Latest News

Sue J. Gross Foundation $3 Million Gift to UCI Will Advance Nursing Training & Education

Friday, January 14, 2022

A $3 million gift to the University of California, Irvine from the Sue J. Gross Foundation will expand training and education opportunities in the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, which was established by a naming gift from The William and Sue Gross Family Foundation, where Sue Gross served as co-founder and director. The gift from the Sue J. Gross Foundation includes $2 million to fund construction of a high-tech, state-of-the-art simulation center for team-based interprofessional exercises and an additional $1 million to establish the Founding Dean Adey Nyamathi Endowment, which will provide nursing Ph.D. scholarships. “This gift is a continuatio...

Irvine-Based Edwards Lifesciences Has High Hopes for 2022

Thursday, January 06, 2022

(Orange County Business Journal) Irvine-based Edwards Lifesciences Corp. saw sales grow from $1.9 billion in 2012 to more than $5 billion this year. An even bigger boost in revenue is possible over the next six years: the medical device firm, which makes a variety of products for people fighting cardiovascular disease, thinks the global market opportunity for its expanding base of products could hit $20 billion by 2028, Chief Executive Michael Mussallem said at the company’s annual investor conference, held on Dec. 8. Its current global market opportunity is pegged around $8.6 billion. That potential growth is projected via factors like new markets an...

2021: A year of Renewal and Growth for UCI

Wednesday, January 05, 2022

(UCI News) For University of California Irvine, 2021 was a year of renewal and growth. The campus renewed its bustling self by welcoming all students, faculty, staff and visitors back to campus in September. Following safety protocols and requiring COVID-19 vaccinations, classmates and colleagues – who may have not been face-to-face, other than virtually, for 15 months – came together again to learn, to teach, to research and to create. UCI marked this transition year with one of the most ambitious growth plans in its history. The Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Building opened its doors to diverse teams of researchers; a “toppin...

Big Goals for OC Roadways

Wednesday, January 05, 2022

(Orange County Register) Continued work and future project planning on major freeways and toll roads throughout Orange County promise to make 2022 another busy year in transportation activity. Construction should ramp up on the 405 improvement project — entering its last full year before completion — and crews will continue making headway on the last two-thirds of work to be done on the 5 Freeway widening between the 73 and El Toro Road. After years of planning, a project to widen a key stretch of the 55 Freeway should begin midway through the year, launching a four-year construction process. And the OC streetcar, connectin...

City of Hope to Hire Hundreds for Cancer Center in Irvine

Wednesday, January 05, 2022

(Orange County Register) Before its massive, four-story Irvine cancer center can open its doors to patients, City of Hope Orange County must first shore up an even more important task: Recruiting about 350 people — many specialized clinicians — to operate the place. The number includes everyone who will be keeping the outpatient facility running — from “folks that are going to be maintaining our landscaping, all the way up through the technicians in the labs and our diagnostic areas, up to the nurses and the physicians,” said Wendy Austin, senior vice president of operations for the organization’s Orange County branch. City o...

Meet Orange County’s 125 Top Influencers for 2021

Thursday, December 30, 2021

(Orange County Register) The Orange County Register has published its pick for the 125 Most Influential People in Orange County who made a difference in 2021. Here are some who are associated with Irvine and the Greater Irvine Chamber: Donald Bren, the Irvine Company icon and real estate developer donated at least $100 million to a Caltech project. Kayley Chan, a 16-year-old University High student created an online cybersecurity course that focuses on elementary students and includes examples of threats, their definitions and how to protect yourself online if they appear. Jasmine Chhabria, a Northwood High senior was nominated by a handful of readers, including a former most influential honoree. Oliver Chi, incoming Irvin...

UCI Paul Merage School of Business Receives $375K Gift to Support Undergraduate Students

Friday, December 24, 2021

(UCI News) Timothy Leyden MBA ’92 and his wife Margaret have promised a $375,000 endowed gift to the UCI Paul Merage School of Business. The new Leyden Family Endowed Scholarship will reward undergraduate business students for exceptional academic merit, enabling them to pursue their studies with a renewed commitment to hard work and innovative problem-solving. Thirty-five years ago, Leyden moved his family across the sea from Ireland to Southern California after accepting a job offer with Western Digital Corporation. The relocation and job change marked a pivotal step forward in his career, and he was able to earn his MBA from the Merag...

Crowd Favorite, Chris Schwarz Returns as Greater Irvine Chamber Business Outlook Keynote Speaker

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Editors Update: This event will take place in spring 2022. Details and registration to be announced. Chris Schwarz, associate professor of finance and faculty director of the Center for Investment and Wealth Management at University of California, Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business and popular speaker, returns for the fourth year to the Greater Irvine Chamber Business Outlook event. “An expert in the field of economics, Chris Schwarz is also a crowd favorite, capturing the attention of large audiences with his knowledge, insights, and good humor about a salient topic,” said Bryan Starr, president and CEO, Greater Irvine Chamber. “His observations and analyses are important as we look at market indicators to help us mak...

Irvine Sets Gold Standard for Safety, Celebrates Golden Anniversary

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

(UCI News) For 16 straight years, Irvine has been named the safest city of its size in the U.S., based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting statistics for 18,000 jurisdictions. With the city’s 50th anniversary on Dec. 28, the co-directors of UCI’s Irvine Laboratory for the Study of Space and Crime, John Hipp and Charis Kubrin, decided to learn why that is – despite the municipality’s evolving demographics. The result: a comprehensive, 57-page report titled “Irvine at 50: A Tale of Continuity and Change.” Kubrin, professor of criminology, law & society as well as sociology, says of the title, “The continuity is the consistently low crime rates tha...

City Of Hope’s New Irvine Center Will Bring Cancer Care Closer to Orange County Residents

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

(Times OC) City of Hope has a tradition of christening the walls of new buildings with messages of hope and well wishes. During a tour this week of the building that will become the Lennar Foundation Cancer Center in Irvine, several of these messages were written in permanent marker on the bare walls of the center, which will be the only standalone cancer center in Orange County when it opens next year, according to Lisa O’Neill Hill, a spokeswoman for City of Hope Orange County. “Here’s to all the patients who will heal their bodies and souls at City of Hope,” one messag...

COX Adds Disney+ to the Contour Experience

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Cox and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution on Dec. 13 announced the addition of Disney+ to the Contour TV and Contour Stream Player experiences. Select Cox Contour customers can now access their favorite content all in one place, with the streaming home of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic, and more. Millions of Contour customers can stream brand new releases exclusive to Disney+ like Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” and the highly anticipated “The Book of Boba Fett,” premiering December 29. Plenty of classics like the Toy Story and Star Wars collections are available alongside Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” starring Dwayne Johnso...

Inaugural Born in California Demo Days a Success at UC Irvine

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Forty-four UC startups, from Davis to San Diego, descended upon UC Irvine to showcase their inventions at the inaugural Born in California demo days, presented by U.S. Bank. This invitation-only University of California (UC) systemwide event, held at the Cove @ UCI and hosted by UCI Beall Applied Innovation, featured startups from all 10 UC campuses deemed the most investment-worthy in the life science, digital health, consumer, technology and sustainability sectors. Before a crowd of 400 attendees, including almost 200 potential investors, UC President, Dr. Michael Drake, virtually opened the event and discussed the innovation that consistently takes place in the UC system. “Incubator...

UCI Institute and Museum of California Art receives naming gift from Jack and Shanaz Langson

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

A naming gift from Jack and Shanaz Langson to the University of California, Irvine will support the construction and operation of a state-of-the-art building facility to house the Institute and Museum of California Art and its important collection of California art. In recognition of their generous support, IMCA will be named the Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art. In addition, their gift will serve to catalyze the growth of a multi-million-dollar endowment to provide long-term support, and it will enable Langson IMCA to advance its manifold mission in arts research and scholarship, conservation, presentation and interdisciplinary learnin...

Concordia Men’s Basketball Coach Ken Ammann Receives Harry Statham Award

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

(Orange County Register) Concordia University Irvine men’s basketball coach Ken Ammann received the prestigious Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award — an award he was chosen to receive in April 2020. The annual award is presented by Small College Basketball and honors head coaches at the small college level who have used the power of the coaching platform to make a positive impact on others. In particular, the award highlights coaches who display high character and integrity while serving as excellent role models. The award is named after NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame coach Harry Statham, who won more than 1,100 games in 5...

Meet the 2021 Greater Irvine Chamber 40 Under 40 Honorees

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

Forty outstanding Orange County next-generation professionals were recognized during the Greater Irvine Chamber’s 40 Under 40 awards presentation on Dec. 9 at the Marriott Irvine Spectrum, for their demonstrated leadership and accomplishments advancing their industries and the Orange County community. “The Greater Irvine Chamber is honored to recognize 40 of Orange County’s most accomplished young professionals, each a promise of continued innovation for our region,” said Bryan Starr, the chamber’s president and CEO. “I congratulate them all for what they have achieved, the example they set, and I look forward to their future contributions.” View and download the event program here: Meet the Greate...

MemorialCare Earns Accolades for Patient Care

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

MemorialCare hospitals have received accolades from Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians, and health systems. Long Beach Medical Center was recognized among the top 10 percent in the nation for joint replacement and is a recipient of an Excellence Award and 5-star awards for total knee replacement, total hip replacement, back surgery, pacemaker procedures, and treatment of sepsis and pancreatitis. Orange Coast Medical Center received an Excellence Award in cardiac surgery and 5-star awards in coronary bypass surgery, treatment of heart attack, total knee replacement, hip fracture treatment and treatment of sepsis. Saddleback Medical Center was recognized as one of America’...

Orange County Soccer Club Wins 2021 USL Championship

Wednesday, December 01, 2021

This is an exciting time for professional sports in Irvine and soccer fans! Orange County Soccer Club (OCSC) was crowned the 2021 United Soccer League (USL) Championship winner after defeating the Tampa Bay Rowdies, 3-1, in the final game on Nov. 28 at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, FL. This is OCSC’s first league title in club history. USL is North America's largest professional soccer organization. Despite Tampa Bay’s efforts to pull off another miraculous comeback, OCSC prevailed and the team celebrated a season that was filled with both adversity and triumph. Coached by former team captain Richard Chaplow, the team upset th...

Verizon Joins Greater Irvine Chamber as Gold-Level Leaders Circle Partner

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Verizon has joined the Greater Irvine Chamber as a gold-level Leaders Circle partner. “Verizon is eager to serve as a Leaders Circle partner with the Greater Irvine Chamber to help drive innovation and move community connection forward,” said Jesus Roman, vice president of Government Affairs for Verizon in the West. Verizon Communications Inc. was formed in 2000 and is one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communications, information, and entertainment products and services. With a presence across the globe, Verizon generated revenues of $128.3 billion in 2020. The company offers voice, data, and video services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers&rsquo...

UCI Ranks No. 3 Top College in the West for Diversity

Friday, November 26, 2021

The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings has ranked University of California, Irvine No. 3 for Diversity in its annual ranking that was released on Nov. 17, 2021. UCI, Cal State Northridge, and San Francisco State all tied No. 3 nationally for the diversity of their students and faculty. In the WSJ/THE rankings, diversity accounts for 10 percent of a school’s overall score. The WSJ/THE ranking is based on 15 factors across four main categories: Forty percent of each school’s overall score comes from student outcomes, including measures of graduate salaries and debt burdens, 30 percent from the school’s academic resources...

Albertsons Distribution Center Joins Greater Irvine Chamber as Leaders Circle Partner

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Albertsons Distribution Center has joined the Greater Irvine Chamber as a gold-level Leaders Circle partner. Orange County-based Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions, is a division of Albertsons Companies. Locally great and nationally strong, Albertsons Companies is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States. Albertsons Companies has served Southern California since 1906, when the first Vons opened at 7th and Figueroa in Los Angeles. That store catered to the needs of local families and pioneered the modern-day grocery store. Today, the stores maintain that commitment to best serve customers and benefit the communities they serve. A union-represented employer wit...

City of Hope Orange County Joins with The White Ribbon Project to Change the Lung Cancer Story

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Countering the myth that lung cancer is only a disease of people who smoke and has mostly negative outcomes, City of Hope Orange County is raising awareness for the wide-ranging population at risk and educating those who are diagnosed of game-changing advances in treatment. “Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in Orange County. City of Hope is responding to this pressing need by bringing our world-renowned lung cancer experts and pioneering research closer to home for patients and their families,” said Annette M. Walker, President, City of Hope Orange County. “We are here for everyone impacted by this disease.” T...

UCI Breaks Ground on New Hospital, Specialty Care Centers $1.3 Billion Project

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

The University of California, Irvine and UCI Health have broken ground on a new medical complex on the north end of the Irvine campus. The $1.3 billion complex was approved by the UC Board of Regents in January and will include a 144-bed acute care hospital with an emergency room, an outpatient Center for Advanced Care with primary and specialty health services, a Center for Children’s Health and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building. “Today we mark a milestone in the history of UCI, of the history of Irvine, and of anywhere in our region where peopl...

Irvine: At the Heart of Orange County’s Medical Technology Ecosystem

Friday, November 12, 2021

UCI’s Edwards Lifesciences Foundation Cardiovascular Innovation and Research Center enters a new era with its latest philanthropic gift. National Institutes of Health experts say that people who are fortunate enough to survive a brush with COVID-19 may go on to suffer poor cardiovascular health in the future because of the infection. As these millions stand to join others with heart disease – the leading killer of men and women worldwide – the need for affordable, accessible, advanced treatments is becoming increasingly urgent. Scientists and engineers in UCI’s Edwards Lifesciences Foundation Cardiovascular Innovation and Research Center (CIRC) have been anticipating this outcome since th...

UCI Study: Businesses Selling Non-FDA-Approved Stem Cell Products Grew Four-Fold in Five Years

Friday, November 05, 2021

More than four times as many businesses and clinics than were identified in 2016 are selling stem cell products not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and lack convincing evidence of safety and efficacy, according to a five-year study conducted by University of California, Irvine Program in Public Health professor of health, society and behavior Leigh Turner. The analysis appears online in the journal Cell Stem Cell. Using tools such as Google Search and Google Maps, Turner found 1,480 U.S. businesses and 2,754 clinics selling purported stem cell treatments compared to a study conducted five years ago that foun...

$3M Grant From NSF To Help UC Irvine Retain STEM Students

Thursday, November 04, 2021

(Diverse Issues in Higher Education) A $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation will help The Institute for Meaningful Engagement at the University of California, Irvine identify and address environmental factors that are pushing underrepresented students out of STEM programs. Dr. Pheather R. Harris, director of the university’s California Alliance for Minority Participation, says the intervention will emphasize faculty involvement in student success. She wants to see two outcomes from the project: “The first is for faculty to recognize who they are in this conversation we’re having about inclusion and be able to have the tools they need to continue the work of enhancin...

UCI, CHOC Join New NORD Rare Disease Centers of Excellence Network

Thursday, November 04, 2021

University of California, Irvine (UCI) and Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC) have been jointly designated a National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Center of Excellence, joining a new and highly select group of 31 medical centers seeking to expand access and advance care and research for rare disease patients in the United States. The NORD Center of Excellence program aims to foster the sharing of knowledge between experts across the country, connect patients to appropriate specialists regardless of disease or geography, and improve the pace of progress in rare disease diagnosis, treatment, and research. Dr. Virginia Kimonis, professor of genetic and genomi...

Antis Roofing & Waterproofing Returns as Greater Irvine Chamber 40-Under-40 Presenting Sponsor

Wednesday, November 03, 2021

Antis Roofing & Waterproofing is returning for the third year as Presenting Sponsor of the Greater Irvine Chamber 40 Under 40 awards program. During the third annual event, held on Thursday, Dec. 9, 5:30 – 8 p.m., at the Marriott Irvine Spectrum, the Chamber will recognize 40 next-generation business leaders and advocates making strides in their industries and the Orange County business community. REGISTER HERE “Antis Roofing & Waterproofing is proud to return as the Presenting Sponsor of the 2021 Greater Irvine Chamber 40-Under-40 event,” said Charles Antis, founder and CEO, Antis Roofing & Waterproofing. “These emerging leaders in our business communit...

Fourth Annual UCI Innovator Awards Ceremony Recognizes Distinguished Researchers and Inventors

Tuesday, November 02, 2021

Top researchers and faculty members from UC Irvine (UCI) gathered virtually for the fourth annual UCI Innovator Awards ceremony. UCI Beall Applied Innovation, with generous support from Don and Ken Beall, created these awards to recognize UCI researchers working actively to promote commercialization of university intellectual property, which supports industry growth and moves inventions from the lab to the market to benefit humankind. This can be done through invention disclosures filed, patents applied for and/or received, technologies licensed or startup companies formed. “Beall Applied Innovation plays several key roles for UCI: they lead our technology transfer efforts, develop industry sponsored research and...

Wells Fargo Helps Revitalize Local Business Districts Across America This Holiday Season

Tuesday, November 02, 2021

Wells Fargo announced on Nov. 2 the launch of Hope, USA, an initiative to share hope with its customers and communities in support of small businesses nationwide. Through this effort, Wells Fargo will help beautify business districts in more than a dozen cities across the country and encourage everyone to join in giving hope a hand by shopping locally this holiday season. Hope, USA builds upon the company’s commitment to supporting small businesses and helping them thrive as they emerge from the economic impact of the pandemic. “After a tough couple of years, small businesses across America are working hard to ge...

Hoag Orthopedic Institute Adds Two New Orthopedic Surgeons, Sports Medicine Physician to Medical Staff

Friday, October 29, 2021

Hoag Orthopedic Institute, one of the largest providers of orthopedic care in the nation, has announced that it has added two orthopedic surgeons and a sports medicine physician to its medical staff. “We are excited to welcome our new medical staff to Hoag Orthopedic Institute,” said Steven L. Barnett, M.D., chief medical officer of Hoag Orthopedic Institute. “Hoag Orthopedic Institute has utmost confidence that our new orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine physician will be able to add to our collective high-quality care notability, high standards, and superior patient outcomes.” The new Hoag Orthopedic Institute medical staff are: Orthopedic Surgery – Total Joint James Benjami...

UCI Named Among Inaugural Cohort of Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution Leaders by State Department

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

The University of California, Irvine has been named an inaugural Fulbright HSI Leader by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The newly created designation recognizes the noteworthy engagement that selected Hispanic-Serving Institutions have achieved with the Fulbright Program, the federal government’s flagship international educational exchange program. UCI is one of 35 HSIs to receive this distinction, announced today during an international plenary session at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ 35th annual conference. All have been highly involved with Fulbright participants during the 2019 to 2021 academic years and have promoted Fulbright opportunities on campus. “This recognition underscore...

FivePoint President & COO Lynn Jochim to be Featured at the Greater Irvine Chamber 2022 Women of Influence Event

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

The Greater Irvine Chamber Women of Influence event slated for March 2022 will feature an interview-style discussion with Lynn Jochim, president and COO of FivePoint. Nada Lena Nasserdeen, MA, founder and CEO of Rise Up For You and TEDx speaker, will moderate the conversation. Lynn Jochim is responsible for the strategic direction and implementation of fully integrated, multi-generational communities at FivePoint Holdings, LLC, a leader and collaborator in creating cities of the future within California. FivePoint’s inclusive and mixed-use communities include Great Park Neighborhoods in Irvine, FivePoint Valencia (formerly Newhall Ranch) in Los Angeles County, and FivePoint Candlestick / The Sa...

Providence Joins Greater Irvine Chamber as a Silver-Level Leaders Circle Partner

Friday, October 15, 2021

Providence has joined the Greater Irvine Chamber as a silver-level Leaders Circle partner “Providence Southern California, headquartered in Irvine, is honored to partner with the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce in advancing economic vitality in the community while addressing key needs, including access to health care, mental wellness resources, housing, substance abuse and other social determinants of health. Providence looks forward to working with the Chamber to create a healthier tomorrow,” said Kevin P. Manemann, chief executive, Providence Southern California. Providence Southern California is the region’s largest health system with 11 hospitals, more than 100 clinics, outpatient centers, TrinityCare Hospice and it...

UCI Public Health Launches Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

The University of California, Irvine Program in Public Health has launched the Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research. The center is dedicated to addressing environmental justice through community-based research and promotion of equitable environmental health policies locally and nationally. UCI Public Health professors Jun Wu and Alana M.W. LeBrón will direct the center. Wu serves as a professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and has an extensive background in population-based research on environmental exposures and environmental epidemiology, specifically for air pollution, climate change, and environmental justice issues. LeBrón, in addition to serving as an assistant professor in th...

Kim Mikes Named CEO of Hoag Orthopedic Institute

Tuesday, October 05, 2021

Hoag Orthopedic Institute (HOI), one of the largest providers of spine and orthopedic care in the nation, has announced the appointment of veteran health care executive Kim Mikes, MBA, BSN, RN, CNOR, to the position of Chief Executive Officer for the institution. Mikes, who had been serving as acting CEO following the departure of former CEO Jennifer Mitzner in May 2021, was selected after a months-long, nationwide search and review of more than 100 applications for the position. “Kim has an extraordinary depth of clinical and operational knowledge having served not only at HOI since 2016, but in multiple leadership roles i...

UCI Renews as Greater Irvine Chamber Leaders Circle Platinum Sponsor

Tuesday, October 05, 2021

University of California, Irvine (UCI) has renewed as a Greater Irvine Chamber Leaders Circle platinum-level sponsor. “Sixty years ago, in this place, there were no buildings, no roads, and for all intents and purposes no people. Not a city in sight — just open grazing land on a 90,000 acre, dusty ranch in the San Joaquin foothills. Yet the University of California, acting on behalf of the people of this great state, chose to build a new public research university here. Why? Because it knew the power of such an institution to drive growth and innovation, to spur development and advancement, to provide an environment where business flourishes an...

Irvine: The City of Education

Monday, October 04, 2021

By Bryan Starr, President and CEO, Greater Irvine Chamber | Destination Irvine As published in the Orange County Business Journal, October 4, 2021 (Text included below flipbook.) It’s not surprising that Irvine is one of the best places in the nation to receive an education, from K-12 to Ph.D. More than six decades ago, Irvine was master-planned with education in mind. Visionary city leaders knew that prioritizing education would be the key to the city’s long-term economic vitality and quality of life, so they designed the city around a research institution — known today as the University of California, Irvine (UCI). As the cit...

Orange County Board of Supervisors Recognizes Orange County Soccer Club’s Contribution and Commitment to Community

Monday, October 04, 2021

The Orange County Board of Supervisors recognized the Orange County Soccer Club (OCSC) with a resolution during its Sept. 28 meeting. Third District Supervisor Don Wagner presented the resolution, recognizing OCSC’s “dedicated service to the Orange County Community.” In the resolution, he highlights the Club’s commitment to providing affordable family entertainment while working to be “a positive, unifying force in the community.” Supervisor Wagner will be on-hand at OCSC’s upcoming Irvine Night match on Wednesday, Oct. 20 to present the resolution to the Club during a special halftime ceremony. “It is a great honor for the club to receive this resolution from the County,” said Jef...

Great Park Could be ‘Presented by UCI Health’ Under Sponsorship Deal

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

(Orange County Register) Under a 10-year, multi-million dollar deal, UCI Health could become the Great Park’s top sponsor, giving the medical center a range of branding perks that include featuring its name on the park’s logo beside the words “presented by.” Irvine’s City Council on Sept. 28, will consider approving the sponsorship agreement, under which UCI Health would pay roughly $5.7 million over the next decade with the opportunity for the city to extend the contract for two more five-year terms. The deal would allow the medical center to host and take part in health and wellness initiatives, including seminars and multiple event...

UC Irvine to Add $50 Million Health Science Facility, the Campus’s Largest Research Center

Monday, September 20, 2021

(Orange County Register) Adding to a “health sciences district” taking shape on the southwest side of campus, UC Irvine announced it will build a new 200,0000-square-foot facility for collaborative research on cancer, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, and other specialties. Called the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, it will be the largest research building on campus and one of the largest in the western U.S., UCI officials said. It will be funded by a $30 million donation from the Huntington Beach-based foundation of the same name and $20 million in other private contributions. The new facility will offer research lab and teaching spaces wher...

The Great Resignation: 3 Steps To Retain Your Valuable Talent

Friday, September 17, 2021

(ChiefExecutive) “August 6th will be my last day,” my client told me on a break during the live virtual training class I was facilitating for his sales team. Although I was astonished by the timing of this conversation, I was not surprised. More than 7.5 million workers quit their jobs in April and May, up from 4.3 million during the same period the year before. 41% of respondents in a 30,000-person global survey of workers conducted by Microsoft’s Work Trend Index say they are considering leaving their jobs. This is only the beginning of the Great Resignation. Turnover is costly. The Society for Human Resourc...

UCI Health Gastroenterologist Recognized as Innovator of the Year, UCI Vaccine Center Director Honored for Global Impact

Friday, September 17, 2021

Dr. Kenneth Chang, gastroenterologist and executive director of the UCI Health Digestive Health Institute, has been named Orange County Business Journal’s Innovator of the Year. The publication’s special Global Impact award went to UCI’s Philip Felgner, PhD, professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Physiology & Biophysics and director of UCI’s Vaccine Research and Development Center. The Innovator of the Year award recognizes Chang’s development of the endoscopic ultrasound-guided portal pressure gradient (EUS-guided PPG), a tool critical to diagnosing liver health, especially in those with a form of fatty liver disease that can lead to needing a liver transplant. After Chan...

UCI Ranked Among Nation’s Top 10 Public Universities for Seventh Consecutive Year

Monday, September 13, 2021

The University of California, Irvine has been ranked ninth among the nation’s public universities – and 36th overall – on U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 list of Best Colleges. This is the seventh consecutive year in which UCI has placed in the top 10. For the second year in a row, the university is ranked No. 2 in the subcategory of social mobility, which takes into account the graduation rate of students awarded Pell Grants. The latest edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” rankings – now in their 37th year – assesses 1,466 of the country’s bachelor’s degree-granting institution...

UCI-Led Study Finds Disparities in OC Rates of COVID-19 Infection, Mortality

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Socioeconomic, geographic and demographic factors all played critical roles in the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 mortality among Orange County residents last year, according to a study led by the University of California, Irvine. The findings, published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, show that some groups were more likely to test positive and die from the virus. Furthermore, risk factors for infection shifted over time. “At the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, cases were clustered in the more affluent coastal areas of the county but then shifted to north-central locations, particularly in the cities of Santa An...

Bryan Starr Discusses the Legacy of Irvine’s Master Plan in Podcast

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

In a recent radio interview with OC Talk Radio, Bryan Starr, President and CEO of the Greater Irvine Chamber and its destination marketing and economic development divisions, discussed the legacy of Irvine’s Master Plan, the city’s many assets, and the Chamber’s role as convener, champion, and catalyst for economic vitality in the greater Irvine area. “Everything comes back to the master plan,” Starr said, referencing Irvine centered around what is now University of California, Irvine. “The initial step, right away, made us a city of innovation, a city of education, that has been perpetuated into the 21st century.” Impact OC Talk Radio...

Hoag Orthopedic Institute Named Among Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Hoag Orthopedic Institute (HOI), one of the largest providers of orthopedic care in the nation, has been nationally ranked in the top 30 best orthopedic hospitals in U.S. News & World Report’s “2021-2022 Best Hospitals” list. HOI’s ranking rose to number 27 in the nation from number 35 the previous year. In addition to this distinction, U.S. News has also recognized HOI as “High Performing” in Back Surgery (Spinal Fusion), Hip Fracture, Hip Replacement, and Knee Replacement for 2021-2022. “HOI is honored to once again be included in U.S. News & World Report’s best hospitals list,” said acting HOI CEO Ki...

Greater Irvine Chamber 2021-2022 Board Slate Includes Three New Members and Incoming Chair

Wednesday, July 07, 2021

The Greater Irvine Chamber installed its new 2021-2022 Board of Directors during a July meeting held at the Marriott Irvine Spectrum, kicking off the fiscal year term. The new slate includes incoming Board Chair Carlos Oregon, president/CEO of Thinkbox Technology Group, who is assuming the gavel following outgoing Chair Jeff Davis, vice president, Entitlement, Irvine Company. Three executives from Orange County organizations have been appointed to the board: Wendy Aid, Director of sales, Cox Business With more than 15 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Wendy Aid is a results-driven leader with the proven ability to develop and lead sales teams to excee...

Irvine, Orange County: Leader in Patient Care

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

By Bryan Starr, President and CEO, Greater Irvine Chamber As published in the Feb. 15, 2021 issue of the Orange County Business Journal Irvine is a well-established global leader in life sciences, innovation, and medical technology and manufacturing. With companies like Allergan, B. Braun, Biolase Technologies, Edwards Lifesciences, and Kahala Biosciences located in Irvine, and Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Bausch & Lomb, and Beckman Coulter close by, Orange County is a life science innovation hub and has been fairly described as the medical device capital of the world. As reported right here in the pages of the Orange County Business Journal over the past severa...

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