The UC Irvine Podcast

University of California, Irvine
  • 5.0 (12)
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Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

  1. 5d ago

    Preparing for unpredictable precipitation with David Feldman

    David Feldman, professor emeritus of urban planning & public policy and political science and the director of Water UCI, specializes in water resources management and policy, global climate change policy and ethics and environmental decisions. This episode of The UC Irvine Podcast is one of several focused on El Niño events. Feldman discusses how predicted precipitation will affect local and regional water supplies and addresses whether the infrastructure is prepared. He also shares what we’ve learned from past storms and what can be done to shore it up long-term. “To Weather a Storm,” the music for this episode, was provided by Dan Lebowitz via the audio library in YouTube Studio.

    Preparing for unpredictable precipitation with David Feldman

  2. Oct 23

    UC Irvine civil and environmental engineer Connor Broaddus on El Niño impacts

    Connor Broaddus, soon-to-be postdoctoral researcher in UC Irvine's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is preparing to head out to the field to study impacts of the current El Niño condition which has been gathering strength in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Will El Niño bring heavy rain to Southern California? How will our coast and flood-prone inland areas be affected? Broaddus discusses what he expects in the coming months in this episode of the UC Irvine Podcast which is an installment in a special multi-part El Niño series.

    UC Irvine civil and environmental engineer Connor Broaddus on El Niño impacts

  3. Oct 21

    UC Irvine Podcast El Niño Series - Professor Jin-Yi Yu

    This year, a super El Niño has been forming in the Pacific Ocean. That means sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific are higher than usual with expectations that they may reach between four to five degrees Celsius above normal when the condition peaks in November or December. Past El Niños have shifted the jet stream, creating dryer conditions in the Pacific Northwest and higher than normal precipitation in the Southwest. Is that going to happen in the winter of 2026-27, and how has El Niño changed over the years? These questions and many more are answered by UC Irvine Podcast guest Jin-Yi Yu, UC Irvine professor of Earth system science. This episode is part of a special series examining El Niño from a variety of angles.

    UC Irvine Podcast El Niño Series - Professor Jin-Yi Yu

  4. Sep 15

    If you name it, you can tame it

    A 2022 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that 67.7% of adults who smoked said they wanted to quit smoking, and 53.5% said they had tried to quit in the past year. Yet less than one in 10 adults who smoke cigarettes succeed in quitting each year. Research led by UC Irvine has revealed a new technique that can reduce the subjective experience of craving cigarettes and the brain activity associated with it. In announcing the team’s publication about their discovery in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology on LinkedIn, lead author and UC Irvine assistant research psychologist Golnaz Tabibnia wrote: “Name it to tame it! Putting feelings into words has long been known to calm emotions. Our latest paper shows that putting what we crave into words can help calm cravings.” The technique, called “cue labeling,” is the subject of this episode of The UC Irvine Podcast. Tabibnia will explain why it’s so hard for people to quit smoking, what cue labeling is and how it can help. She’s a neuroscientist who conducts her research in the Department of Psychology in the School of Social Ecology, and this study was supported in part by funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Confliction & Catharsis,” the music for this episode, was provided by Asher Fulero via the audio library in YouTube Studio.

    If you name it, you can tame it

  5. Jul 28

    Championing innovation via entrepreneurship

    “Don’t go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” This was the sage advice shared by Dan Jenkins with the 10 teams participating in the grand finale of the 2026 Stella Zhang New Venture Competition, housed in UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business. The event is in its 22nd year, and Jenkins has been one of its co-chairs since 2014. He’s also an honorary board member for UC Irvine’s Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, whose faculty director, Imran Currim, offered this additional thought about the competition: “It takes a village.” That village is populated by many people, including myriad sponsors, volunteers who act as mentors and judges, and the contestants themselves: teams consisting of students, faculty, researchers, staff and community members who are enthused to launch a startup and turn their idea into a real business. We’re shining a spotlight on the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition in this episode of The UC Irvine Podcast. We’ll speak with Sakhi Patel, a graduate student in UC Irvine’s School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, whose lived experiences inspired her team’s business, CuraVoice. We’ll also hear from Alicia Rantos and Ernie Rapp, two of the event’s 160 volunteer coaches and judges. And we’ll take listeners inside the Merage School’s SB1 Auditorium on May 21, when the finalists presented their pitches to dazzle the panel and audience and win prize money that could help them achieve their goals. “Blazing Nights of Light,” the music featured throughout this episode, was provided by The Whole Other via the audio library in YouTube Studio.

    Championing innovation via entrepreneurship

  6. Jun 11

    How Disneyland subtly served as one of society’s first introductions to automation

    When Disneyland opened to the public in 1955, visionary engineers and designers transformed technologies of the postwar assembly line into extraordinary entertainment experiences. In his new book, "Disneyland and the Rise of Automation: How Technology Created the Happiest Place on Earth," Roland Betancourt examines how the Magic Kingdom introduced the world to the large-scale realities of industrial automation. The UC Irvine Chancellor’s Professor of art history put seven years of archival research into a book that appeals to fans of Disney and popular culture as well as people interested in engineering and corporate histories. In this episode of The UC Irvine Podcast, Betancourt will discuss his unique journey from medievalist to authoritative voice on the technology powering the Happiest Place on Earth and connect 1950s anxieties about automation with today’s concerns about artificial intelligence. Just in time for summer, he’ll tell us what we shouldn’t miss the next time we visit the theme park, and he’ll share why he’s enthused to return to teaching the class he created – Disneyland: Art, Architecture and Operation – this fall. “Inevitable Hope,” the music that introduces this episode, was provided by RKVC via the audio library in YouTube Studio. Betancourt recorded the various sounds from rides and attractions at Disneyland during a visit to the theme park.

    How Disneyland subtly served as one of society’s first introductions to automation

  7. May 13

    Challenging negative stereotypes and embracing strengths associated with aging

    In 1949, Mental Health America established that each May would be recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. The theme for 2026 is “More Good Days, Together,” and it encourages everyone to think about what a “good day” looks like – for both ourselves and our communities. Here to share insight on that is Susan Charles, UC Irvine professor of psychology and nursing, who examines emotional processes across the adult lifespan. In this episode of The UC Irvine Podcast, she will discuss her award-winning findings on how people’s perceptions of good days – and their priorities – change as they grow older. The director of the Emotion Research Lab will also highlight several factors her team has learned contribute to well-being over the years and answer a common question: How do individuals know if they’re aging well? “The Day Is Close,” the music for this episode, was provided by The 126ers via the audio library in YouTube Studio.

    Challenging negative stereotypes and embracing strengths associated with aging

  8. Apr 13

    An Earth Day lesson in ‘forever chemicals'

    When the first Earth Day was recognized, on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans – at the time, 10 percent of the total U.S. population – demonstrated in gatherings around the country to protest industrial developments that had led to serious human health impacts. And so began the modern environmental movement. The theme for Earth Day 2026 is “Our Power, Our Planet” – chosen to emphasize that everyone can further environmental progress. One wrong trying to be righted by researchers in UC Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health involves per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – a massive group of synthetic chemical compounds that don’t break down easily. Known as PFAS, they are pervasive and persistent. The most studied of these “forever chemicals” indicate a toxicity that affects liver and thyroid function, and some have been shown to lead to cancer. In 2019, Scott Bartell, professor of environmental and occupational health, launched the UCI PFAS Health Study after receiving a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lead California’s contribution to a national multisite probe. In this episode of The UC Irvine Podcast, Bartell will share what drew him to the study of environmental contaminants, where PFAS are found and how people can decrease their exposure. He’ll also update what his team has learned about PFAS and what work is left to be done, as well as grade how the human race is doing in its efforts to take better care of the planet. “Walking in the Sky,” the music for this episode, was provided by Nico Staf via the audio library in YouTube Studio.

    An Earth Day lesson in ‘forever chemicals'
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

Information

  • Creator
    University of California, Irvine
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    162
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The UC Irvine Podcast

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