KUCI: UCI Conversations

UCI Men’s Basketball Head Coach Russ Turner speaks about the upcoming 2022-23 season and the potential of his young team. But first he talks about growing up in a small town in Virginia and loving all sports. Through hard work and perseverance he created opportunities to coach at the high school, college and NBA level. Thirteen years ago he came to UCI and has been a “game changer” ever since. Listen to this interview and see why...

It has been a year like no other. With the recent announcement of the 2022 Nobel winners, the warp speed life of Sir David of Bellshill may get a little bit back to normal...but never quite return to the way it was. Listen in to this exclusive interview as he recounts many of the highlights of his momentous year as the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry--Zot! Zot! Zot!

The LA Rams concluded their 2022 UCI Training Camp today, but not before Rams COO Kevin Demoff sat down for an up-close and personal look at his life, his career and last year’s amazing SUPER BOWL run... bottom line is his career was made up of incremental steps that he had no idea where it would lead...in Kevin’s case he ends up holding the Super Bowl trophy...WOW :)

Los Angeles RAMS General Manager Les Snead talks about his life, his football road and the SUPER BOWL...remarkable insights and stories! His SUPER BOWL winning team is here for their annual pre-season training camp from July 29-August 10. Go to www.therams/trainingcamp for free tickets. Don’t miss this great interview!

Senior Associate Athletic Director of Facilities & Operations Paul Hope has 40-years of experience at UCI. He loves athletics, his colleague/friends and our great institution. Tune-in for a ‘behind the scenes’ tour through time...Bren Center, Anteater Baseball Field, the Santora Elite Fitness Center and much more...AND a touching Kobe story. July/Aug is super busy when you have the Super Bowl Champ LA RAMS here for training camp! Free reservations can be made at www.therams.com/trainingcamp...

DACA Grad Student Jaime ‘Halo’ Esquivel is working in the Reinkensmeyer Engineering Lab for 8 weeks as part of the ‘Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship’(S.U.R.F.) at UCI. Getting here has not been an easy road, but if you listen you will hear his footsteps to success thru perseverance, dedication and hard work. Combined with gratitude, desire and learning from his mistakes. He’s a winner on the move...!

Women’s Crew Rowing Coach Mike Sullivan loves the feel of a boat gliding through the water and the team effort it takes. He rowed for UCI from 1970-74 with great success and never strayed far from the sport during his computer career at Stanford. After retiring, in September 2020 he returned to the back bay UCI boathouse to coach and body surf. He enthusiastically proclaims, “it’s been FANTASTIC”! The endless summer continues...listen in to this highly entertaining and informative...

Last week, Nobel Laureate David MacMillan’96 and his wife chemistry PhD Jean Kim returned to UCI for the first time since his Nobel award was announced. He participated in a series of lectures, Q&A’s and celebrations. Listen in to get a peek at what it is like to win a Nobel prize. The couple is embracing it, having the time of their lives and also looking forward to the new Nobel winners being announced in October. We also explore just what is “asymmetric organocatalysis”, which was...

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry David MacMillan’96 returns to UCI this week, for the first time since winning the Nobel Prize (October 2021). Listen to this re-broadcast of his exclusive KUCI interview soon after the award was first announced. Get to know this Nobel Prize winner up close and personal in this revealing, honest, and humorous exchange...WOW! WOW! WOW!

Special LIVE broadcast of 'UCI Conversations' show with Kevin and Giving Day co-hosts PhD marine researcher Joana Tavares and Humanities Undergrad Jose C. helping out with phone-in guests and additional insights of what makes UCI so special. Don't miss this action packed show with phone calls from Germany, Hollywood and Armenia,southern CA. CONGRATULATIONS to ALL for a GREAT GIVING DAY!

Vice Provost of Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate Division Professor Gillian Hayes LOVES HER JOB! Her background with academics & in academics, growing up at Deloitte, and running a private sector company have all contributed to her fast rise in university administration. She came to UCI because of the amazing research programs & great colleagues, but she stays at UCI because “it is one of the very few places that refuses to accept that equity, diversity and inclusion cannot...

UCI Political Science Professor Jeff Kopstein shares Eastern European history, his personal experience and years of study in this truly informative interview about our current world crisis. It is sobering, unsettling and powerful. Insights that go far beyond what you see on TV every night...don’t miss this interview...

UCI PhD Marine Researchers Melissa Brock & Joana Tavares speak with passion, drive and commitment. In this interview, they recall jumping into action when an oil spill appeared in October and describe how the work still continues. They also speak from experience with first hand knowledge, love and humor for this GREAT PLANET THAT WE CALL HOME...AND they recommendations. Don’t miss this interview with two excellent science communicators who know their stuff!

From her grandmother’s amazing escape from Vietnam...to Disneyland...to future Nobel Prize winners, UCI Chemistry Professor Vy Dong is always learning! From attaining her PhD, she learned great confidence, but also that there is so-o-o much that she doesn’t know...like, “we are all students throughout our life”. She also learned that “adversity is a part of life, no matter where you are... it never really goes away”. Professor Dong is strongly encouraging, supportive and dedicated. Listen in...

Although Professor “Roxy” Cohen Silver recently became the Vice Provost of Academic Planning & Institutional Research her stature in her field continues to be renowned. She is an internationally recognized expert on stress, trauma & coping. Her research has included 9/11, the Boston Marathon bombings, and the Orlando Nite Club shootings. She is a force of nature in her work habits and has strongly held beliefs, but she is also not afraid to admit she does not have all the answers. Don’t miss...

From Redlands to the 'Temple of Spirit' to Langson IMCA Kim Kanatani has come a long way... as the new Director of the Langson Institute and Museum of CA Art she will be leading the way to create a new cornerstone for UCI. This interview includes the BREAKING NEWS announcement for the new IMCA home and descriptions of the two major art collections. It's art like you have never seen it before...

UCI Sociology Professor Andrew Penner’s interview initially covers growing up as a child of missionaries in Japan, being uncomfortable/comfortable as the ‘foreigner’ and his embrace of being a math nerd. He eventually finds financial aid at the University of Chicago and is astounded to actually get paid to go to UC Berkeley for his PhD. In 2008, he finds an academy, ‘collegial’ home at UCI. He specifically talks about ‘inclusive excellence’, equality and education. The heart and soul of...

Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Professor Iryna Zenyuk talks about her homeland UKRAINE, being a chess champion, 9-11 and fuel cell research. It is all here for the listening. In this remarkable interview she lets us know how we can help! She is passionate, scared, dedicated and motivated! Donate to help UKRAINE at www.zotfunder.give.uci.edu It takes a village... let's band together!

UCI Dean of the School of Engineering Professor Magnus Egerstedt is an artist, working on his craft...engineering, leading, communicating and even dancing when called upon by students during Engineering Week. He is passionate about this work and loves to share (and laugh). Don’t miss this exploration of one of UCI’s most dynamic departments and how they search to make the world a better place...