(COVID-19): Campus Health Updates

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10/16/2020 - Daily COVID-19 Graduate Division Update 

Dear Graduate Students and Postdocs,
 
I heard from a couple of you that you miss my random pop culture references, and for those of you who don’t, well, you get stuck with them anyway! Today, we get our wisdom from Captain Picard:


[alt text: Captain Picard in his Star Trek uniform with speech text below “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.”]
 
You are all doing great work, but sometimes it’s not enough. Sometimes, we are living in a public health or societal context that is stacked against you. That is not your weakness. Stay strong and keep going, and hopefully some of the rest of this message will help you do that.
 
Network Equipment
Quick reminders for those who are in Grad and Family Housing and may be having network challenges:

• Test your network speed using https://speedtest.net or similar
• Verify that your reported speed is what you expect it should be 
• If you are a resident of Grad and Family Housing:
  • You may need to connect to the wall via ethernet rather than using your WiFi router. 
  • If you don’t have those capabilities, fill out this form https://forms.gle/KxR41tsg2Kj8oCrB9 and we will work to get you an ethernet adapter for your laptop and ethernet cabling.

 
Big thank you to Turner Dahl from our office for ordering and delivery of such equipment:


[Alt text: Graduate student Megan Cole picks up some ethernet supplies from Graduate Division’s Turner Dahl, boxes and supplies piled on a blue table, with Turner and the student each wearing a face covering]
 
 
[Alt text: Graduate student Katherine Lawson picks up some ethernet supplies from Graduate Division’s Turner Dahl, boxes and supplies piled on a blue table, with Turner and the student each wearing a face covering]
 
Also as a reminder, if you do not have a suitable internet connection at home or repeatedly encounter connectivity issues that impede your ability to teach effectively:

• General assignment classrooms are available for preparing and delivering remote courses.
  • Please review the Use of Teaching Space Plans for important guidance on accessing any campus facility: https://senate.uci.edu/files/Use-of-Teaching-Space-Plans-8.12.20.pdf 
  • When you are ready to reserve a room, please work with your Schedule of Classes Coordinator to submit the request to the Registrar. If you don’t know who this is, ask your faculty advisor, department chair, or the professor for whom you are TAing.
• Instructors and TAs are also permitted to use campus offices for remote teaching.
  • You MUST work with your department to make sure they have approved plans in place for occupancy of your space. 
  • More details are available in the Use of Teaching Space Plans document, under Unit-controlled spaces section: https://senate.uci.edu/files/Use-of-Teaching-Space-Plans-8.12.20.pdf 

 
New! 30-Minute Online Consultations with a Fellowship Mentor
The Graduate and Postdoctoral Scholars Resource Center (GPSRC) is excited to announce a new service offered this Fall Quarter to graduate students applying to the NSF-GRFP and Ford Foundation Fellowship.
 
Students can now book a 30-meeting appointment with the Fellowship Mentors! Fellowship Mentors will provide one-on-one consultations with prospective applicants to

• review application materials
• provide valuable feedback
• answer questions related to fellowships.

 
Deadlines are fast approaching. Book an appointment today through Campus Groups: https://campusgroups.uci.edu/student_community?club_id=35999&menu=link 

• Adebisi Akinyemi

2020 NSF-GRFP Awardee
Adebisi Akinyemi is a 3rd-year Ph.D. student in Psychological Science with a concentration in Health Psychology. Her research interests include stress, trauma, mental health, and media. Particularly, her research aims to help explain and decrease the health disparities observed between African Americans (Blacks) and European Americans (Whites).

• Jennifer Cabrera

2020 NSF-GRFP Awardee
Jennifer Cabrera is a doctoral student in the School of Education at UCI. She engages in research that focuses on supportive social relationships and academic achievement among Latina doctoral students. Specifically, she studies how online social platforms can serve as supportive spaces for Latina doctoral students’ success in graduate education. Currently, she is focusing on cultural and gendered familial expectations endured by Latinas in doctoral programs.

• Bonnie Park

2020 NSF-GRFP Awardee
Bonnie Park is a Ph.D. student in the department of Chemistry. Her research focuses on the total synthesis of terpene-derived natural products.

• Lexi Crowell

2020 NSF-GRFP Awardee
Lexi Crowell is a doctoral student in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department. Her research focuses on designing microfluidic devices for characterizing drug resistant cancerous cells. She hopes that this method will have the potential to monitor when cancerous cells become drug resistant and how to better facilitate therapies once chemoresistance occurs.

• Heidi Waite

2020 Ford Fellowship
Heidi Waite is a PhD student in the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology department. She researches how the intertidal mussel copes with increasing temperatures due to climate change. She loves communicating science and mentoring others! Heidi is also passionate about diversity in STEM and is currently VP for SACNAS at UCI.

• Racine Rangel

2020 Ford Fellowship
Racine Rangel is a doctoral student in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department. Her research focuses on how climate change is affecting the physiology and ecology of intertidal species such as non-moving mussels or rambunctious hermit crabs ranging from the chilly waters of Alaska to the sunny coastline of Southern California.
 
Newkirk Center Research Justice Workshops
https://newkirkcenter.uci.edu/researchjustice/2020-21researchjusticeworkshops/
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing practices, the workshops will be held remotely for at least the fall quarter. The fall will focus on setting up a relationship with a community partner. 
REGISTER FALL 2020 WORKSHOPS
https://forms.gle/584o1qAMmiCyJKeq5

• Friday, November 6th, 2020, 11:00 am-1:30 pm
• Friday, November 20th, 11:00 am-1:30 pm

NOTE: It says for grad students on the website, but I have confirmed with the organizers that it is open to anyone, including post docs, undergrads, and even the public. So, please register if you are interested and share widely with others!
Gartner Research Now Available
The UCI Libraries and the Office of Data and Information Technology have partnered to bring campuswide unlimited access to Gartner’s leading IT data and research for all UCI faculty, staff and students.

• Access the Gartner portal now at https://gartner.uci.edu using your existing UCInetID login credentials.
• Gartner is the global leader for insight on the current trends in technology, information technology management, business issues, organizations, strategy.
• Vendor reports provide great resources in job hunting.
• Gartner is hosting an introductory webinar for all UCI students on Wednesday, October 21, from 2-3 pm

Disability Ally Training
UC Irvine Disability Services Center invites all students, faculty, and staff to attend a remote, 90-minute workshop to become a ZotAbility Ally.  This interactive workshop is designed to

• challenge personal biases
• provide awareness
• promote diversity 

Thursday, October 22, 10am-11:30am
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyCtQ5zETDOxUGByLKs97fpNxSNVOn92fAu65-zaBzhsPGgA/viewform 
Upcoming Townhalls
Grad Division is now doing monthly town halls with different topics and special guests each month.

• Past town halls are at https://www.facebook.com/UCIrvineGD/videos/?view_public_for=154757707888315&ref=page_internal 
• Save the date for our next two town halls, and PLEASE join us. Your questions and comments are so helpful for the panelists to see and for others in your community to know.

• November 13th | 3 pm - 4 pm PT - By Popular Demand… change in topic… Health, Wellness, and COVID-19
  • Dr. Albert Chang, Medical Director, Student Health
  • Dr. Frances Diaz, Director, Student Counseling Center 
  • Dr. Phong Luong, Assistant Director of Academic Counseling
  • Scott Bartell, Associate Dean / Professor, Public Health
  • Sharon Robert, Director of Program Development, Public Health
• December 11th | 3 pm - 4 pm PT - Diversity and Inclusion at UCI

 
CSU Long Beach Pre-Professor Program
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR SPRING SEMESTER 2021!
Applications are due Monday, November 2, 2020 
Learn more about the program and application process Monday, October 26, 2020
12 pm - 1 pm at the Virtual PREPP Information Session: https://grad.uci.edu/professional-success/prepp.php 
The Pre-Professor Program (PREPP) is designed to support the UC Irvine doctoral students’ and postdoctoral scholars’ transition to a faculty position by engaging them in a semester-long program at California State University, Long Beach. 
PREPP Fellows from Jan 15 to May 31, 2021 receive:

• Faculty mentorship in Instruction and Understanding the Campus Culture and Service. 
• Paid parking at CSULB
• A $500 stipend

Spring semester will be online.
For the Spring 2021 cohort, candidates should have expertise in health-related fields (broadly defined to include biomedical and behavioral sciences, such as biology, biomedical engineering, chemistry, health disparities, health science, kinesiology, psychology, etc.). Underrepresented students are encouraged to apply.
For more information, contact Annabel Ortiz, Professional Development Programs Coordinator at annabelo@uci.edu 

California Voter Registration Deadline is this Monday October 19
Anteaters, the Ballot Bowl, a friendly competition that was designed to encourage universities and colleges to engage their students in the democratic process and register them to vote, is well underway! All eligible Anteaters should participate in this civic engagement and register to vote for the upcoming 2020 General Election. This is also the perfect time to update your voter registration if you have moved because of COVID-19: https://registertovote.ca.gov/?t=s
All California residences have started to receive their vote-by-mail ballots. It’s time to check your mailboxes and if you are able, we encourage YOU to VOTE EARLY! You can look up Orange County drop box locations: https://www.ocvote.com/elections/2020-santa-ana-special-recall-election/ballot-drop-box-locations 
Need to verify your voter information?
Want to view your registration status, check your ballot status, review your voter history, and more? https://ocvote.com/vlt/
Who Can Register to Vote?
When registering to vote, voters must meet specific criteria before they can register. Visit the California Secretary of State’s website for more information: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/ 
Living in a different State?
Visit your state’s election office website for state-wide voting guidance. Find your local election office contact information for answers to questions about polling locations, in-person registration, and other local questions: https://www.usa.gov/election-office
If you have questions or need further clarification, please email anteateradvocate@uci.edu. 
Be sure to vote on November 3^rd!
 
Interested in a Career at a Big Tech Company?
What is it like to switch from academic to industry research? Many members of the Facebook Research team transitioned from academia and still make daily use of the theoretical, methodological, and practical research skills they learned in school. From their research collaborations with design, engineering, and policy teams, they regularly see how their work has a direct impact on improving the experiences of billions of people around the world.
 
In this panel, Facebook UX Researchers discuss their own personal and professional journeys from academia to industry. We'll talk about what product research is like, compare industry and academic work culture, and share firsthand tips for making the transition for both early students and seasoned faculty.
 
https://phduxresearchpanel.splashthat.com/?fbclid=IwAR0iUwIEylbu7lZ-EXEGaWBC4otAuPZ64GcYbG1-J90gzJNrFSSlrX35B4k
 
Upcoming Office Hours
As always, we look forward to seeing you in office hours. No agenda needed, all questions welcome. We had some good laughs and cries in today’s office hours, so special thanks to the students who stayed late with us to get through it all!
 
https://uci.zoom.us/j/7277477057, all office hours are half an hour

• Monday 10-19: 12PM-12:30PM
• Tuesday 10-20: 5PM-5:30PM
• Wednesday 10-21: 1PM-1:30PM, staff member not me
• Thursday 10-22: 5PM-5:30PM
• Friday 10-23: 4:30PM-5PM

 
In Closing
We all need some puppies and some humor in our lives right now. We are abit late in sending this out this week, probably from way too many Zoom meetings. So, if you are still reading this on a Friday night, please enjoy this Zoom meme, go take a break, and relax and enjoy yourself.


[alt text: A dog with messy hair and a line “zoom meeting, audio only” on the left, and a dog with a jacket and sunglasses with the line “Zoom meeting, with video”.]
 
Have a wonderful weekend. Vote if you are eligible. Take care of yourselves. 
 
On behalf of graduate division,
 
Gillian Hayes
Kleist Professor of Informatics
Vice Provost for Graduate Education
Dean of the Graduate Division