May 26 - Sunscreen tips; mask update; new StratComm chief
Section 1
Anteater Time Machine: In 1975, nearly three years after the passage of Title IX, a comparative culture class on women in higher education published a status report titled Women at UCI. Among the statistics it cited: Only 1.4% of full professors at UCI were female (vs. 41% of lecturers). The class was taught by Karen Leonard, right, who helped lead the fight for equity at UCI. In 2019, as a professor emeritus of anthropology, Leonard recounted the era in an oral history interview with UCI Libraries archivist Elvia Arroyo-Ramírez. A transcript of the conversation is also available.
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
Masks required at Bren commencement ceremonies
With dozens of new campus cases being reported each day and Orange County’s COVID-19 transmission rate climbing this week from low to medium, UCI will require everyone attending commencement ceremonies at the Bren Events Center to wear face coverings. Other year-end gatherings are encouraged to be held outdoors. And masks remain strongly recommended in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status. For more details, visit UCI Forward.
The ABCs (and SPFs) of sunscreen
Choosing a sun-protection product can be confusing and complicated if you don’t know what to look for, says UCI Health dermatologist Dr. Kristen Kelly. To help consumers, she deciphers labels, rates ingredients and offers tips to maximize sunscreen effectiveness.
Meditation room opens in Student Center
A room for “self-care, contemplation, meditation, reflection or prayer” debuted this week in the Student Center. The shoes-optional space, which is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., features soft floors, oversized ottomans and – to discourage electronic distractions – no power outlets.
New strategic communications chief named
After a national search, interim vice chancellor of UCI Strategic Communications & Public Affairs Sherry L.K. Main has been permanently appointed to that post, effective June 1. She will oversee all university communications functions, including marketing, advertising, executive and digital communication, media relations, and community and government relations.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
How long do breakthrough COVID symptoms last?
Various factors can lengthen or shorten the duration, but the likelihood of symptoms extending beyond a full week isn't high, according to Bernadette Boden-Albala, director of UCI’s Program in Public Health.
O.C. cases and hospitalizations keep rising, but deaths drop
Although COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in Orange County remain on the upswing, especially among unvaccinated residents, the number of deaths has fallen dramatically. As of Tuesday, May's death toll was six, down from last month’s 30, March’s 86, February’s 330 and January’s 554. “On the East Coast we're already seeing their spring wave go down, thankfully, so hopefully our wave won't be prolonged,” said UCI’s Andrew Noymer, an associate professor of public health.
UC adds tools to help disabled students, staff
Note-taking apps, screen readers and magnifiers, and speech-recognition tools are part of an assistive technologies package being made available to all UC campuses.
EVENTS
How to Loom Knit a Newborn Beanie
Saturday, 10 a.m. (sponsored by UCI Staff Assembly)
M.F.A. Open Studios
Saturday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (sponsored by Claire Trevor School of the Arts)
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.
COVID-19 cases hit levels of past summer surges in California
The Orange County Register, May 25
Cited: Andrew Noymer, associate professor of public health
How To Cope With The Latest School Shooting If You're A Parent
HuffPost, May 25
Cited: Jessie Borelli, associate professor of psychological science
Early Voting Surges as Georgia Watches for Impact of Election Law
The New York Times, May 23
Cited: Richard L. Hasen, Chancellor’s Professor of law
#UCICONNECTED
The School of Humanities celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with an exhaustive collection of stories and resources on AANHPI art, literature, research, history, community outreach and more.
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