UCI Digest logo

Feb. 7, 2023

Students walk under the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall structure toward the Susan and Henry Samueli Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI
Students walk under the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall structure toward the Susan and Henry Samueli Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI

UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS

UCI wireless guest access now available

UCI wireless guest access now available

Campus visitors will now have access to wireless internet via a new guest option. “UCI-Guest” will now appear in Wi-Fi settings, allowing for a quick connection without the required steps and verification needed to set up Wi-Fi through UCInet Mobile Access.

“You just don’t know how much your vision matters until it’s not what it should be,” says Karen Ketchum, who underwent rare eye stem-cell transplant surgery at UCI Health.
“You just don’t know how much your vision matters until it’s not what it should be,” says Karen Ketchum, who underwent rare eye stem-cell transplant surgery at UCI Health.

A sister’s gift restores sight

When a rare condition began blistering her eyes, Karen Ketchum turned to the UCI Health Gavin Herbert Eye Institute and Dr. Marjan Farid, an expert in transplanting donor stem cells to restore vision in patients with severe eye surface damage. The eye institute is only the second location in the world to offer the highly effective transplant procedure pioneered by University of Cincinnati ophthalmologist Dr. Edward Holland. “I was thrilled when I could see the numbers on my oven and microwave so I could cook for myself again,” Ketchum said after receiving a transplant of her sister's eye cells.

UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS

University of California Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Van Williams reflects on Black History Month

UC tech Black History Month challenge

University of California Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Van Williams reflects on Black History Month and makes a request of the UC technology community: “For the next year, let us be intentional in acting each day with purposeful and intentional ... love. Love for ourselves, for our families, for our friends, for our workplace, for our communities and for our society.” Pictured at left are Van Williams and his children.

What end of COVID public health emergency status means for you

“It will be important for people to check with their healthcare providers and health plans to understand moving forward what is covered and not covered by their plans,” said David Souleles, director of UCI’s master of public health program. Here is what is known so far.

EVENTS

The Anna May Wong Quarter: Minting New National Histories
Thursday, 9 a.m. (sponsored by School of Social Sciences and Office of Global Engagement)

Black Panther Oakland Community Cluster Meet and Greet
Thursday, noon (sponsored by Humanities Center)

Loving ... You: Boosting Self-Esteem and Acceptance
Thursday, noon (sponsored by HR Wellness)

Long US-China Institute 2023 Distinguished Lecture: Between China and Africa
Thursday, 4 p.m. (sponsored by School of Social Sciences)

Anti-Sisyphus, or Anti-Blackness and Suicide: Outline of an Afropessimist Thanatology
Thursday, 5 p.m. (sponsored by Center for Medical Humanities)

Online LASIK Surgery Seminar
Thursday, 6:30 p.m. (sponsored by Gavin Herbert Eye Institute)

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.
Popular Mechanics logo

ChatGPT Is a ‘Very Sophisticated Guessing Engine’ That Probably Won’t Steal Your Job

Popular Mechanics, Feb.3
Cited: Sameer Singh, associate professor of computer science

Inside Higher Ed logo

Opinion: Rehumanizing the Research University

Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 7
Cited: Anita Casavantes Bradford, professor and associate dean Chicano/Latino studies and history

The New York Times logo

The Quest to Find Rectangles in a Square

The New York Times, Feb. 7
Cited: David Eppstein, Distinguished Professor of computer science

#UCICONNECTED

A recent Wednesday Wellness Walk at Mason Park was hosted by Student Wellness & Health Promotion. Wednesday Wellness Walks are held every quarter during even numbered weeks. Walkers visit a different location near UCI each time and all are welcome to join. The excursions are self-paced and great for any fitness level. The next Wednesday Wellness Walk will be Feb. 15 to the UCI Arboretum and marsh. Photo by Toni Martinez/UCI.
A recent Wednesday Wellness Walk at Mason Park was hosted by Student Wellness & Health Promotion. Wednesday Wellness Walks are held every quarter during even numbered weeks. Walkers visit a different location near UCI each time and all are welcome to join. The excursions are self-paced and great for any fitness level. The next Wednesday Wellness Walk will be Feb. 15 to the UCI Arboretum and marsh. Photo by Toni Martinez/UCI.
#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.

COVID-19 NOTIFICATION & HEALTH RESOURCES

Upload your vaccine and booster records

Employee Upload button
Student Upload button

Daily COVID-19 Symptom check

By coming to campus each day, students and employees are attesting they are free of COVID-19 symptoms and are not COVID-19 positive. If you currently have symptoms of COVID-19 or recently tested positive, do not come to campus, or if you currently live on campus stay in your residence, and follow instructions for reporting your case or assessing symptoms on the UCI Forward page. Close contacts to a COVID-19 case are not required to stay home or quarantine, but should follow guidance for close contact instructions for masking and testing on the UCI Forward page.

Potential workplace exposure

UCI provides this notification of a potential workplace COVID-19 exposure. Employees and subcontractors who were in these locations on the dates listed may have been exposed to the coronavirus. You may be entitled to various benefits under applicable federal and state laws and University-specific policies and agreements. The full notification is available on the UCI Forward site. If you have been identified as a close contact to a COVID-19 case, the UCI Contact Tracing Program will contact you and provide additional direction.

UCI Forward – information on campus status and operational updates

UCI Health COVID-19 Updates – important information related to UCI Health

UCI Coronavirus Response Center – available at covid19@uci.edu or 949-824-9918

Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services – assistance with vaccines and vaccine uploads or to report a case, available at contacttracing@uci.edu or 949-824-2300

For questions specific to your personal health situation, please contact your doctor or healthcare provider.

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