Oct. 6 - Nobel Prize for alumnus, updates on campus operations
Section 1
Hustle and bustle of students in Aldrich Park. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI
CAMPUS UPDATES
UCI alumnus wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry
David W.C. MacMillan, who earned his Ph.D. in chemistry at UCI, has been awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in developing better catalysts for converting and building molecules. MacMillan, now the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University, shares the prize with Benjamin List from the Max Planck Institute in Mulheim an der Ruhr, Germany. MacMillan was advised through the course of his graduate studies at UCI by Larry Overman, Distinguished Professor emeritus of chemistry. The Nobel Prize winner has another connection to UCI: While at UC Berkeley and later at Caltech, he was Ph.D. advisor to Vy Dong, UCI professor of chemistry.
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
Limited operations for some campus services
Dining and retail food, the Anteater Express shuttles and the Student Center & Event Services are experiencing limited operations because of challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, which are mainly tied to the ability to hire and train student employees and professional staff members. Students who are interested in working on campus are encouraged to apply. More information on campus operations can be found in this message.
Power outage on Monday impacts network devices
The power outage across campus during Monday night’s thunderstorm resulted in the failure of over 100 network devices, many requiring replacement. Network engineers and field technicians have been working diligently since late Monday to restore network service to affected floors. You can find the latest status on impacted buildings and floors on OIT’s Service Alert Website.
Returning to Campus | Environmental Health and Safety
Environmental Health and Safety works to foster a culture of safety by providing reliable, innovative and proactive services to the campus community. This short video explains how EH&S supports COVID-19 efforts related to the safe return to campus.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Now in its 18th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is being celebrated in October at UCI. This year’s theme – Do Your Part, #BeCyberSmart – is designed to empower all of us to do our part to protect our increasingly interconnected worlds, and be safer and more secure online. Visit the 2021 Cybersecurity Awareness Month webpage for a full list of events, resources and weekly offerings.
NSF awards $1 Million to UCI for disaster resilience in aging communities
The university is receiving $1 million in funding from the NSF for the multidisciplinary CareDEX project: Enabling Disaster Resilience in Aging Communities via a Secure Data Exchange. CareDEX aims to help protect older adults during disasters with a platform that allows caregivers to share real-time critical care information with authorized responders.
UCI-led study investigates saliva testing for medication monitoring among patients with psychiatric disorders
A recent study from the Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience indicates that a saliva sample can robustly predict a person’s serum-lithium level. The findings, which were published in the international journal Bipolar Disorders, can help psychiatric patients who are prescribed lithium as a mood stabilizer. While highly effective, the drug requires routine blood monitoring, which can be uncomfortable, expensive and inconvenient.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
US Department of Education overhauls Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
The U.S. Department of Education announced changes to a federal student loan forgiveness program that could bring relief to more than 550,000 borrowers working in government and nonprofit sectors, including around 22,000 borrowers who will automatically be eligible for student loan forgiveness without needing to take additional steps. Through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, the government forgives remaining federal student loan debt for qualifying public-sector workers after they have made monthly payments for 10 years.
Updated CDC Information: choosing a mask or respirator for different situations
The CDC has updated its information about choosing a mask or respirator for different situations. Notably, the CDC now recognizes that "some situations may have a higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 than others. So, you may want to consider the type of mask or respirator to wear depending on the situation."
Fact sheet on quarantining available in multiple languages
The California Department of Public Health has translated its fact sheet on self-quarantine instructions for individuals exposed to COVID-19 into the following languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, Armenian, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.
CDC director on whether kids should go trick-or-treating on Halloween
Kids should be able to go trick-or-treating this Halloween with a couple of caveats, Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said. Walensky recommended trick-or-treating outside, limiting crowds and avoiding crowded Halloween parties.
EVENTS
UCI Esports Conference 2021
Thursday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. (sponsored by UCI Esports and Connected Learning Lab)
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.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded to Scientists for Tool That Builds Better Catalysts
The New York Times, Oct. 6
Cited: alumnus David W.C. MacMillan
Massive oil spill threatening coastal areas
The Weather Channel, Oct. 4 (Video only)
Interviewed: Joleah Lamb, Ph.D., assistant professor of ecology & evolutionary biology
UC Irvine researchers hope that teaching computing language to kids will help level the playing field
The Orange County Register, Oct. 5
Cited: Mark Warschauer, professor of education
#UCICONNECTED
Gandalf Peter welcomes the class of 25’ during move-in weekend. Photo credit Corey Tull/UCI
Tomorrow is last day to enter UCI Landmark photo contest
The last day for Anteater students, faculty, staff and alumni to enter the UCI Landmark photo contest is Oct. 7. To enter for a chance to win a gift card to @thehillatuci and a spot on the UCI Instagram feed, post your pics on social media from any of the Top 10 campus landmarks listed below with #UCIPride or submit via email. The landmark sites are:
- Water Tower (BC Anteater/UCI Athletics)
- Student Center
- Infinity Fountain
- Bronze Anteater (Bren Center)
- Esports Arena
- Aldrich Park
- Maya Lin Water Table
- Langson Library
- Science Library
- Jao Sculpture garden
#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
Three new campus cases
One employee and two students tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. 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.