March 14, 2023

OIT survey ends Friday

UCI employees are encouraged to complete the Office of Information Technology user survey before it closes this Friday. Among those who take the survey, a few lucky winners will be chosen to receive Amazon gift cards or even an iPad. Employees will need to look for their individual link and access code in an email that was sent to them on Feb. 28.

Episode 40: Online Course Quality

In the latest Dennin Insights post, Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning Michael Dennin addresses concerns about online courses, including a perceived risk of poor quality. He postulates that thinking about courses and pedagogy on a regular basis enables continual improvement.

Anteater Insider podcast: Navigating barriers to student success

In this episode of Anteater Insider, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Patricia Morales and Director of Undergraduate Advising for the School of Social Ecology Danielle Primavera discuss how they collaborate on lifting the student experience to meet students where they are in their academic journey. Together, they reflect on how their partnership is helping advisers to navigate a successful path to graduation for social ecology students.

Meet California’s next wave of physicians

This year, more than 700 University of California medical students will earn the title of M.D. next to their name. That’s a big accomplishment in its own right, but this year’s graduating class did it while also contending with a global pandemic. The future doctors saw firsthand how patients from underserved communities were more likely to get sick and die from COVID-19. But there were silver linings too, such as the growth of telemedicine, an innovation that is helping to ease the physician shortage by making it easier to meet with doctors and specialists.

What to know about pi on Pi Day

Pi Day occurs on March 14, because the date is written as 3/14 in the United States. If you're serious about math, celebrate the day at 1:59 a.m. or p.m. so you can reach the first six numbers of pi, 3.14159. March 14 is also Albert Einstein’s birthday. Read on for more fun facts about pi.

Let’s Talk Trash
Thursday, 10 a.m. (sponsored by Sustainability Resource Center)

SAT & ACT: Which is right for my child?
Thursday, noon (sponsored by HR Wellness)

International Conference: Women at the Piano 1848-1970
Thursday, 2 p.m. (sponsored by Claire Trevor School of the Arts)

A Fireside Chat with Jennifer Aaron and Judy Wu
Thursday, 3 p.m. (sponsored by Asian Pacific Islander Staff & Faculty Association)

“Saved: Objects of the Dead” –  A Reading, Conversation and Book Signing
Thursday, 5:30 p.m. (sponsored by UCI Illuminations)

Tenth Thursday – Winter 2023
Thursday, 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.

Graduate Division hosts annual Grad Slam

Grad Slam is a competition in which 10 of UCI's top graduate researchers deliver a live, three-minute pitch on their research and its importance. In his third year competing in the event, Muhammad Twaha Ibrahim, pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science, won the 2023 campus competition and took home $6,000. Twaha will represent UCI at the Grad Slam Systemwide Finals on May 5. The 2023 contest will be emceed by UC President Michael Drake at LinkedIn’s headquarters in San Francisco. Emani Dotch and Audrey Odwuor tied for second place and collected $2,500 each. To watch the full Grad Slam competition, check out this video.

#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.

Upload your vaccine and booster records

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

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

Employee Experience Center – employee information on COVID benefits

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