Where did you grow up?
All over California; we moved several times.
Are you a UC Irvine Alum?
Yes.
What is your favorite UCI Athletics memory?
My dad and I began going to UCI basketball games when I attended, back in the Jerry Green days. I remember a packed house in a game versus Pepperdine. They always gave – and still give – UCI a run for its money. I believe the game went to double or triple overtime, and Jerry Green’s last second buzzer beater won the game. Also, watching UCI take on SDSU in the Regionals in baseball with Tony Gwynn coaching and Stephen Strasburg pitching rockets was a special moment.
How did you first get involved with UCI Athletics?
My dad brought me to games while I was a UCI student; special memories.
What do you like most about UCI?
UCI is Orange County’s team. UCI is the best athletics program in OC. College athletics can be a real force for good in the community, and bind the students and alumni to the college and to each other. A good athletic program also supports strong academics and the reputation of the school. I appreciate that UCI recognizes and puts resources to this effort.
Describe UCI Athletics in one word: Up-and-coming (does that count?)
Tell us about your professional work and what you like most about your job:
I am a lawyer serving cities throughout California to help them improve housing, quality of life, and safety issues. The goal of my job is to make a direct positive impact on communities and people’s health and safety, and I appreciate that.
Tell us about your hobbies:
Fishing, gardening, reading and making beer.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
Awarded for heroism by State Senate and former Congress member.
What excites you most about the future of UCI Athletics?
It’s an up-and-coming athletic program; it’s fun to be in on the secret.
Mark and Dana Susson - Newport Beach, CA
Where did you grow up? California native?
Mark: Northeast Philadelphia until high school, then Newport Beach
Dana: Born and raised in Anaheim, CA
Are you UC Irvine Alumni?
We are both Alumni—both of us graduated in 1976. Mark was an economics major; Dana was an English major.
What is your favorite UCI memory?
We met in an "Introduction to the Study of Law" class in the Fall of our Senior year, both flirting with the idea of applying to law school, which we both ultimately did. Mel Bernstein, a licensed attorney who worked in Administration for UCI, was our Professor. It was a small class open only to Seniors so we got to know all of the students and Professor Bernstein quite well. We were both invited to the Presidential Symposium, hosted by UCI, in the Fall of 1975. When Mark did not ask Dana out by the end of the quarter, Dana enrolled in one of his Economics classes to try to keep the opportunity alive…it worked…they have now been married over 42 years.
How did you first get involved with UCI Athletics?
Mark will make me tell you this…I was a "bat girl" for the UCI Baseball Team coached by Gary Adams that won the Small College World Series in 1974. It was a thrilling experience…I was always a lover of baseball and knew a lot about the sport. Mark was quite the racquetball player, and played in and won the All-Cal tournament more than once. We both love sports and love basketball. From time to time, we went to UCI basketball games. When they built the Bren Events Center, we donated money, along with our brother and sister in law (David and Jill Susson), to have our names put on four seats…funny enough, those are the seats that are now used by Coach Turner's family…quite the honor!!
What do you like most about UCI?
We love UCI. We are proud of its academic achievements and its international stature. We have been involved with the Merage Fellows, which brings groups of Israeli entrepreneurs, MBA candidates and business people to the U.S. , all through the philanthropic efforts of Paul Merage of the Merage Business School, which has given us insight into the fine Business School. We were contributors to the Capitol Campaign to bring a law school to UCI, which was such an important step in the Orange County and UCI profile. We enjoy the Basketball Program immensely. We have traveled to a lot of away games, and have hosted the team a few times in our home for dinner, which is a real treat—to meet and get to know many fine young men who are bright, hard-working, polite, appreciative and big "eaters".
Describe UCI Athletics in one word: IMPACTFUL
Tell us about your professional work and what you like most about your job:
Mark and Dana are both lawyers. Mark still has an active practice in the personal injury field. Dana is essentially retired, after many years of medical malpractice defense work and, later, medical Arbitrations. The practice of law has allowed us to meet many people, to travel to many places, and to provide well for our family.
Tell us about your hobbies:
Mark is an avid golfer. He was a competitive racquetball player for many years, and now dabbles in pickle ball. Dana has become an avid knitter, which started when the extended family started having babies…baby blankets were the first things she made, which was great practice to be able to knit for their future grandchildren!
Another fun fact and an important hobby: we have collected original illustrations from children's books for the past 35+ years and have developed a large collection, which is displayed all over our home. It makes for a happy, whimsical and colorful home!
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
We have five grandchildren 3 and under!!! Our son, Matt, and his wife Monica have 3 year-old Mae and 7-month old Sam. Our daughter, Sarah, and her husband Max have 3 year-old Ari and 4 month old twins, Jacob and Henry. The biggest blessings in our lives!! Another fun fact is that Mark, Dana, Matt and Sarah are all UC Alums…Matt having gone to UCLA and Sarah to UCSB.
What excites you most about the future of UCI Athletics?
What could be more exciting than having Coach Turner at UCI????? And he has assembled quite a staff of Assistant Coaches, trainers and other support staff. We love going to the Bren Events Center and feeling the excitement in the Arena…and who doesn't love Peter the Anteater??? We have taken our kids and their spouses to games, as well as friends, all of whom have had great experiences. We cannot wait until our grandchildren are old enough to go to the games with us!! Yikes, seats and halftime Drumsticks for 11 of us? That should be interesting… ZOT! ZOT! ZOT!
Scott Cosel – Orange, CA
Are you a California native? Where did you grow up?
Yes. Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Same zip code as UCLA (at the time), 90024.
Are you a UC Irvine Alum?
No, but I feel like one!
What is your favorite UCI Athletics memory?
Attending my first UCI Men's Basketball game in the Spring of 2015, and reliving some fond childhood memories of having been a UCLA Men's Basketball fan in my youth, having attended numerous games at UCLA Pauley Pavilion during the John Wooden era, 1973 and onward.
How did you first get involved with UCI Athletics?
As a UCI staff member, having worked late one evening, I happened to notice that there was a UCI Men's Basketball game starting soon. Having no immediate plans for the next 2 hours or so, I bought a single, general admission ticket and walked from my office in the UCI Science Library, to the Bren Events Center. I've already described the rest of the story with my previous answer!
What do you like most about UCI?
The whole experience of being a part of the UCI community, i.e. as a UCI IT staff member as well as being a UCI Athletics supporter.
Describe UCI Athletics in one word:
Proud
Tell us about your professional work and what you like most about your job:
UCI IT Computer Professional supporting the UCI Registrar's Office. I most enjoy having new puzzles to solve, every day, as well as (pre-pandemic) working on the beautiful UCI campus.
Tell us about your hobbies:
Skiing, hiking, gardening and enjoying good food and drink.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I actually applied and was accepted to UC Irvine as a Computer Science major, but ended up attending Occidental College, a small 4-year liberal arts college. I definitely feel like I'm living the large university experience, that I missed the first time around!
What excites you most about the future of UCI Athletics?
A potential NCAA tournament victory under the leadership of Men's Basketball Coach, Russell Turner!
Bruce Endsley – Corona del Mar
Where did you grow up? Are you a California native?
Garden Grove and Costa Mesa. Yes—I'm an Orange County native.
Are you a UC Irvine Alum?
Yes--1974 graduate with a BA in Economics
What is your favorite UCI Athletics memory?
Attending the UCI Men's Volleyball National Championship game in 2013 when we won our 4
th national title in 7 years and Coach Kniffin won the title in his 1
st year as a head coach.
How did you first get involved with UCI Athletics?
My intention was to be a long jumper on UCI's track team. However, I got mononucleosis my freshman year and didn't have the strength for the workouts. My doctor suggested some volleyball to stay fit and I never looked back. I ended up playing on the UCI Men's Volleyball team for Bob Newcomb in 1973 and 1974.
What do you like most about UCI?
I'm especially impressed with the University's exceptional efforts to provide a great education to many students who are the first college attendees in their family.
Describe UCI Athletics in one word:
Grounded
Tell us about your professional work and what you like most about your job:
I retired after 30 years at the Irvine Company as SVP of Human Resources. It was great working for a company that I highly respected and with a group of professionals who excelled in their work. However, I also have to say that I love retirement! If you don't like retirement, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Tell us about your hobbies:
I enjoy bodyboarding, traveling, reading, investing and hosting dinner parties (especially those that include wine or mezcal tastings).
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I was arrested on the first night of my first real job. In high school I was hired to act as plain clothes security for a local tire dealer who had been burglarized numerous times. The taco shop next door called the police because I stopped there for a taco so many times on my first night that they were convinced I was the burglar.
What excites you most about the future of UCI Athletics?
I think as the local Orange County community increases its support of UCI Athletics the potential for even greater success is tremendous.
Otto, Bebe and LD Reyer - Irvine, CA and Hermosa Beach, CA (LD)
Are you California natives?
Bebe and LD are California natives and Otto grew up in New York City and Secaucus, NJ.
Are you a UC Irvine Alum?
LD is a double graduate (BS in Mathematical Statistics and an MBA from Paul Merage School of Business).
What is your favorite UCI Athletics memories?
The day we became a Division I University, when Bill Mulligan became the men's basketball coach and our first NCAA tournament (basketball) win over Kansas State under coach Russ Turner.
How did you first get involved with UCI Athletics?
Our involvement began when Otto first arrived at UCI in 1973 and the family attended a men's basketball game at Crawford Hall (under coach Tim Tift).
What do you like most about UCI?
Otto having worked at UCI for 23 years (1973-1996) agrees with Bebe and LD that it is the people. Living on campus in University Hills since 1985 has given us great prospective of faculty and staff. But the real joy as been the students, watching them grow and learn as undergraduates and then those to go on to graduate and professional school where they blossom.
Describe UCI Athletics in one word
Inspiring
Tell us about your professional work and what you like most about your job:
As I mentioned above, it's the UCI students.
Tell us about your hobbies:
Otto-golf, Bebe-crafts and LD-traveling the world (been to 5 continents - missing Antarctica and Africa).
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
Otto once sat as a UCI guest basketball coach and tackled a basketball player to stop a brawl. Bebe was always the smallest and was famous for her ability to fit into a car trunk to sneak into driver in movie theaters. LD was on TV as a contestant on Blind Date and a dancer on American Bandstand.
What excites you most about the future of UCI Athletics?
Seeing the students in all sports grow from the time they arrive and as they graduate.
[Photo above: Don and Holly Ackman-Riggs sit courtside at the Bren Events Center]
Don and Holly Ackman-Riggs – Irvine, CA
Where did you grow up? California native?
Holly, California native. Don, Air Force Brat
Are you a UC Irvine Alum?
No
What is your favorite UCI Athletics memory?
For our involvement with the Men's Basketball program, it was the second trip and first win at the NCAA playoffs. For the Women's Basketball program, last year's amazing finish of a challenging year will live in our memories forever!
How did you first get involved with UCI Athletics? For Holly, it was a Bill Mulligan Basketball connection WAY back in the day, and Don came along for the ride! We became SERIOUS supporters when Russ Turner arrived and we haven't looked back!
What do you like most about UCI?
We enjoy young people who demonstrate a work ethic and a commitment and passion for being part of something BIGGER than themselves. The UCI student athletes we have met through the years fully grasp the concept of how hard work coupled with teamwork and a willingness to grow and develop can impact not only their lives, but the lives of those they touch. People like us.
Why do you support UCI Athletics and the Anteater Athletic Fund?
Giving back is something that we take very seriously, and we give great thought to the organizations that we support. While we certainly give to "need based" charities; we look at our contributions to the Anteater Athletic Fund as serving a different purpose: The acknowledgment of the hard work and dedication exhibited by the student athletes. Our hope is that the contributions we make go to improving the opportunity an athlete has to be supported in their individual efforts. Our belief that we can make a small difference grows each year as we see the success of the programs we support. ZOT-ZOT!
Describe UCI Athletics in one word:
Family.
Tell us about your professional work and what you like most about your job:
Holly: Vice President of Sales for a large Health Insurance company. While I'm certainly of an age where retirement would be the logical thing to do…I'm still having fun and I have no intention of stopping! I love to mentor and develop hard working young men and women (probably explains why I so enjoy UCI athletes!) and I get that opportunity every day.
Don: Being self-employed in the Financial Service's industry gives me the chance to feel as if I make a difference in the lives of my clients. Nothing makes me feel better than that.
Tell us about your hobbies:
Crazy as it sounds – we do a Christmas House. The Holly House has been an Irvine tradition for 46 years (we've lived in the same house all those years!)
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
There is nothing funny about this – but we truly are obsessed with UCI Basketball – we make sure every year that our work and personal calendars are built around the season. And, don't plan on scheduling us for anything in March. We go "mad" during that time!
What excites you most about the future of UCI Athletics?
The pieces are all in place for incredible future success. The athletic staff from the Director, the coaches, the staff and all the way down to the athletes, are perched on rivaling the success of the best known Academic and Athletic programs. Go 'Eaters!
[Photo above: Rob Peirson and Eileen Lucero (and Peter the Anteater) in San Jose, CA for the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball tournament.]
Rob Peirson - Irvine, CA
Are you a California native?
Yes, Born in San Francisco, CA, as a child lived in Fresno, CA, for my teen years lived in the high desert in Apple Valley, CA. I graduated from Apple Valley High School. I had tried out for the high school basketball team as a Sophomore but did not make the team. Since I had the physical completed, I joined the golf team. My first year I was on JV and basically was learning how to play golf properly. My Junior and Senior years I was on the Varsity teams. For my Senior year, our team went undefeated and won the San Andreas League and participated in the CIF playoffs.
Are you a UC Irvine Alumnus?
Yes, got my Bachelors in Electrical Engineering in 1983 and my MBA in 1984. I was active as a UCI student. I was part of the effort to get student funding and build the Bren Events Center and was the first chairperson for the board. My main contributions on the board were site selection (a possible choice was to put the Bren where the ARC ended up being located), Architect selection and initial design choices. I was also on ASUCI Student Council and was AGS President for the 1983-84 school year.
What is your favorite UCI Athletics memory?
There are so many. I think it was the day they opened the Bren Events Center on January 9, 1987 when Scott Brooks scored 43 points to help UCI beat Utah St.
How did you first get involved with UCI Athletics?
When I was a freshman in 1979, I lived in Mesa Court and in our suite, there was another freshman that was on the basketball team. He was a point guard. He did not play very much but we started walking over to Crawford Hall to see him play. The next year, Bill Mulligan came, and started with a new team and my friend ended up leaving UCI. That began my love of watching Anteater Basketball and have been going to games since.
What do you like most about UCI?
I love the campus. The design invites interaction. When I go on campus, I like how it has grown from when I was first there in keeping with the master plan.
Describe UCI Athletics in one word:
Driven
Tell us about your professional work and what you like most about your job.
I was fortunate to early retire from Skyworks a couple of years ago. I had worked there my entire career (originally was part of Rockwell). Skyworks is located in the University Research Park. I was Director of Product and Test Engineering. What I liked most was being part of new product introduction and working with manufacturing facilities and was proud that our semiconductor chips we designed were made in the USA.
Tell us about your hobbies:
Following UCI Basketball. I have become a train enthusiast. Eileen [Lucero] and I have now made three Amtrak trips across and back from Florida to visit Walt Disney World as we are big fans of Disney Parks.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
When I was 7 years old, my parents decided to move to Australia as my dad, Civil Engineer from UC Berkeley, had job opportunities there. We went there by Ocean Liner with the intent of immigrating. Melborne, Australia was great, but after a while, we all missed the USA, so we came back!
What excites you most about the future of UCI Athletics?
Seeing UCI become a leader with student athletes.
