Irvine, Calif. — The University of California, Irvine hosted its 12th annual Grad Slam competition at the UCI Verano 8 Community Center on March 12th. Cameron Geller won the competition while Tessa Chou earned a runner-up finish and Mehdi Zafari took third place. First place collected $6,500 while second received $3,500 and third place took home $2,500. The seven additional finalists each collected $1,000.
Grad Slam, presented by UC Irvine’s Graduate Division, is a systemwide competition that challenges graduate scholars to deliver compelling, three-minute presentations of their research to a general university audience. The event highlights the excellence, relevance, and impact of graduate research while strengthening participants’ communication and presentation skills.
UC Irvine gratefully acknowledges the support of all 2026 Grad Slam sponsors, including Cie Digital Labs, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Leonid Capital Partners, The Pacific Club, AbbVie, UC Irvine Foundation, OC Alliance, UC Irvine Chancellor’s Club, UC Irvine CEO Roundtable, UC Irvine Academic Personnel, UC Irvine’s Donald Bren School of Informatics and Computer Sciences, UC Irvine’s Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine’s School of Education, and UC Irvine’s Charlie Dunlap School of Biological Sciences.
About the University of California, Irvine
Founded in 1965, the University of California, Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is consistently ranked among the nation’s top public universities by U.S. News & World Report. UCI has produced five Nobel laureates and is recognized for its academic excellence, cutting-edge research, and innovation. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI enrolls more than 36,000 students across 224 degree programs. Located in one of the nation’s safest and most economically vibrant regions, UCI is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more information, visit www.uci.edu.
