Nov. 2 - UCI’s James Webb telescope chief; a new era in precision health
Section 1
Bike stands show the way to the Information and Computer Science Building. Photo by Ian Parker
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
James Bullock chairs the committee in charge of the James Webb Space Telescope. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI
3 questions for UCI’s space telescope chief
For the past five years, James Bullock, dean of UCI’s School of Physical Sciences, has chaired the James Webb Space Telescope Users Committee. The group is helping to select and organize the scientific projects that the $10 billion telescope – which launched Dec. 25 and became fully operational July 11–is undertaking from its distant vantage. Bullock estimates that the telescope, with its vastly superior optics and expanded range into infrared frequencies, will be roughly 100 times the scientific tool that the Hubble Space Telescope has been. He recently sat down with UCI Magazine to answer questions about the program.
Inside UCI’s Institute for Precision Health
Thanks to progress in many areas of medical research – everything from biostatisticians pioneering extremely complex decision-science methodology to improvements in cloud storage, computing power and artificial intelligence – healthcare is on the verge of being completely revolutionized. This new era is reflected in the work being done at UCI’s Institute for Precision Health, which launched earlier this year and is now the subject of a feature story in UCI Magazine.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
California faces triple respiratory virus threat this winter, officials say
Between flu, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19, California is facing a triple threat of respiratory illnesses, according to a report today by CalMatters. About 15% of specimens tested in the third week of October came back positive for RSV, up from 9.8% during the same period last year, according to state health officials. Both flu and COVID-19 rates, while still low, are expected to rise this month. And so far, only about 11% of eligible Californians have received the recommended bivalent COVID booster meant to provide better protection against the omicron variant.
EVENTS
Sharon Mann: Piano Master Class
Friday, 1 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.
OC health officials expect RSV infection rates to get worse
Spectrum News 1, Nov. 1,
Cited: Andrew Noymer, associate professor of population health and disease prevention
We all have different Covid comfort levels these days—here’s how to manage those relationships
CNBC, Nov. 1
Cited: Jessica Borelli, associate professor of psychological science
Why schools’ going back to ‘normal’ won’t work for students of color
The Conversation, Nov. 2
Cited: Adriana Villavicencio, assistant professor of education
#UCICONNECTED
UCI Transportation tweets: UCI Transportation is once again hosting our annual food drive! Make a difference and donate non-perishable goods through Dec. 16. All donations will benefit @ucifresh. For more info, visit Clash of the Cans Food Drive.
#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.