Aug. 19 - UCI lifts indoor mask mandate; Verano 8 grand opening
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The new Verano 8 complex’s barbeque grills are ready for grilling. Photo by Ian Parker
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
Indoor mask mandate lifted at UCI campus
Effective tomorrow, UCI will be rescinding the executive directive on mandatory face coverings. Face coverings will continue to be recommended indoors but not required, regardless of vaccination status. Per California Department of Public Health guidelines, face coverings are still required in healthcare settings on campus, including the Student Health Center, the Counseling Center, the Student Center COVID-19 Testing Site, as well as at UCI Health offices and clinics. Face coverings may also be required consistent with public health guidance for a limited duration for those who were COVID-19 positive and returning from isolation and for those recently exposed to someone with COVID-19. Face coverings continue to be available on campus for students and employees.
Community members attend UCI’s new Verano 8 complex grand opening ceremony. Photo by Fernando Osorio/UCI
Grand opening for new graduate housing complex
UCI has unveiled its latest graduate housing community, Verano 8, which adds an additional 1,055 beds and a community center to the campus. With these additional beds, Student Housing has been able to extend the graduate housing guarantee to normative time to degree for Ph.D., J.D. and Master of Fine Arts students. These units also allow UCI to offer the most comprehensive graduate housing guarantee in the UC system.
Brain tumor patient’s family lauds UCI Health’s approach to palliative care
In March 2021, Laguna Niguel resident Josephine LoCascio, 86, began experiencing memory loss and weakness in her legs. An imaging scan revealed a glioblastoma on her brain. Her daughter, Domenica, was referred to the UCI Health Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program, where she and her mom met with neuro-oncologist Dr. Xiao-Tang Kong. As Domenica recounts, the visit was pivotal in helping the family navigate the remaining months of Josephine LoCascio's long and dignified life.
ANTrepreneur Center launches Self-Starter Micro-Internship Program
The UCI ANTrepreneur Center officially announced the launch of its new Self-Starter Micro-Internships Program yesterday. The program was created in partnership with Parker Dewey Micro-Internships and gives UCI students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain professional work experience at start-ups and companies by completing short-term projects across a variety of industries. At UCI, Parker Dewey has also created a custom portal for the ANTrepreneur Center that will allow students to explore micro-internship opportunities created by a diverse array of start-ups and companies.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
Friday fun fact
Serving the public: Top industries for UC bachelor degree recipients – healthcare, followed by K-12 education and public administration. (Click on “Industries” tab.)
World Health Organization: Monkeypox vaccines are ‘not a silver bullet’
As demand for monkeypox vaccines increases, the World Health Organization has received preliminary reports suggesting that breakthrough cases can sometimes occur among people who received a prophylaxis vaccine after exposure. Evidence of such breakthrough infections is not new, as a study from the 1980s demonstrated a protection rate of 85%; health officials also suggest reducing the number of sex partners, avoiding group sex or casual sex. As of now, Orange County has 57 confirmed monkeypox cases.
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.
Commentary: PFAS are ‘forever’ chemicals contaminating our water sources and affecting our health
Daily Pilot, Aug. 18
Op-ed by Scott Bartell, professor of environmental and occupational health
Why rape exceptions in abortion bans are more complicated in reality
ABC News (video), Aug. 19
Cited: Michele Goodwin, Chancellor’s Professor of law
Fatphobia and medical biases follow people after death
Popular Science, Aug. 18
Cited: Sabrina Strings, associate professor of sociology
#UCICONNECTED
Charis Kubrin, far right, a UCI professor of criminology, law and society, poses with students at Rutgers University.
Charis Kubrin, professor of criminology, law and society, discussed the importance of conducting racial justice research as a panelist at the recent Racial Democracy, Crime and Justice Network Meeting at Rutgers University. She and the other panelists were asked to respond to a series of questions. Says Kubrin, “Activism, to me, means doing policy-relevant research that helps to make a difference in this world – for the better.”
#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.