Life and learning at UCI were deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the growing global crisis, UC Irvine initiated a campus-wide shutdown on March 19, 2020. Except for a small number of residential students, essential researchers, and medical staff, the Irvine campus was cleared, and all events and athletics were canceled. At the same time, UCI Health operations ramped up to meet community needs. Near-normal Irvine campus operations would not resume until late September 2021.
Physical vaccine supplies & buttons.
COVID-19 testing and screening were implemented in spring 2020 for the remaining residential students and essential staff and researchers. Nearly 75,000 vaccine doses were administered by UCI Health at the Bren Events Center in 2021
Student Experiences
A collaboration between the UCI Libraries, School of Social Ecology, and Blum Center Compassion in Action program, the Pandemic Histories Archive includes firsthand accounts of UCI student pandemic experiences through art, oral histories, and written reflections. Gathered between Fall 2020 and Winter 2022, the student submissions document their stressors during this time and reflections on anti-Black violence and anti-Asian hate crimes.
Pandemic Histories Digital Art Series, by Berenice Cortez.
Berenice Cortez’s art series explores the challenges her family experienced during the pandemic including navigating social distancing measures with an autistic sibling, parental caretaking, being a first-generation college student, and student debt.
Hannah Ilagan tries to capture the common emotions, experiences, and thoughts people experienced throughout the pandemic. The artist’s statement explains that when UCI “evacuated campus in March 2020, we – along with the rest of the world – found our plans derailed. And as distance learning continued, we have had time to reflect on ourselves, our goals, and our outlook on the world.”
A digital zine created by Ruby Nuñez details significant milestones like turning 21 and voting for the first time in a presidential election, all while living under COVID-19 lockdown. These moments are captured while Nuñez shares recipes for her favorite dishes.