Feb. 1 - Black American health researcher joins UCI; high school outreach funding
Section 1
Bren Hall buzzes with activity along Ring Road. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
Karen Lincoln is UCI’s new director of the Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research.
New UCI hire is veteran investigator of societal impacts on the health of Black Americans
Over the past 15 years, Karen Lincoln analyzed the social, psychosocial and public health factors related to health disparities among Black Americans in Los Angeles. Most recently attached to the USC School of Social Work, Lincoln has just joined UCI’s School of Public Health as a professor of environmental & occupational health and director of the Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research. As a researcher and social worker, Lincoln investigates the impact of societal and social determinants and studies how to inform and design interventions to restore and promote the health and well-being of Black Americans across their lifespan. She recently spoke with UCI Public Health about what she has planned for UCI.
Donation aids Orange County high school outreach program
Sustained support from philanthropists Joan and Don Beall to the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders will enable the continuation of an educational outreach program in Orange County high schools and the creation of a new research award for an early career researcher. One of the Beall-assisted efforts is the UCI MIND Beall Scholar Program to Inspire Future STEM Leaders, a high school education outreach effort launched in 2021 to enhance the training mission of the institute. Since its launch, 32 students have participated in the free program, more than 90% of whom are from underserved groups and 41% the first in their family to attend college.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
Celebrating Black History Month
Throughout the month of February, UC celebrates Black History Month — an official recognition of the incredible and lasting impact and achievements of the Black community. To help you engage with colleagues during this month, we’ve compiled virtual events at all UC campuses relating to contemporary and historic Black culture, as well as social justice. All are free and accessible to all students, faculty, staff and alumni. Also, you can follow UC's social accounts (Facebook: University of California, Twitter: @uofcalifornia, Instagram: @uofcalifornia and TikTok: @universityofcalifornia) throughout February for more stories of Black history and culture at UC.
US mpox emergency officially ends today
The U.S. public health emergency declaration for mpox, also known as monkeypox, officially ends today, Feb. 1. Although the virus isn’t completely gone, for more than a month, the average number of daily new cases reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has hovered in the single digits, plummeting from an August peak of about 450 cases a day. However, scientists are still struggling to understand how the virus began to spread from the Central and West African countries where it’s usually found to more than 100 other nations.
EVENTS
Betweenness
Friday, 8 p.m. (sponsored by Center for Asian Studies and Medici Scholarship)
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.
Is the U.S. ready for a viable third political party?
KNX In Depth (audio), Jan. 31
Cited: Tony Smith, professor of political science and law
Hope grows infusion of sand can arrive early after recent flooding of Pacific Coast Highway at Bolsa Chica beach
The Orange County Register, Feb. 1
Cited: Brett Sanders, professor of civil engineering
Back Forty: The case for hazard pay for farmworkers
Food and Environment Reporting Network, Jan. 31
Cited: Mike Méndez, assistant professor of environmental urban planning & public policy
#UCICONNECTED
#UCIrvine tweets: UCI celebrates #BlackHistoryMonth. Nana Entsuah, professor of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, received an award from UC End Disparities to improve blood pressure control within the Black community in So Cal through a culturally tailored approach.
#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.