May 18 - UCI Giving Day, Anteaters in “Our Town”
Section 1
Here’s looking at you: Larry the Long-Tailed Lizard of the UCI Ecological Preserve asks that you support UCI Giving Day (see below). Photo by Ian Parker
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
UCI Giving Day is here
Today we are looking to Anteaters far and wide to champion world-changing research, transformational healthcare, impactful teaching, the arts and athletics, and more. Let’s show the community and the world what Anteaters can do. Be a force for good and support programs and student resources today. Every gift counts. Thank you for your support! Explore opportunities and make a gift at givingday.uci.edu.
Evan Lugo and Grace Morrison, who have strong connections to UCI, play lead roles in South Coast Repertory’s production of “Our Town.” Photo by Matt Gush/SCR
‘Our Town’ is full of Anteaters
Those who attend South Coast Repertory’s current production of “Our Town” will experience Thornton Wilder’s classic play with a decidedly UCI influence. Director Beth Lopes, a veteran helmer of SCR children and family productions, received her M.F.A. in 2011 at UCI and is associate art director of the New Swan Shakespeare Festival. Evan Lugo, who is pursuing an M.F.A. in drama here and is part of New Swan’s cast, plays one of the lead roles in “Our Town” (George Gibbs). So does Grace Morrison (Emily Webb), who earned her M.F.A. in 2016 and performed in several New Swan productions, including many directed by Lopes. The Anteater presence is further manifest in the roles of Mrs. Soame and Howie Newsome (Nicole Erb and Paul Culos, who each earned an M.F.A. in acting in 2010), as well as Sam Craig (Jo Lopez, who received bachelor degrees in history and gender & sexuality studies and was part of the TRIO Scholars Program). Staged as part of a nationwide celebration of Wilder’s birth 125 years ago, “Our Town” runs through June 4. Visit scr.org for tickets or more information.
Friday is ‘City of Irvine Day’ at Anteater Ballpark
Residents are invited to watch the Anteaters baseball team take on Cal State Bakersfield as the special relationship between UCI and the City of Irvine is celebrated Friday evening. “Sports, community and education are all pillars of our great city,” says Mayor Farrah N. Khan, who will throw out the first pitch. “Partnering with UCI to share an evening to promote these great values and enjoy pre-pandemic activities is exactly what Irvine needs.” Game time is 6 p.m. Friday and tickets are discounted for Irvine residents — play ball!
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
FDA authorizes first COVID booster for ages 5 to 11
Food and Drug Administration authorization makes all children in that age group who received their second shot at least five months ago eligible to receive a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The companies and the FDA say a small study demonstrated a third shot is safe and can significantly boost antibody levels, countering waning immunity and providing added protection against the virus, including the more contagious omicron variant.
How does Disneyland rate a year after its COVID-era reopening?
Because the pandemic era brought a lot of changes to The Happiest Place on Earth, Los Angeles Times game critic Todd Martens takes an entertaining close look at just how the park is doing now that it’s been reopened for a year.
EVENTS
Uncanny Beliefs: Superstition in Modern Chinese History
Friday, 9:15 a.m. (sponsored by The Long U.S.-China Institute)
ICIT Spring 2022 Student Showcase Concert
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.
The Problem with Blaming Robots For Taking Our Jobs
The New Yorker, May 18
Cited: Annie McClanahan, associate professor of English
Why the best ideas in digital health are still to come
Becker’s Hospital Review, May 17
Cited: Tom Andriola, vice chancellor of information technology and data and chief digital officer
How To Get Your Degree, From 3 Undocumented Students
LAist, May 17
Cited: Vanessa Delgado, sociology Ph.D. candidate
COMMENCEMENT CORNER
#IamUCI: Q&A with Class of 2022 graduate Alejandro Aviña-Cadena
Alejandro Aviña-Cadena’s childhood memories include translating for his Mexican-born parents at medical appointments and feeling self-conscious explaining their therapeutic use of herbs and topical ointments to doctors and nurses. Realizing that these experiences are shared by many fellow first-generation Americans set Aviña-Cadena on his career path. He is following up the bachelor’s degree in biological sciences he earned at UCI with a dual master’s in public health and medicine. This summer his residency in emergency medicine begins at Boston Medical Center.
Graduating this year? Share your UCI story and photos! Tag us with #IamUCI on Instagram and Twitter.