Oct. 11 - Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Native American geoscientists
Section 1
Honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Descendants of the Gabrielino-Tongva Indian Tribe, which is believed to have occupied the area 2,000 years ago, are shown in 1963 hiking past a marker at the hub of the original 1,000-acre Irvine Company donation to UC Regents. Today, local indigenous descendants remain valued partners to the university in advising on the responsible and sustainable transformation of the campus. Photo courtesy of UCI Libraries
A correction to the image was made in the Oct. 13 issue of UCI Digest.
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
Lifting up a generation of Native American geoscientists
Many people working on solutions to environmental problems on native lands do not have the scientific training or individual tribal knowledge to make the best decisions, according to Kathleen Johnson, associate professor of Earth system science. That is what spurred her to create the American Indian Summer Institute in Earth System Science, which has brought more than 130 Native American teens from across the country to UCI to learn about the science behind the environmental problems they face.
Staff Assembly offers ticket dieals to Segerstrom Center’s Broadway series
Staff Assembly's Staff Appreciation Committee is offering discounted tickets to a variety of musicals presented in November through March 2023 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. Shows include: “Jesus Christ Superstar” (Nov. 9-14); “My Fair Lady” (Jan. 11-23); “Wicked” (Feb. 9-March 6); “The Band's Visit” (March 22-April 3); “Tootsie” (May 31-June 12); “Come From Away” (June 21-26); “Pretty Woman the Musical” (July 5-17); “Hadestown” (Aug. 9-21); and “Mean Girls” (March 7-19, 2023).
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
Fauci encourages outdoor trick-or-treating and says 'enjoy Halloween'
One Halloween after being discouraged from traditional celebrations, Americans can look forward this Oct. 31 to partaking in the spooky fun of outdoor trick-or-treating, says the nation's top infectious-disease doctor. Anthony S. Fauci’s encouragement to enjoy the scariest time of the year comes amid a decline in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, prompting hope that the summer surge fueled by the highly contagious delta variant is receding.
New clues emerge on whether vaccines help fight long COVID
Recent studies suggest vaccination helps reduce the likelihood of developing longer-term symptoms after a COVID-19 infection, and may help some people with symptoms feel better. Physicians are increasingly turning to monoclonal-antibody drugs to treat high-risk patients who get sick with the coronavirus.
Depression and anxiety climbed across globe in 2020, analysis finds
Anxiety and depression rates climbed globally by more than 25% in 2020, a devastating ripple effect of the pandemic that has particularly affected women and young people, according to a study published Friday in the Lancet. Analyzing data from dozens of studies that reported the prevalence of major depressive and anxiety disorders, researchers calculated that they increased globally last year by 28% and 26% respectively. That’s tens of millions more cases of depression and anxiety than the hundreds of millions already occurring around the world.
EVENTS
Cannabis and the Sexual Brain: How Sex Affects Cannabinoid Activity
Wednesday, 8 a.m. (sponsored by Center for the Study of Cannabis)
Staff Appreciation Week 2021:
UCI Health ARIISE Awards
Wednesday, 9 a.m. (sponsored by Human Resources and Staff Assembly)
The Futures of Higher Education Festival:
Navigating the “New World” as a First-Generation Student
Wednesday, 2 p.m.
Changing the Frame of Higher Education: Examples in Music
Wednesday, 3:30 p.m.
Fighting the Facts: Misinformation In the Public Arena
Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.
Pursuing Equity in Healthcare
Wednesday, 6 p.m.
(sponsored by Division of Undergraduate Education)
Author Talk: Whitney Otto ’90, Art for the Ladylike: An Autobiography through Other Lives
Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. (sponsored by UCI Illuminations)
Visit today.uci.edu to see and submit event listings. Events of general interest will be shared in UCI Digest two days before they occur.
UCI IN THE NEWS
Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Orange County Register and The Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.
Sahana Vij – Girls changing the world
People TV (video), Oct. 8
Cited: UCI student Shana Vij
Marine researchers focus on the tiniest victims of Orange County oil spill
Los Angeles Times, Oct. 9
Cited: Joleah Lamb, assistant professor of ecology & evolutionary biology
Huge solar storm hitting Earth today could cause mass disruption for power grids and satellites, agency warns
Yahoo News, Oct. 11
Cited: Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi, assistant professor of computer science
#UCICONNECTED
Pointed message. Instagram photo by @donnamariegarcia3 #UCIconnected
#UCIconnected spotlights student, alumni, faculty and staff photos, essays, shoutouts, hobbies, artwork, unusual office decorations, activities and more. Send submissions via email or post on social media with the #UCIconnected hashtag.
COVID-19 NOTIFICATION AND RESOURCES
3 new campus cases
One employee and two students tested positive for COVID-19 from Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.
Remember to upload your vaccine record
Potential workplace exposure
UCI provides this notification of a potential workplace COVID-19 exposure. Employees and subcontractors who were in these locations on the dates listed may have been exposed to the coronavirus. You may be entitled to various benefits under applicable federal and state laws and University-specific policies and agreements. The full notification is available on the UCI Forward site. If you have been identified as a close contact to a COVID-19 case, the UCI Contact Tracing Program will contact you and provide additional direction.
For COVID-19 questions
UCI Forward - information on campus status and operational updates
UCI Health COVID-19 Updates - important information related to UCI Health
UCI Coronavirus Response Center - available at covid19@uci.edu or via phone at (949) 824-9918
Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services - assistance with vaccines and vaccine uploads; available at contacttracing@uci.edu or via phone at (949) 824-2300
Program in Public Health chatline - answers to questions about COVID-19
For questions specific to your personal health situation, please contact your doctor or healthcare provider.