Academic freedom video; health data for marginalized people

Feb. 6, 2024

A dragon enters UCI’s Lunar New Year Celebration on Monday, in preparation for the holiday that is recognized by one quarter of the world’s population. Scroll down for more photos. (Photo: Steve Zylius/UCI)

UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS

‘The Concept of Academic Freedom’

In this video, Michelle Deutchman, executive director of the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement, discusses the concept of academic freedom and explains the difference between academic freedom principles and free speech rights. Chancellor Howard Gillman shares the historical foundation of the principles of academic freedom, and the origin of the concept in 1915.

Scholar urges more accessible health data

Brittany Morey, an assistant professor of health, society and behavior in the Program in Public Health, was the first author of an essay that highlights the importance of making data about Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders accessible and transparent. Morey and other public health experts from Southern California analyzed the process by which the public could access federal data and found that there were gaps and security concerns by those who control and manage that data.

UCI-led study: Alkaline water doesn’t thwart kidney stones

Bottled water marketed either as "alkaline water" or “high pH” water is unlikely to be an effective alternative to prevent recurrent urinary stones, according to a UCI-led study. While such water has a marginally higher pH level than regular water, the surplus is negligible, the study found, and far less helpful than drinking orange juice or even mixing a small amount of baking soda into a glass of water.

Healthy heart tips

February is American Heart Month, when everyone is encouraged to make lifestyle changes to prevent heart disease, the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in 20 adults has coronary artery disease, the most common form of heart disease, in which vessels supplying blood to the heart are blocked or narrowed. With that in mind, the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute has put together a helpful list of tips to improve your heart health.

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More Lunar New Year photos

Another image of performers at the Lunar New Year event

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