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| Ayala School eNewsletter | October 2014 |
Message from the Dean
I extend my warmest wishes and welcome to our incoming and returning students as the new 2014-15 academic year commences. This year the Ayala School is proud to welcome 974 undergraduate students (810 freshmen and 151 transfers) as well as 31 and 42 Master's and Doctoral students, respectively. We look forward to them joining the UCI community and becoming BioAnteaters. Special thanks to the Ayala School's Office of Student Affairs for their continuing dedication and efforts behind the scenes to ensure that the transition to the new school year is as smooth as possible for all of our students. It is also my pleasure to welcome eight new faculty members to the Ayala School as they add their expertise and experience to our ranks. Read about them through their impressive profiles included later in this newsletter. I sincerely hope this year will be productive, stimulating and successful for students, faculty and staff as well as for our alumni and community friends. News and HighlightsDr. Howard Gillman's Vision as UCI Chancellor UCI Rises to 11th in the Nation Research in the NewsDr. Michael Leon Authors Autism Article in Scientific American Community SpotlightEd Chang, '84 |
FACULTY RECOGNITIONAmerican Psychological Association Awardee TRANSITIONS
Dr. Andrea Tenner Named UCI MIND Director AYALA SCHOOL ALUMNI CLUBJoin the Ayala School Alumni Club and become part of a worldwide network of BioAnteaters. Reconnect with old friends and support the Ayala School – all for free!
Click Here to join the Ayala School Alumni Club Click Here to make a Gift to the Ayala School  STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Ayala School Undergraduate receives National All-Academic Honor
Itos Aikhionbare has earned 2013-14 All-Academic recognition after being named Big West Field Athlete of the Year. Read more. STAFF SPOTLIGHT Carolyn Willmann, Director of Student Affairs
Carolyn Willman, Director of Student Affairs, has been on staff in the Ayala School for almost 35 years. She is a true Anteater, holding both a B.A. in Psychology (Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa) and an M.B.A. from UCI. Carolyn finds daily motivation in the school's undergraduates. She knows that every student comes from a unique background and is experiencing a unique set of circumstances, so she and the advising staff take pride in being able to provide the right assistance to each one. Carolyn sees the rewards of this when students reach their academic and career goals and return as alumni to share their success stories. A favorite program of hers is the Mentor Program, where she often sees former mentees participate as professionals to help a new generation. Carolyn has served as chair of the group of Directors of Academic Counseling as well as the Committee of Academic Counselors. She received the Excellence in Leadership Award from the UCI Staff Assembly in 2011 as a result of enthusiastic nomination from her peers. |
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UCI Ayala School of Biological Sciences 5120 Natural Sciences II Irvine, CA 92697-1450 |
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The UC Regents voted to confirm Dr. Howard Gillman as UCI’s sixth Chancellor on September 18. In his acceptance remarks, Chancellor Gillman praised the innovative faculty and outstanding students who are continuing a long tradition of excellence on campus. Read more about his nomination 
Eight new faculty members have joined the Ayala School, bringing a breadth of expertise that includes marine ecology, biodiversity, epigenetics, neural mechanisms of memory and cognition, and bacterial molecular biology. They were welcomed to UCI by Chancellor Gillman at the New Faculty Welcome and Chancellor’s Reception on September 23. 
UC Irvine has advanced in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Colleges survey, ranking 42nd of 1,600 universities evaluated nationwide. The seven-point jump is UCI’s largest in a decade. Among public institutions, the campus rose to 11th from 14th. The campus is also ranked highly for educational value. 
Dr. Samantha Wright, a post-doctoral scholar in the laboratory of Dr. Donovan German, was invited to serve as the guest scientist in an episode of “SciGirls.” This new PBS show for kids ages 8-12 showcases girls in a variety of nationwide locations using science and engineering concepts in their daily lives. 
Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Michael Leon wrote an article featured in the August 26, 2014 issue of Scientific American: “Environmental enrichment may help treat autism – and help us all.” 
Professor of Neurology Carl Cotman is quoted on the benefits of physical exercise in popular new dance party-like settings in the August 21, 2014 issue of Harper’s Bazaar. 
A research team that included Dr. Steven Allison, associate professor of ecology & evolutionary biology, has found that warmer temperatures shorten the lifespan of soil microbes, and this may affect how soils store carbon. 
Neurobiologists Dr. Jennifer Czerniawski and Dr. John Guzowski have found that brain inflammation dramatically disrupts memory retrieval networks. Their research sheds light on cognitive losses associated with chemotherapy and autoimmune diseases, linking immune system activation, altered neural circuit function and impaired discrimination memory. 
UCI MIND, The UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, was featured in a news segment by CBS Los Angeles local news on September 18, 2014. To watch this story about the groundbreaking research and clinical work being conducted at UCI MIND, click 
Ayala School Alumnus Ed Chang personifies the “serial entrepreneur”. For over 30 years, Ed has been at the cutting edge of the medical device industry. He is widely recognized for his impressive business accomplishments, philanthropy, and volunteerism. A son of immigrant parents, Ed graduated from the Ayala School in 1984 and began his career in product management at Edwards Lifesciences. After a few years, Ed recognized the potential in the medical device industry and decided to form a company with several colleagues. This would be the first of five medical device companies he would take from concept to sale, helping to reduce invasiveness and increase efficacy of such procedures as breast biopsies and soft tissue reconstruction. And although Ed is fully engaged in his sixth startup, he has always found time for his Alma Mater, serving as an Ayala School Dean’s Leadership Council member for over 10 years and a mentor to undergraduates for 15 years. Ed resides in San Clemente with his wife of 25 years, Maggie Chang (Ayala School ’85) and their son, Jared.
