Charis Kubrin, left, Alec Glasser, center, and Jennifer Friend are named among Orange County’s most influential people. Kubrin photo by Steve Zylius. Glasser photo by Karen Tapia
Professor’s groundbreaking immigration research, record-breaking philanthropy and fight against homelessness earn recognition
A professor whose research shatters dangerous myths about immigrants, a philanthropist making history with the largest donation ever to the School of Social Ecology, and an alumna leading the charge to end child homelessness — all three have been named to the Orange County Register’s 125 Most Influential people of 2025.
Challenging myths with evidence
Charis E. Kubrin, professor of criminology, law and society, earned the distinction for research that has never been more timely. At a moment when immigration dominates national debate, her decades of work proves what many refuse to believe: immigrants don't bring crime to their new countries. In fact, her findings show the opposite is true.
Her impact extends far beyond Orange County. In June, Kubrin will receive the Stockholm Prize in Criminology, widely considered “criminology’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.”
“The UC Irvine professor was honored with the Stockholm Prize in Criminology. Her decades of research consistently challenged one of society's most persistent myths: that immigrants bring crime to their new countries. Her findings show the opposite is true,” the Register wrote.
“I am deeply honored by this award and by my inclusion in the 2025 OC Register’s Most Influential list. In our current climate, having a platform to share evidence-based research that clarifies the relationship between immigration and crime is more than an honor — it is a necessity.”
The transformative power of music
Alec Glasser also is on this year’s list after establishing the Alec Glasser Center for the Power of Music and Social Change, backed by the largest donation in the school’s history. The center studies how music can improve well-being and strengthen communities, while a scholarship fund supports 10 UC Irvine students annually who want to integrate music into their professional lives.
“The Laguna Beach philanthropist’s donation to UC Irvine endowed the Alec Glasser Center for the Power of Music and Social Change,” the Register noted.
From student to changemaker
Rounding out the influential trio is Jennifer Friend (BA, Social Ecology 1995), CEO of Project Hope Alliance. Under her leadership, the organization ensures homeless children have every opportunity, in and out of the classroom, to build brighter futures.
Friend’s work caught national attention when Project Hope Alliance was selected for Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders program, earning a $200,000 grant and leadership training. The grant builds on a $2.1 million CalOptima grant secured in 2024.
A tradition of influence
The School of Social Ecology has become a regular presence on the Register's annual list. Last year, The Orange County Register named Brandon Golob, associate professor of teaching in criminology, law and society, among the most influential people of 2024. In 2023, Dean Jon Gould and alumni Jennifer Friend and Kelsey Morgan (Ph.D. Social Ecology, 2024) made the list. Alumnus Maurice Sanchez (BA, Social Ecology, 1978), appeared in 2022 and Elizabeth Cauffman, professor of psychology, in 2020.