“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.

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.

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.

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.

The American Public Health Association was formed in 1872, when scientific advances were starting to reveal the causes of contagious diseases. For over 150 years, the APHA has championed “optimal, equitable health and well-being for all,” and in 1995, President Bill Clinton signed an executive order declaring that the first full week of April each year would be National Public Health Week – a celebration organized annually by the APHA. In 2026, National Public Health Week will be celebrated April 6 through 12. This year’s theme is “Ready. Set. Action!” The APHA is asking people to “look back at the progress we’ve made” and “look forward to the steps needed for an even healthier future.” We’ll request the same of Bernadette Boden-Albala in this episode of The UC Irvine Podcast. In a wide-ranging conversation, the founding dean of the Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health reflects on the transformations she’s witnessed since arriving at UC Irvine in 2019 and what it will take for health and well-being to thrive. She shares insights from her latest research on stroke and cardiovascular disease, the role of social networks in disease prevention, and how community partnerships – paired with stronger advocacy for science and investment in women’s health – can improve health outcomes for everyone. “Rising Sun,” the music for this episode, was provided by DivKid via the audio library in YouTube Studio.

For over two decades, Charis Kubrin, UC Irvine professor of criminology, law and society, has examined how the presence of immigrants in communities affects public safety. Her findings continually challenge a myth that has persisted throughout history: that immigrants bring crime to their new countries. In November 2025, Kubrin learned that she’s one of two researchers who’ll receive the Stockholm Prize in Criminology for 2026 – a recognition often seen as equivalent to the Nobel Prize in that field. During the official announcement, the competition jury noted that the 2026 award is “shining the spotlight on how criminology is myth-busting on immigration and rehabilitation.” In the latest episode of The UC Irvine Podcast, Kubrin will share her reaction when she learned about the prestigious honor, explain her life’s work and how it’s particularly relevant in today’s global climate, and address the rigors of trying to bridge the gap between scientific research and public understanding. “A Caring Friend,” the music for this episode, was provided by Bad Snacks via the audio library in YouTube Studio.

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed, is more important than any other one thing,” said Abraham Lincoln in a letter to Isham Reavis dated Nov. 5, 1855. Health and well-being hold high importance for many people, and the approach of the holiday season and the following new year often leaves them wondering about what changes, or resolutions, they might want to implement to improve their lives – and how to make them. In the latest episode of The UC Irvine Podcast, we’re leaning on the wisdom of a pair of people who’ve committed their careers to providing guidance on all those topics: Matthew Landry, assistant professor of population health and disease prevention in UC Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, and Theresa Nutt, administrative director of education at UC Irvine’s Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute. Landry’s research interests include identifying the optimal diet for chronic disease prevention, and Nutt is a registered and holistic nurse who has also been a health and wellness coach since 2003. In this podcast, they team up to discuss why it’s hard to stick to our diets during the holidays and share tips on how to avoid overindulging. In addition, they’ll address prioritizing activities that benefit physical fitness and how to reframe thoughts around resolutions to encourage better success. “Fresh Healthy Perspectives,” the music for this episode, was provided by Birocratic via the audio library in YouTube Studio.

The University of California defines a first-generation college student as “a student where neither parent nor guardian have earned a four-year college degree.” At UC Irvine, Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning updated its student head count data on Oct. 24 to include fall of 2025, and according to the enrollment dashboard, 11,104 out of 30,260 (36.7 percent) undergraduates have first-generation status. The latest four-year graduation rate for first-gen students at UC Irvine is 72.8 percent, and the six-year graduation rate is 83.8 percent. We’re shining the spotlight on first-gen students in this episode of The UC Irvine Podcast. Our guest is Scott Lerner, a lecturer in the School of Humanities’ composition program. Once a first-gen student himself, he commits extensive time and energy to that population on campus, teaching classes with their experiences as the primary theme and helping lead initiatives to increase first-gen visibility. These efforts include a freshman seminar exploring the hidden curriculum and a website of resources and contacts. Lerner shares stories of tribulation and triumph from his first-gen journey, explains how he structures courses to help students tell their own tales, and muses about changes that could further enhance everyone’s capabilities to succeed. “Brave,” the music for this episode, was provided by Mark Karan, Scott Guberman, Angeline Saris and Jeremy Hoenig, via the audio library in YouTube Studio.

Paul Robertson, associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Irvine, is co-author of a new paper in The Astronomical Journal on an exoplanet that is tantalizingly close to Earth. The proximity of this exoplanet helps astronomers glean more details about it. They want to know how it compares in size to Earth, if it has an atmosphere, and if it is in the habitable zone, a distance from the host star that would make it possible for the planet to have liquid water on its surface, a key ingredient to support potential life. In this episode of the UC Irvine Podcast, Robertson discusses the tools he and his team used to characterize this exoplanet and what he hopes to learn in future exoplanet hunting efforts.

Internationally recognized neuroscientist Aileen Anderson – a professor of physical medicine & rehabilitation, anatomy & neurobiology and neurosurgery, and the former director of the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center – started her tenure as UC Irvine’s vice chancellor for research on July 1. She had no opportunity to ease into her new, important role. In her first month at the helm, the federal government announced it was suspending approximately $584 million in funding from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and other agencies to UCLA, putting the entire UC system on alert for what might be next. In the months since, several federal court orders have restored vast amounts of those grants, but the situation remains in flux. On Aug. 21, Anderson hosted a town hall to address how federal funding suspensions impact UC Irvine. To make clear her position, her campuswide emails offering updates to the latest developments all end with this quote: “The Office of Research and I stand with our research community. We appreciate your resilience and remain committed to supporting you every step of the way.” In this episode of The UC Irvine Podcast, Anderson demonstrates that dedication by sharing what she knows about the current state of federal funding, how cuts are affecting the research community at UC Irvine and globally, and what these changes could mean for the future of the university, its faculty and students, science, medicine, and, eventually, the health of Americans and international reputation of the United States. “Building Blocks,” the music for this episode, was provided by Nate Blaze, via the audio library in YouTube Studio.