Aug. 8 - Chancellor talks post-Roe world at White House; thinner forests help climate
Section 1
UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman, left, met with Vice President Kamala Harris and other university leaders today at the White House.
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
UCI chancellor discusses post-Roe world in higher education at White House meeting
UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman and other university leaders met with Vice President Kamala Harris in the White House today to discuss the impact that the recent Supreme Court decision to end the federally protected right to abortion will have on American colleges and universities. To date, Harris has held more than half a dozen meetings on reproductive rights with key groups. Her objective today was to focus on campus efforts to protect the health of students as a result of the court’s ruling. Gillman shared with Harris the UC system’s continued commitment to women’s reproductive healthcare.
UCI-assisted research suggests thinner forests are better for climate
Mechanical thinning of California’s forests can reduce the severity of wildfires by eliminating built-up vegetation that fuels blazes according to joint research by UCI, UC Merced and the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The paper argues that scientifically based forest management practices also curtail CO2 emissions from fires, promote carbon storage in remaining trees, and improve the reliability of water supplies for the state’s agricultural sector, communities and hydropower producers. The report, published recently in Restoration Ecology, was co-authored by Benis Egoh, UCI assistant professor of Earth system science, and Roger Bales, UC Merced Distinguished Professor of engineering.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
California urges longer isolation period for COVID-19 patients
In December, U.S. health officials shortened the recommended isolation period for people infected with COVID-19 from 10 to five days. But recent data has shown that it’s taking people longer than that to recover from the virus. And now, California’s Department of Public Health is recommending a negative rapid test result before exiting isolation after five days from the onset of symptoms or the first positive test — a step not included in federal guidelines.
Annual systemwide payroll disclosure
As part of the University of California’s commitment to transparency and public accountability, including the way it compensates faculty and staff, UC is conducting its annual disclosure of systemwide employee compensation for calendar year 2021. This disclosure parallels last year’s payroll disclosure and is consistent with similar practices at many other public institutions. The 2021 payroll data, along with a summary analysis, is available online.
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.
How the Private-Equity Lobby Won—Again
The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 7
Cited: Victor Fleischer, professor of law
How colleges are preparing for a new public health threat: monkeypox
NPR, Aug. 6
Cited: David Souleles, director, COVID-19 response team
OC’s Innovators: Kenneth Chang: Digestive Work Reaches Larger Audiences
Orange County Business Journal, Aug. 8
Cited: Kenneth Chang, chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at UCI’s School of Medicine
#UCICONNECTED
UCI grad Jonpaul Cohen, right, advocates before New Zealand’s parliament.
Jonpaul Cohen, a native New Zealander who has family on the Pacific islands of Samoa and Tuvalu, is passionate about protecting Polynesian culture, lives and livelihoods from the ravages of climate change. In a presentation to an environmental committee of the New Zealand Parliament on Aug. 4, the UCI undergraduate majoring in psychology advocated for increased funding in a proposed budget for climate mitigation programs in New Zealand and many surrounding South Pacific islands. (His testimony in the 11-minute video begins at the 3:03 mark.) Says Cohen in an email, “I was extremely proud to have the chance to speak to such an important body and bring the skills and knowledge UCI has given me to become a pioneering professional!”
#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.