucirvine.bsky.social sociologist @ninabandelj.bsky.social and Joe Deville, @lancasteruni.bsky.social, chat with hosts about how parenting is shaped by markets, metrics, and digital platforms. Listen in: rss.com/podcasts/cul...

Batter up? Yes, but @ucirvine.bsky.social professor’s new baseball stat shows he’s not alone | Michael McBride, economics, talks baseball, game theory and more in this interview with The @ocregister.bsky.social's Andre Mouchard @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Time travel in physics: We still don't know Listen in as JB @manchak.bsky.social, UC Irvine logic and philosophy of science professor, shares expertise on the Theories of Everything podcast with host @curtjaimungal.bsky.social. @ucirvine.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

Exploring nineteenth century performance culture’s role in Latinx identity formation | Christofer A. Rodelo, @ucirvine.bsky.social Chicano/Latino studies assistant professor, reconstructs complicated history of Cuban-born entertainer A.M. Hernandez in new TDR: The Drama Review article