April 4 - COVID in wastewater; Kal Penn is commencement speaker

Is it possible to detect the spread of COVID-19 by monitoring wastewater?

Sunny Jiang, professor and chair of civil & environmental engineering, answers that question in today’s UCI COVID Minute video.

At-home COVID test kits still available for pickup

Free at-home antigen test kits are available in student housing offices. Students and employees can also obtain the kits at the Student Center and Plaza Verde testing sites. This previous campus message includes instructions about picking up and using at-home tests.

Kal Penn to deliver commencement address at Angel Stadium

For the first all-campus commencement since 2014, when President Barack Obama addressed students, families and supporters in Angel Stadium, UCI returns to the Big A. Highlighting the Wednesday, June 15, event will be a commencement address by Kal Penn, actor, writer and former White House aide.

Survey helps shape UCI climate change response

In advance of the conference Reimagining UCI in a Climate-Changed World, the Climate Alliance is conducting a survey to help build a database of UCI scholarly activity on climate change. Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend the conference on April 18, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Student Center.

UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS

GI symptoms probably not COVID but could be norovirus

As COVID-19 cases continue to fall in the U.S., norovirus cases are rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. Outbreaks of the bug responsible for the dreaded stomach flu have been on the rise since January, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

OC Muslims hope for a more ‘normal’ Ramadan

This will mark the third time Muslims have embarked on the fast since COVID-19 cases were first reported in Orange County and the second since vaccination efforts first started to roll out in the county. With roughly 75% of the county's 3.2 million residents fully vaccinated, there is hope that Ramadan this year may be celebrated in a way more similar to how it was celebrated before the pandemic – as a community.

EVENTS

UC #SpeechMatters conference - Safeguarding Democracy
Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m. (sponsored by UC Advocacy Network)

NPHW Twitter Chat
Wednesday, 11 a.m. (sponsored by National Public Health Week and UnitedHealth Group)

Get Involved in Research
Wednesday, noon (sponsored by Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program)

Reimagining the Latinx Experience in America | Gilbert Q. Conchas, The Chicana/o/x Dream
Wednesday, noon (sponsored by School of Law)

What Does an Epidemiologist Do Post-COVID?
Wednesday, noon (sponsored by Program in Public Health)

Shifting Power and Building Resilience Through Community Collaboration
Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. (sponsored by National Public Health Week)

Roots of Afro-Brazilian Cinema
Wednesday, 4 p.m. (sponsored by Illuminations: The Chancellor’s Arts & Culture Initiative)

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.

Tribes seek more inclusion, action from US officials

Associated Press, April 2
Cited: Justin Richland, professor and graduate program director of anthropology

Housing crisis, pandemic reshaping Southern California population

The Orange County Register, April 1
Cited: Jan Brueckner, Distinguished Professor of economics

Joy as an Antidote to Burnout

Thrive Global, April 1
Cited: Belinda Campos, professor and chair of Chicano/Latino studies

#UCICONNECTED

ASUCI Sustainability Project Commission presents Zot n Clothes. Drop off any unwanted clothes for our free pop-up thrift shop. We will be taking donations until April 25. Donate at ASUCI Office, Cross-Cultural Center, Gateway Study Lounge, The Anteater, Brandywine & Arroyo Vista. For more information, email sustainabilityproject@asuci.uci.edu. From Instagram/ASUCI

#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

15 new campus cases

From Friday through Sunday, UCI recorded 15 new cases of COVID-19: 12 students and three employees. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.

Upload your vaccine and booster records

Student Record Upload

Employee Record Upload

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 Health COVID-19 FAQs

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.