Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This edition of What Matters to me and Why features Mark Deppe, Esports Program Director. Mark led the creation of the award-winning esports program at the University of California, Irvine. Working with students, administrators, faculty, and industry partners, he built a comprehensive plan grounded in four pillars: competition, research, community, and careers. Under his leadership, UC Irvine became a global leader in collegiate esports. In 2018, UCI’s League of Legends team won the College Championship, and the program was named “Most Outstanding Collegiate Program” at the Tempest Awards. Before esports, Mark coordinated major campus traditions and helped UCI set six Guinness World Records. He lives in the Great Park neighborhood in Irvine with his wife, Nicole, and their nine-year-old son. Mark coaches AYSO soccer and serves as a Transportation Commissioner for the City of Irvine. He holds a B.S. in Psychobiology from UCLA and an MBA from Cal State Fullerton.
This edition of What Matters to me and Why features Mark Deppe, Esports Program Director. Mark led the creation of the award-winning esports program at the University of California, Irvine. Working with students, administrators, faculty, and industry partners, he built a comprehensive plan grounded in four pillars: competition, research, community, and careers. Under his leadership, UC Irvine became a global leader in collegiate esports. In 2018, UCI’s League of Legends team won the College Championship, and the program was named “Most Outstanding Collegiate Program” at the Tempest Awards. Before esports, Mark coordinated major campus traditions and helped UCI set six Guinness World Records. He lives in the Great Park neighborhood in Irvine with his wife, Nicole, and their nine-year-old son. Mark coaches AYSO soccer and serves as a Transportation Commissioner for the City of Irvine. He holds a B.S. in Psychobiology from UCLA and an MBA from Cal State Fullerton.
