UCI Arts Names Sepideh Moafi, M.F.A. ’13, as the 2026 Lauds & Laurels Recipient

Broadway powerhouse, Jenn Colella, M.F.A. ’02, hosts this year’s celebration

Emmy-nominated actor and Department of Drama alumna Sepideh Moafi, M.F.A. ’13, has been named the 2026 Lauds & Laurels Distinguished Alumni Award honoree for the UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts. Lauds & Laurels is the UC Irvine Alumni Association’s highest honor and one of the university’s oldest award traditions. Since 1971, the association and its board of directors have recognized more than 900 members of the UC Irvine community for their service to the university, the community or their profession.

The honor caps a landmark year for Moafi. Her role as Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi on HBO Max’s The Pitt earned her a first Emmy nomination, making her the first Iranian woman and the first Middle Eastern woman recognized in the supporting actress in a drama series category. Moafi joined the series in its second season as a strong-willed attending physician who challenges Noah Wyle’s Dr. Robby for leadership of the emergency room. The character’s storyline, which explores her life with a seizure disorder, her Iranian and Iraqi heritage and her background in humanitarian aid, has resonated widely with audiences.

In August, Moafi won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the 2026 Astra TV Awards for the same role, the first major acting award of her career. She dedicated the honor to the women who came before her without visibility or opportunity, and to Iranian, Arab and Afghan women from the region.

Moafi’s work on screen reflects a personal history she has carried into her advocacy. Born in a refugee camp in Germany after her parents fled Iran, she has long served as an ambassador for the International Rescue Committee. Since earning her M.F.A. in acting from UC Irvine, she has built a career across television, film and stage, with credits that include Apple TV+’s Black Bird and Showtime’s The L Word: Generation Q.

Moafi will be celebrated by a fellow Drama alum. Tony Award-nominated and Grammy Award-winning performer Jenn Colella, M.F.A. ’02, returns to her alma mater as host of the 2026 ceremony. Colella received the Lauds & Laurels Distinguished Alumna Award in 2006, making her return to the event a full-circle moment for the Anteater community.

Colella has originated six principal roles on Broadway, including Carrie Chapman Catt in Suffs and Captain Beverley Bass in Come From Away. Her performance in Come From Away earned her a Tony Award nomination along with Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards, and she also starred in the live-capture film of the musical on Apple TV+. On television, she currently plays Captain Alison Kershaw on CBS’s Elsbeth and has guest-starred on series including The Good Wife and Madam Secretary.

Colella’s work extends into the classroom as well. She teaches acting at Columbia University and Pace University and holds an honorary doctorate from Columbia College.

In its 55th year, Lauds & Laurels returns to campus with a reimagined experience at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 5. The evening opens with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by a theater-style awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. A strolling dinner reception at 7:30 p.m. brings the celebration to a close. Ticketing and event information are available here.

To learn more about Lauds & Laurels, visit engage.alumni.uci.edu/lauds-laurels. To learn more about Sepideh Moafi, visit her Instagram account page @sepidehmoafi. To learn more about Jenn Colella, visit jenncolella.com. To learn more about the Department of Drama, visit arts.uci.edu/drama.