April 13 - Vision visionary; COVID testing site hours updated
Section 1
Virtuous life: A banner across the Humanities bridge promotes the Anteater Virtues Project, which is a special curriculum available to all undergraduates and designed and led by Duncan Pritchard, Distinguished Professor of philosophy. Image from Instagram/ucihumanities
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
Krzysztof Palczewski is the Irving H. Leopold Chair in Ophthalmology and director of the Center for Translational Vision Research at UCI’s Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. Photo by Steve Zylius / UCI
Kris Palczewski is a vision visionary
Krzysztof “Kris” Palczewski says that while attending high school in his native Poland, “I knew I wanted to be a scientist, and I knew I wanted to work in vision. Many things happen in our lives that are accidental, but this was not accidental.” That’s obvious when one considers the Donald Bren Professor of Ophthalmology holds 29 issued and nine pending patents; can admire a mantle full of prestigious awards and accolades; and has seen his research cited more than 54,000 times.
Student Center COVID-19 testing site now closed on Saturdays
The Student Center site had already been closed on Sundays, but effective Saturday it will join the Plaza Verde site in being closed both weekend days. Each site remains open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
UCI researchers reconsider carbon storage impact on deforestation
A UCI-led team has revealed, for the first time, how protecting tropical forests can yield climate benefits that enhance carbon storage in nearby areas. Researchers used improved climate models and satellite data to arrive at their findings, published Tuesday in Nature Communications.
UCI ranks No. 1 in Green Garage Contest
Thanks to UCI Fleet’s ongoing sustainability efforts, the university was acknowledged as having one of the greenest garages in the nation by the National Association of Fleet Administrators. As part of the Green Garage Contest, NAFA assessed our fleet team's maintenance shop practices, recycling efforts and environmentally friendly facilities. Sharing the top spot with UCI is the City of Chesapeake, Virginia.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
COVID-19, overdoses pushed US to highest death total ever
2021 was the deadliest year in U.S. history, and new data and research offer more insights into how it got that bad. The main reason for the increase in deaths? COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which this month quietly updated its provisional death tally to show 3.465 million people passed away last year, or about 80,000 more than 2020′s record-setting total.
California COVID cases rise as Easter, Coachella arrive
A recent uptick in cases is fueling some concern about the trajectory of the coronavirus in the state, especially as April brings both a bustling holiday season—including Easter, Ramadan and Passover—and a social calendar packed with major events such as the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals.
Coronavirus czar calls for calm as BA.2 COVID cases spike
The U.S. should use this moment when coronavirus cases are relatively low to prepare for a “likely” surge in the future, according to an assessment from the new White House coronavirus response coordinator. COVID cases have risen slightly across the U.S. in the past week, and the BA.2 variant is now the dominant strain.
State outlines COVID-19 treatment options
The California Department of Public Health has created a new COVID-19 Treatments toolkit to detail the various treatment options that can help people recover and stay out of the hospital.
EVENTS
Graduate Student Career Advisory Board Information Session
Friday, 11 a.m. (sponsored by Graduate Division)
Abolition Now. Bridging Scholar-Practitioner Divides
Friday, noon (sponsored by Graduate Division)
Foods That Boost Your Memory
Friday, noon (sponsored by UCI Brain)
Socio-Legal Studies Workshop with Exhuming Violent Histories author Nicole Iturriaga
Friday, noon (sponsored by School of Social Ecology)
"Maternal Negligence" trailer screening
Friday, 4 p.m. (sponsored by Creating Art and Awareness for Racial Equity)
Dance Escape 2022
Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 & 8 p.m. (sponsored by Department of Dance)
Rajna Swaminathan & RAJAS
Friday, 8 p.m. (sponsored by UCI Music)
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.
Orange County's COVID hospitalizations and cases remain stable
Spectrum News 1 (video), April 13
Guest: Dr. Jose Mayorga, executive director of UCI Health Family Health Centers, and Andrew Noymer, associate professor, population health & disease prevention
Trump Poses a Test Democracy is Failing
The New York Times (opinion), April 13
Cited: Sara Wallace Goodman, associate professor of political science
Elon Musk is no free speech messiah
Vox, April 12
Cited: David Kaye, clinical professor of law
#UCICONNECTED
What better time than #EarthMonth to spotlight our amazing @Ridge2Reef program! R2R trains graduate students to build their research capacity and develop practical environmental solutions. Here’s what R2R students have to say. From Twitter/@UCIBioSci
#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.