End to construction at UCI in sight

An editorial cartoon in the Sunday issue of the Daily Pilot

depicted a popular, but timeworn acronym that UCI stands for “Under

Construction Indefinitely.” In fact, the end is in sight.

The physical plan developed by UC Irvine’s founders some 38 years

ago will be completed in the next decade. The labs, classrooms,

housing and, yes, parking structures currently being built are

necessary to ensure that our campus can accommodate the coming

enrollment wave that will take UCI from its current student

population of about 23,000 to 30,000 by the end of the decade. The

new buildings are also key to the quality of UCI’s anticipated

growth.

Already, UCI is one of the top public research universities in the

country. We attained this status by constantly striving for

educational and research excellence, developing innovative programs

and attracting the best people -- students, faculty and staff.

In the coming years, UCI buildings will be home to new programs

that meet the economic and workforce needs of the region. And we will

add faculty and graduate students whose research and discovery will

continue to improve lives everywhere.

I refer, for example, to exciting projects like the university’s

carbon cycle research center, which is helping us understand our

planet’s carbon cycle; our recent $14.2-million grant from the

National Science Foundation to improve kindergarten through 12th

grade math and science education; and the new laboratory in UCI’s

College of Medicine, where world-famous researchers are working on

treatments for eye diseases and blindness.

By late 2007, the largest capital project in UCI’s history will be

built in Orange -- a new landmark university medical center allowing

us to keep training tomorrow’s physicians and solving the health

problems that can devastate families. We envision a world-class

hospital that blends advanced technology with greater patient comfort

and efficiency of care.

Yes, UCI is still “under construction,” but with each new space,

we build on our current strengths to become an even greater resource

for the citizens of Orange County and beyond.

RALPH J. CICERONE

Chancellor, UC Irvine