University of California Irvine’s (UCI) Black Thriving Initiative is an interdisciplinary, campus-wide effort dedicated to fostering the success of Black students, faculty, staff, and communities through research and strategic initiatives. Launched in 2021 by Douglas Haynes, PhD, the program is currently led by Dyonne Bergeron, Ed.D, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at UC Irvine, and Roxane Cohen Silver, Ph.D, Vice Provost of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning at UC Irvine.

“We're hoping to generate enthusiasm, commitment and scholarship to make UC Irvine a destination for Black faculty, students, staff and community members, and a place where those individuals can thrive,” says Dr. Silver.

The Black Thriving Initiative seeks to establish UC Irvine as a leading choice for Black undergraduate and graduate students. Its long-term goals include increasing student enrollment, enhancing retention of Black students, and ensuring that Black students receive the support and opportunities necessary to succeed. The Initiative also strives to advance scholarship on Black experiences and drive cultural change, aligning the success of UC Irvine with the well-being of Black individuals and communities.

A major component of the Black Thriving Initiative is the Faculty Cluster Hiring Program, which prioritizes the recruitment of new faculty in three key academic research clusters: Environmental Health Disparities, Infrastructure Equity, and Poetic Justice. Each cluster receives annual programming funds for three years, allowing faculty to develop research and community engagement projects. The establishment of these faculty clusters represents a significant milestone for UC Irvine, strengthening the university’s commitment to Black scholarship, creative expression, and advocacy.

“We've hired 12 new faculty, four faculty per cluster,” says Dr. Silver. “It was an enormous accomplishment to both identify outstanding faculty across the country and successfully recruit them to UC Irvine to fill out these three clusters.”

Faculty in the Environmental Health Disparities cluster bring expertise in public health, engineering, and social sciences and focus on the impact of environmental injustices on Black communities. Their research examines factors such as pollution, climate change, and public health disparities, aiming to develop policies and interventions that mitigate these challenges and their impact on historically marginalized communities.

The Infrastructure Equity cluster includes scholars from social ecology, engineering, law, and the physical sciences who study how infrastructure development affects communities of color. Their work investigates disparities in urban planning, transportation access, and housing policies, with the goal of promoting more equitable and inclusive infrastructure solutions.

Bridging disciplines in the humanities, arts, business, and social ecology, the Poetic Justice cluster focuses on creative expression and storytelling as tools for uplifting Black experiences and history. Faculty members work with community organizations to amplify Black voices and cultural narratives through literature, visual arts, and performance.

As part of its broader mission, the Black Thriving Initiative extends its impact beyond the university by fostering stronger connections with Black communities throughout California, and prioritizes outreach and engagement efforts to strengthen pathways for Black students from high schools and community colleges to pursue higher education. By investing in research, recruitment, outreach, and cultural transformation, UC Irvine’s Black Thriving Initiative strives to create an environment where Black scholars and communities can thrive now and into the future.