50 years ago, the founders of the School of Social Sciences had a vision to bring together scholars whose different approaches—from quantitative to qualitative, formal to interpretative—tackled fundamental research questions and pressing social problems.

Today, the school is forging connections to computer science, engineering, the arts and the humanities. Interdisciplinary connections to law, medicine and environmental science help researchers and policy makers understand the social, cultural and psychological factors impacting regulation and policy adoption, health and human behavior. We're exploring how human and environmental interaction impact climate, energy and ecology.

Our openness to new approaches and unexpected collaborations has kept us nimble and at the cutting-edge in a number fields as different as transportation economics a cultural anthropology, the philosophy of physics and biology, and the sociology of mass movements.

Our faculty, graduate students and undergraduates are discovering new connections every day.

Multidisciplinary in scope and open to unexpected explorations—from cognitive robotics to social computing, from behavioral economics to the physics of financial models—research in the social sciences at UC Irvine encompasses all of humanity’s increasing diversity and makes a difference in our everyday lives.

And we've only just begun. Imagine what we can accomplish in the next 50...

School History

The amount of accomplishments the school has accrued in just 50 short years is astonishing. In the interest of time and limited space, here is an attempt at a condensed version of our biggest moments, 1965-present. If you have a correction or feel a significant point has been missed, please send documentation to communications@socsci.uci.edu.

Unforgettable images

Being an anteater isn't something one forgets. Highlighted here are images that defined the campus experience over the past half century.

Check back often as we will continue to update with photos.

Social Sciences

Edification of the Humanities and Social Science Building.

Students Break

Students enjoying a break after class.

Class Outdoors

Students held class outside the classroom.

Walking Oncampus

Students walk on Aldrich Park near the Humanities-Social Science building.

Walking to Class

Pair of students walking to their class held in the Humanities-Social Science building.

Walking in the Rain

A rainy day at UCI in the early days.

From the Air

Aerial photo of the UCI campus in the late 60s.

Walking from Class

Students walking after finishing their class at the Humanities Social Science building.

2000 Commencement

Social Sciences Commencement in Aldrich Park.

Social Sciences then and now

A lot can change in 50 years. Here's a snapshot of some of the things that did, in a great way.

THEN (1965)

NOW (2015)

Making Memories

Social sciences faculty, staff, students, alumni and community friends share their fondest memories from their days as an anteater. Email your memory to communications@socsci.uci.edu for a chance to have it shared here.

"The Dean's Ambassadors Council 2008 Presidential Pancake Breakfast. We treated students, faculty, staff and the community to a free pancake breakfast and projected Obama's presidential inauguration in live time. It was a festive packed house and we were able to help raise donations for the Hacienda Orphanage in Mexico by making customized presidential and American themed buttons. Professor Petracca even volunteered to flip the pancakes and came dressed in his chef's attire."

Kristal Lee, '10

Sociology