University of California, Irvine
In many ways, the founding of the University of California, Irvine (UCI), in the early 1960s marked the genesis of the thriving, modern city of Irvine.
Built on land that was largely a gift of the Irvine Company, UCI became the cornerstone of the master-planned Irvine community and continues to play a key role in city life. The campus attracts a diverse, talented body of students, faculty and staff — practically a city within a city at roughly 38,000 strong! — that helps create the rich, international and progressive fabric of the city of Irvine.
Visitors experience the influence of UCI largely through the cultural events it hosts through the year, including concerts and sports events at the Bren Events Center and exhibits at the UCI Art Gallery and UCI Beall Center for Art + Technology.
UCI also offers a beautiful, park-like campus (in fact, the center of campus is named Aldrich Park), with a design from which the various academic units of campus fan out in spokes. Walking the inner or outer circles at the heart of campus offers a glimpse into the evolution of campus architecture, with buildings ranging from mid-century classic styles to dramatic modern works of art.
