(COVID-19): Campus Health Updates
Section 1
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2/26/2021 - Daily COVID-19 Graduate Division Update
Dear Graduate Students and Postdocs,
A consistent thing happened in my meetings both yesterday and today in which people kept asking me if the week was flying by for me. I have to admit it was. Somehow, last week that was only 4 workdays felt like about 10, and this week that was a full 5 felt like 2. So, humor me and let me know if the week flew by for you as well. Perhaps it is because we are nearing the end of Winter quarter, and those projects and final papers--either that you are submitting or that you are grading--are coming due. Perhaps it is the lovely weather we had this week. Perhaps it is the hope that is so palpable in the air as Covid-19 rates go down. Whatever it is, I hope you are feeling good at the end of this week.
Vaccinations
This has been a busy week for vaccination here in Orange County:
- Orange County is now in Phase 1B, and if you are employed the university, you are now eligible to use retail pharmacy locations under Phase 1B vaccination rules set by the county and state. If you are able to obtain an appointment at a retail pharmacy location, we encourage you to use those. Not only will this allow you to obtain your free vaccine as quickly as possible, but it can take the load off the system at UCI for those who are not able to utilize those locations.
- For students who are coming to campus as part of research restart and other activities, your programs and schools have been collecting those data and sharing them centrally. You may not hear directly from them, because much of these data have already been collected previously. Please do not stress if you do not talk to someone from your department about these efforts. Some of you have already been offered a vaccine through UCI as part of these programs. Others are coming as we work through our limited supplies.
- We also continue to work to understand how we may be allowed, either via retail locations or through UCI vaccine clinics, to cover those of you who are not employed by the university. Bear with us as we continue to work with the county and state to develop plans. Additional vaccine information for Orange County:
- If you live outside of Orange County, we strongly encourage you to find your local vaccine priorities, availability, and processes and get your vaccine from any available local source. There should be no charge no matter where you go.
Nationwide, our vaccination rates are looking better and better in the US, which should give everyone some hope for a “normal” or “new normal” future. You can track vaccination rates here: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/01/28/960901166/how-is-the-covid-19-vaccination-campaign-going-in-your-state
Worldwide data are available here: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
Applications for the 2021-2022 California Community College Internship Program (CCCIP) are due March 29, 2021
- $1,000 stipend will be provided to all selected interns that complete the program.
- Eligibility Requirements:
- For more details please visit https://www.grad.uci.edu/academics/programs-internships.php or contact Andrea Bannigan, CCCIP Coordinator at alanders@uci.edu
Funding Opportunities
- Solutions that Scale Graduate Fellowships
Deadline is: March 19, 2021: https://sites.ps.uci.edu/solutions/
- Dan David Prize
Deadline is March 10, 2021: https://www.dandavidprize.org/
- Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society Funding Opportunity
Deadline March 15, 2021: https://sigmaxi.fluidreview.com/
- Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program
Deadline April 5, 2021: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/iegpsddrap/applicant.html
- Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant
For more information on our offerings for students and faculty visit our Academic Programs page
- PHI BETA KAPPA International Scholarships
Deadline April 16, 2021: https://grad.uci.edu/funding/fellowships-awards/internal/phi-beta-kappa.php
- Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program
Deadline May 5, 2021: https://science.osti.gov/wdts/scgsr/
- Stanford PRISM
Deadline: April 12, 2021: https://postdocs.stanford.edu/PRISM
2021 AGS (Associated Graduate Student) Virtual Symposium
When: Saturday, April 24th
Submit Your Proposal: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPcsy9qQzVNS18ZTGzu2F0m6kF5U9xMHdepO1YD9fxmgKEQA/viewform
What: The AGS Symposium is a competition hosted by UC Irvine’s Associated Graduate Students. It showcases the research and accomplishments of all students in the graduate division. This year, we have over $6,000 in gift card awards for participants and raffles for audience members. Additionally, all participants will receive a complimentary $25 meal ticket for their participation. This is a great opportunity for graduate students to come together as a community and share their research with their peers, friends and family.
Register for New Venture Competition Presented by UCI Paul Merage School of Business
- Teams compete for $100,000 in cash prizes
- Click here for more information: https://merage.uci.edu/research-faculty/centers/innovation-entrepreneurship/new-venture-competiton.html
Still Time to Register for Grad Slam Next Week!
Date: March 4, 2021 | 5 pm – 7 pm PT
Register: https://apply.grad.uci.edu/register/GradSlam2021Registration
Description: Join us for a unique virtual opportunity to see some of UCI's top graduate scholars show off their impressive research in a competition setting. Even though the competition will look a little different this year in a virtual format, we want YOU to be here! We started off with 50 impressive semifinals contestants and now we're down to the final 10!
Click here to learn more about our 10 incredible finalists!: https://grad.uci.edu/gradslam/GradslamFinalists2021.php
Job Opportunity: Transfer Edge Teaching Assistant/Discussion Leader Position Discussion Leaders are graduate student leaders who run a discussion section once a week with “X number” transfer students during Summer Session II 2021
As a discussion leader, you will facilitate the learning process for students, help students develop meaningful connections with their peers, and serve as a role model/mentor to all students enrolled in University Studies 4. This course is tied to SSI’s Transfer Edge Summer Program. Together with the instructor, your primary responsibility is to lead productive discussion sections that serve to complement the learning that takes place both in the University Studies 4 course and through participation in the many Transfer Edge-sponsored co-curricular activities.
The successful discussion leader will meet and commit to the following requirements:
- Participate in Discussion Leader Training
- Lead a discussion section once a week during Summer Session II
- Commit 10 hours a week to preparing and facilitating a discussion group, attending class lectures, reviewing student work, maintaining class records, and attending weekly discussion leader meetings
- Maintain attendance and assignment records for all discussion section students
- Communicate effectively with students, peers, and staff
- Have experience working effectively on a team
- Serve as a positive role model and mentor
- Be flexible and able to deal effectively with change
- Have an understanding of and experience working with diverse populations
- Have experience facilitating group discussion and peer learning
As a successful discussion leader, you will be provided with the following opportunities:
- Share information and be a valuable resource to incoming UCI students
- Serve as a role model and mentor to incoming UCI students
- Strengthen your teamwork, leadership, communication, and presentation skills
- Interact with administrators and other professionals at UCI
- Learn and gain hands-on experience developing meaningful learning experiences
- Make yourself a more competitive candidate for future career opportunities
Remuneration:
$34.20 per hour for ~60 hours (10 hours per week), ~$2,052 total
Applications are due by March 14th @ 5 pm. To apply, please forward your CV, cover letter, and list of 3 references to:
Jonathan Alexander, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Division of Undergraduate Education
Professor of English, Education, and Gender & Sexuality Studies
jfalexan@uci.edu
Study Opportunity for Graduate Students
Hugo Sanchez Hernandez is recruiting for a study about how graduate students share their academic achievements with others. This study will consist of, first, a one-on-one interview conducted through Zoom (~ one hour) and, second, completing online questionnaires (~ 30 minutes), for a combined total of up to 90 minutes. Participants will be compensated with a $10 Target gift card.
You are eligible to participate in this study:
1) if you are a current graduate student.
2) if no parent/guardian of yours has obtained a 4-year college degree.
If you have any questions or are interested in participating in this study, please email me at sanchezcrh@gmail.com.
Announcing New Summer 2021 NSF Methods CAMP (Cultural Anthropology Methods Program: Advanced Research Training for PhD Students)
Summer program offers a 3-week intensive methods training for PhD students, featuring instruction by leading methodologists.
- Application deadline is March 15, 2021
- Click here for more information: https://methods4all.org/camp/
Office Hours:
Monday, March 1: 2PM, with me: https://uci.zoom.us/j/7277477057
Tuesday, March 2: 2PM with me: https://uci.zoom.us/j/7277477057
Wednesday, March 3: 1PM, with Assoc Dean Rodrigo Lazo: https://uci.zoom.us/j/7277477057
Thursday, March 4: Noon, with Assoc Dean Jaymi Smith: https://uci.zoom.us/j/4520706918
Friday, March 5: 5PM with me: https://uci.zoom.us/j/7277477057
In Closing:
It is hard to believe that we are nearly one year from the time we all went home for just a few weeks. So much has changed while we have been gone. As we see some rays of light though, I will tell you all what I have been hearing in so many meetings and what I have been repeating to others: If we go through all this pain and we do not make serious changes on the other side, it will be a lost opportunity. We will never return to normal. For so many, what was our old normal wasn’t a particularly good state of being anyway.
Kristin Armstrong, the most decorated female cyclist in US history, said “Times of transition are strenuous, but I love them. They are an opportunity to purge, rethink priorities, and be intentional about new habits. We can make our new normal any way we want.”
It is time to start thinking about our post-pandemic lives and building the kind of post-pandemic university we want. I encourage you all, as you emerge from the trials of this year, to be mindful of how you will spend your time, to invest it wisely in issues that matter to you, to create the kind of university, society, and world that you want to live and work and study in. We have an incredible opportunity before us, and while I will miss wearing yoga pants to work every day, I look forward to seizing that opportunity with all of you.
On behalf of the Graduate Division,
Gillian Hayes
Kleist Professor of Informatics
Vice Provost for Graduate Education
Dean of the Graduate Division