Anteaters top MLB draft; UCI-OC poll boosts funding

July 22, 2024

The New Swan Theater as seen from Ring Road. (Photo: Steve Zylius/UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Anteaters among top Major League Baseball draft picks

left to right: Caden Kendle, Woody Hadeen, Myles Smith and Dub Gleed

The 2024 Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft began Sunday and on day two saw a record four Anteaters taken in the first 10 rounds in Caden Kendle, Woody Hadeen, Myles Smith and Dub Gleed (above from left). Nick Pinto (not pictured) rounded out the group of five Anteaters with his selection on day three. A total of 139 Anteaters have now been drafted into the ranks of the MLB, including 38 in the first 10 rounds. Head Coach Ben Orloff has now produced 25 pro Anteaters in six seasons at the helm with 22 going through the draft.

UCI-OC poll receives funding boost

The John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation has awarded the School of Social Ecology a $100,000 grant to boost the reach of its UCI-OC Poll. Launched in 2023 by Dean Jon Gould (above), the poll provides reliable survey data on issues confronting Orange County residents, providing data for discussions between elected officials and community members. The school’s first of three polls to date surveyed Orange County residents on homelessness and affordable housing, while the second and third releases, “Red County, Blue County, Orange County” and “Orange County as Bellwether?” focused on local and national politics.

UCI Health expert shares new peanut allergy recommendations

For years, parents have been advised to avoid giving their children peanut products before three years of age to reduce the chances of allergy. But a recent clinical trial has upended that recommendation, finding that exposing children to peanut products early made it less likely that an allergy would form at all. UCI Health allergist and immunologist Dr. Jenny Lee discusses the new findings.

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Chao Digestive Health Institute names new co-directors

Drs. John G. Lee and Skandan Shanmugan have been appointed co-directors of the UCI Health Chao Digestive Health Institute. Lee (above) has served as associate director of the flagship Chao Family Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center in Orange and directs pancreaticobiliary services at UCI Medical Center. He is a professor of clinical medicine at the School of Medicine and an author of more than 180 peer-reviewed publications. As chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Shanmugan (below) specializes in laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgical approaches to treating diseases of the colon and rectum, including advanced colorectal cancers and complex inflammatory bowel diseases.

Shanmugan is an associate professor of surgery in the Department of Surgery at the School of Medicine and an author or co-author of numerous peer reviewed publications. “The Chao Digestive Health Institute is one of the few comprehensive centers in the nation to provide state-of-the-art care to patients with all digestive diseases,” said Chad T. Lefteris, president and CEO of UCI Health. “Drs. Lee and Shanmugan provide the deep experience and expertise that will lead the institute to even greater achievements in advancing care for digestive health.”

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