The 23rd annual Irvine Global Village Festival, which took place Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Great Park, once again provided an opportunity for UC Irvine to strengthen its ties to the community and bring a bit of the university directly to the people of Irvine.

“I invite you to visit our campus and see what UC Irvine is all about,” remarked Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Hal Stern during the opening ceremony. “There’s always something interesting happening on campus – from enlightening classes and engaging public lectures to captivating performances and exciting athletic events. Activities take place nearly year-round.”

The festival’s UC Irvine tent housed diverse representatives who perfectly illustrated this.

People from UCI Mind, Orange County’s only state- and federally funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, were on hand to share information with the community about their efforts to improve the lives of people battling the disease and other forms of dementia.

Members of UC Irvine Athletics informed festivalgoers about the university’s rich sporting history, including 28 national championships and 88 conference titles. Student-athletes compete in 10 sports – from baseball to water polo. Guests were greeted by UC Irvine’s one-of-a-kind mascot, Peter the Anteater, and the Spirit Squad. The university will host 16 more athletic events during the month of October, with some featuring the nationally ranked men’s water polo team.

Representatives from the UCI Chemistry Academy, a summer STEM program for K-12 students, engaged attendees with hands-on activities reflecting the academy’s offerings, which include sessions in forensic science, cosmetic chemistry and the chemistry of food.

Orange County’s only academic health system, UCI Health, also had a large role in the festivities, sharing information about the many offerings and services they provide to patients.

A key example of UCI Health’s ongoing work to provide services to the community, the UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute Eye Mobile for Children was also at the festival. The Eye Mobile provides vision services such as screenings and comprehensive eye exams and glasses, free of charge, to children throughout Orange County. 

Stern took the opportunity to remind festival guests that the university boasts something for everyone.

“If you’re looking to update your professional skills or explore new career options, UC Irvine’s Division of Continuing Education offers a range of flexible, online, open-enrollment courses and certificate programs,” he said. “From artificial intelligence and project management to human resources and accounting, classes are accessible to everyone and cover a wide array of disciplines. We welcome you at UC Irvine. So please come cheer on the Anteaters at a game, see a performance at the Irvine Barclay Theatre or take a class.”

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