Monthly Archives: May 2018

Student Spotlight: UCI Helps Jose Vargas Realize Anything Is Possible

May 7, 2018

Jose Angel Vargas, a software engineering major set to graduate in 2019, took a few detours on his way to UCI’s Department of Informatics: attending The Art Institute of California, working at Universal Studios and spending four years at a community college. He’s now on a more direct route to future success, having found his calling in the field of software engineering and landing an internship at Taco Bell Corporate. “Software engineering is perfect for me,” says Vargas. He also seems to have found the perfect fit in choosing UCI. “When I walk these grounds,” he says, “it doesn’t feel like I’m limited by anything.”

Continue reading

Alumni Spotlights: ICS Grads Help AutoGravity Revolutionize Digital Car Buying

May 1, 2018

What do UCI alumni Kevin Mekhitarian, Shary Sajjadi, Justin Turpin and Johnny Zarate all have in common? These four ICS graduates currently work at AutoGravity, the Irvine startup that surpassed 1 million users in November 2017. Founded in 2015 by Andy Hinrichs, Nicholas Stellman and Serge Vartanov, AutoGravity’s car-buying app lets users find a car and dealership and, within minutes, apply for financing and select a lender.

Continue reading