UC Irvine School of Social Sciences

06/02/2026

Congrats to Ming-Chih Huang, ’26 business economics, who is the recipient of a Social Sciences Education Enhancement Scholarship! The award helped cover the cost of spring textbooks in his final quarter at the University of California, Irvine.

“I chose to study business economics since I wanted to explore the connection between economic theory and actual business decision-making. I opted for UCI due to its excellent academic atmosphere and a supportive community,” he says. “The most exciting thing about studying here is gaining analytical skills that help understand markets, individuals, and institutions better.”

After graduation, he’s planning to work in a business-related field like finance or data analysis so he can continue learning from experience.

When asked about his best memory from his undergrad experience, he says: “One of the best things about being at UC Irvine is getting to meet people of all kinds and make friends along the way. This has helped make my college experience truly fulfilling and worthwhile.”

https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2026/2026-06-02-ming-chih-huang-educational-enhancement-scholarship

University of California UCI Alumni

06/02/2026

Jaylin Higgins ’26 sociology is passionate about correcting systemic inequalities and advocating for vulnerable populations. One day, she hopes to become a lawyer, focusing on family law and social justice so she can advocate for clients who are impacted by issues like financial instability, divorce and access to resources.

“Growing up, I saw how systemic inequalities and lack of support can deeply impact families and children, which inspired my passion for advocacy and social justice,” says Higgins.

Between completing courses for her major, honors research, internships, leadership roles and law school preparation, her busy schedule didn’t leave much room for pursuing a second major or minor to dive more deeply into underlying social issues shaped by policy decisions. Then, her sociology honors director, Emily Carian, assistant professor of teaching, introduced Higgins to the Certificate Program in Social Problems and Public Policy. The four-course series allowed her to pick from 25 available classes, effectively tailoring her course of study to her specific interests.

“This program allowed me to intentionally build expertise in policy-related topics while still tailoring my coursework to align with my interests, particularly in family law and social justice,” she says. “It’s provided a focused, interdisciplinary perspective on how social issues are addressed through policy, without the rigidity of a full major. In that way, it complements my degree rather than competing with it.”

And that’s exactly what the school's certificate programs were designed to do, says Jeanett Castellanos, social sciences associate dean of undergraduate studies and professor of teaching.

“The certificates are offered to complement majors and minors, to augment our students’ skill set, offering a wide range of cluster courses when time may be limited or a field interest is identified later in the educational journey,” she says.

Currently, the school offers 13 certificates ranging from a focus on American Sign Language and social determinants of health to veterans studies and business economics.

For Higgins, the certificate in Social Problems and Public Policy, which she’ll proudly list on her resume alongside her sociology major and many other UCI accomplishments following her June commencement, has deepened her resolve and plans for a future in social justice advocacy and law.

“This certificate helped me better understand how policies shape people’s everyday lives and centered my career to committing and advocating for vulnerable communities," she says. "It not only expanded my academic knowledge but also strengthened my sense of purpose in working toward meaningful change within communities.”

https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2026/2026-06-02-jaylin-higgins-building-a-future-in-advocacy.php

University of California, Irvine University of California Sociology, UC Irvine UCI Alumni

06/01/2026

Congrats to Jessica J. Zhang ’26 political science who is the undergrad recipient of the 2026 Justice and Equity Research Paper Award! The honor – which includes a $1000 prize – recognizes top graduate and undergraduate research papers addressing race, justice and related topics. 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.

https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2026/2026-06-01-zhang-justice-and-equity-research-paper-award-recipient

University of California, Irvine University of California UCI Department of Political Science UCI Alumni

06/01/2026

From Ask Sammy in Santa Clarita to Rivy, the City of Riverside’s online chatbot, AI is increasingly being tapped to deliver public service information to residents across Southern California cities. But what happens when deployment of this technology outpaces evaluations of its accuracy, use and impacts? A UC Irvine-led research team has received funding from the Social Science Research Council to address these concerns.

“Municipal oversight remains focused on basic operational metrics, not on whether these systems help residents understand their rights, navigate civic processes or engage meaningfully with local government,” says Bill Maurer, UC Irvine social sciences dean, professor of anthropology and law and the project’s principal investigator. “Meanwhile, rapid deployment of this technology can have consequences, as we saw in 2023 in New York City where legally incorrect guidance was provided to small business owners.” Beyond undermining public trust, critical public safety concerns can come into play when chatbots are consulted during emergency situations where clear, accurate information is essential.

“So cities in southern California face a choice: continue rolling out AI without democratic oversight or intentionally evaluate and govern these systems to strengthen civic trust, equity and participation,” he says.

Joining Maurer in the collaborative effort to fill this gap are UC Irvine colleagues Lori Greene, associate vice chancellor for operations and research program services, Athina Markopoulou, professor of electrical engineering and computer science and director of the Institute for Engineering AI for Society, Jackie Ku, political science graduate student, and Olivia Figueira, computer science graduate student; and Ben Polsky, ethics and technology practitioner fellow at Stanford and director of AI and technology programs at Alliance for Local Leaders International (ALLIES).

https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2026/2026-06-01-uc-irvine-led-research-team-to-develop-evaluation-protocols-tools-for-city-chatbots

University of California, Irvine University of California UCI Department of Political Science The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences at UC Irvine Alliance for Local Leaders International Stanford University Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion (IMTFI) University of California, Irvine School of Law Social Science Research Council UC Irvine Graduate Division

05/29/2026

Born in Santa Cruz, California, Stephanie Garcia-Mora started at the University of California, Irvine in 2022 as a political science major. Initially interested in going to law school, she was keen to major in something that taught students to question the world around them and examine how social norms can create different outcomes. In her third year, she took a sociology course that inspired her to tackle research, a second major and eventually, a Ph.D.

The two majors create complementary perspectives. Whereas political science taught her about different political systems, she says, sociology showed why those systems existed and how many policies we see today are shaped by societal standards. "They intertwine a lot."

Looking forward to her graduation in June, she's feeling "really excited," she says. "I know that this is not the end for my academic career, because I really want to go to grad school. So, I'm excited for the next chapter in my life."

She’s currently applying for jobs for a gap year, mostly at universities in Southern California, where she hopes to advise students while she spends the summer getting ready to apply to sociology graduate programs.

“UCI has prepared me for that future by giving me a lot of mentors and showing me how that opportunity is accessible for somebody like me," she says. "It has prompted me and given me a lot of opportunities to partake in research and also just have conversations with faculty who see that that's something that I can do and believe in me. It's given me a lot of opportunities, in general, to expand my research experience, whether it be in a lab or within the honors department, and also the relationships and networks to feel inspired to do that."

Long term, she aims to be a professor at an R1 institution. "I have loved my experience in research and really want to give that research lens and opportunity to other students and also increase representation in academia."

https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2026/2026-05-29-stephanie-garcia-mora-intertwined-perspectives

University of California UCI Department of Political Science Sociology, UC Irvine UCI Alumni

05/28/2026

For University of California, Irvine anthropology major Brian Lam, the social sciences have been more than just a course of study — it's been almost therapeutic, he says. "It helped me better place myself in the world and understand my connection to everything," he says. "It's grounding."

As a child of hard-scrabble Vietnam War refugees, Lam bounced between Fountain Valley, Tustin, Anaheim, and Cypress as a youth. He struggled to find his footing among his peers and in his early academic career. After a stint at Biola University, he enrolled in Cypress's community college. It was there that he took his first archaeology class. "My thought initially was to go into forensics, so I studied administration of justice as well as biochem. But during that, I fell out of love with forensics," he says. The techniques between field work in forensics and archaeology, however, were largely transferable.

"Archaeology satisfied a lot of my academic cravings," he says, if not all of them. "I wanted to branch out, pick up a different skillset, but still have some continuation of archaeological study." Interested in learning more about socio-cultural anthropology, which focuses on human interaction as opposed to a more artifact-analyzing archaeology approach, he was drawn to what he calls the "robust social sciences division" at UC Irvine, which he knew would afford good support and even better opportunities. He transferred to UCI in the fall of 2024 and enrolled in the School of Social Sciences.

Under associate anthropology professor Ian Straughn, Lam, now a fourth year, is doing honors research focused on archaeology. Titled "Lost in Collection: Archaeology and Missing History," his thesis has to do with records and artifacts that were unearthed from the UCI campus itself.

https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2026/2026-05-28-brian-lam-getting-grounded.php

University of California

05/27/2026

UC Irvine Ph.D. student Jyotsana Kala has long been drawn to economics for its focus on how people make choices under constraints.

“Economics is the science of decision-making under scarce resources. Given my indecisive personality, it offered a kind of natural refuge when I first discovered it,” she says. “Over the years, I came to see it as more than a subject; it's a way of thinking, almost a worldview.”

Having completed her bachelor’s and master’s in economics in India at the University of Delhi and Madras School of Economics, respectively, she knew she wanted to dive deeper.

“UCI felt like a natural home. The faculty here are exceptional, and Irvine itself offers a rare blend of calm, beauty, and energy that keeps me inspired,” she says.

Since arriving in 2020, Kala has thrived, earning recognition as a Sheen T. Kassouf Endowed Fellow for research excellence. This year, she co-received the Kathy Alberti Prize for her promise as a future professor and won the Charles A. Lave Outstanding Paper Prize for her research on Uber's algorithmic wage discrimination. She’s served as a pedagogical fellow for four years, training incoming cohorts of TAs across the social sciences and business school while also being voted Best TA in a graduate course. And, among one of her proudest Anteater moments, she got to represent UCI on the women's intercollegiate table tennis team at the NCTTA championships – an experience she says, “lives in a different part of my heart.”

Kala is graduating in June and come fall, she’ll be joining the Department of Economics at the University of Manchester as a lecturer/assistant professor.

“It is a big, exciting step and I genuinely can't wait. Teaching at UCI, including to first-year Ph.D. students, gave me real confidence in the classroom,” she says. “And the research portfolio I built here feels like a strong foundation to build toward tenure. UCI prepared me well, in more ways than I can fully articulate.”

Below, she reflects on her award-winning research, the faculty who’ve influenced her intellectual pursuits, and how lessons learned in table tennis have translated to academic success.

https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2026/2026-05-27-jyotsana-kala-from-uc-irvine-to-manchester.php

University of California, Irvine University of California UC Irvine Graduate Division UCI Alumni

05/26/2026

Hello Kitty has no mouth, and yet she has a great deal to say. That is the argument Karen Aiko Rivera has spent the better part of a year making in her UC Irvine Chicano/Latino studies honors thesis, which examines why the Japanese icon has found such a devoted following among Latinas at Southern California swap meets. Rivera, who is a double major in political science, focuses on swap meets as informal marketplaces where the character's image appears on everything from keychains to clothing, at prices that make them accessible to working-class shoppers. For Rivera, the research was never purely academic.

As someone who is both Mexican and Japanese, Rivera had always felt a pull toward Hello Kitty, particularly at swap meets, which in Southern California are among the most distinctly Latinx spaces around. The character seemed to belong there, even though she was invented in Japan in 1974 by the company Sanrio. What Rivera came to understand, through research that draws on autoethnography, archival work and a formal interview, is that Hello Kitty's peculiar power lies in what she lacks. She has no mouth. That absence, rather than being a limitation, is an invitation, making her an unusually open surface onto which communities project their own meanings, memories and desires.

"I've come to see Hello Kitty as a tool for identity, belonging, love, community and labor," Rivera says.

The thesis sits at the intersection of material culture, racial identity and consumer behavior, territory that Rivera was initially not sure anyone else would want to explore with her. She did not need to worry. Every time she has described the project to faculty or colleagues, the recognition has been immediate.

https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2026/2026-05-26-karen-aiko-rivera-the-politics-of-hello-kitty

University of California, Irvine University of California UCI Department of Political Science UCI Chicano/Latino Studies

05/22/2026

When she was a kid in the Inland Empire, Alondra Elena Arevalo's parents — who both have psychology degrees — prioritized traveling on summer breaks. "I grew up being very appreciative of the world and all the differences that everybody has," she says.

International studies, then, was a perfect fit. After arriving to the University of California, Irvine in the fall of 2022, drawn in part by a strong financial aid package, which she knew would provide security when she was completing her degree, Arevalo was keen to study abroad. "I've always really liked learning about people and their stories and their backgrounds and how their backgrounds influence things, from their political stances to their own identities and how they interact with other people," she says. "Someone's background can influence everything about them." Set on international studies, she elected to focus geographically on Europe and Asia.

Eager to study abroad, she jumped on the opportunity during her sophomore year, opting to attend a host school in Spain, Carlos III University of Madrid. "I enjoyed immersing myself into the Spanish culture," she says.

Getting her study abroad done early was strategic. "I wanted to be more involved my junior and senior years here on the campus, and I knew if I was leaving in the middle of the year, I wouldn't be able to be as involved." Once back at UCI, she made good on her plan to make the most of her last two years in Irvine. She's now the Associated Students UCI (ASUCI) President and has worked at the UCI Basic Needs Center on campus for about 15 hours a week since her junior year. She also decided to commit to a double major in public health policy.

That choice was an important one to her future. She was accepted into four Master of Public Health (MPH) programs - Johns Hopkins, Yale, Boston University and The George Washington University - for the coming fall, and she's decided to commit to Johns Hopkins University.

"I'm excited to see what happens next," she says.

https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2026/2026-05-22-alondra-elena-arevalo-think-globally

pictured: Alondra Elena Arevalo in the Social Sciences Plaza courtyard.

University of California UCI Alumni UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health

05/21/2026