UC Irvine Newkirk Faculty Fellowship Symposium Features Three CTSA Professors

The event will showcase the creative activities of Newkirk Faculty Fellows that build on the center's mission for Science & Society

Please RSVP to join the UC Irvine Newkirk Faculty Fellowship Symposium, “Existential Crises and Imagining Futures,” on Friday, January 24, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Beckman Center, Huntington Room. The event will highlight the creative scholarship of Newkirk Faculty Fellows, culminating in an interactive discussion with guests. A continental breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m., and lunch will be provided at noon. Seats are limited, and parking is free.

The Newkirk Faculty Fellows Program fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration, enhances the visibility of UCI scholars and builds community around the mission of the Newkirk Center for Science & Society.

This year’s Newkirk Faculty Fellows include three faculty members from UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts: Annie Loui (Department of Drama), Simon Penny (Department of Art) and S. Ama Wray (Department of Dance). Each fellow receives a $5,000 grant to support their work, which promotes interdisciplinary interaction and community-building.

Meet the 2024 Newkirk Faculty Fellows:

Annie Loui, Professor of Drama and Artistic Director of Counter-Balance Theater, is renowned for her original physical theater pieces, which have been showcased internationally, including at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. She trained with luminaries such as Carolyn Carlson and Jerzy Grotowski and is the author of The Physical Actor (Routledge Press).

Simon Penny, Professor of Electronic Art and Design, focuses on the intersection of engineering, art, and embodied cognition. A pioneer in immersive, sensor-based systems, his research addresses climate crises and critical computing culture. He is the author of Making Sense: Cognition, Computing, Art and Embodiment (MIT Press).

S. Ama Wray, Professor of Dance, is the founder of Embodiology®, an improvisation practice rooted in neo-African traditions. Her innovative work bridges dance, technology, and community engagement, as seen in initiatives like AI 4 Afrika and her forthcoming monograph, Embodiology: From Ancient Movement and Music Practices to Phenomenal Being (Routledge).

The fellowship program runs from January 1 to December 31, 2024, and is administered by UCI’s Newkirk Center for Science & Society, aiming to amplify UCI’s societal impact through collaborative and innovative scholarship.

Event Information

RSVP here
Friday, January 24, 2025 | 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m 
Beckman Center, Huntington Room, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, CA 92617

For more information about the Newkirk Faculty Fellow Symposium, visit newkirkcenter.uci.edu.