Top Story
New Hope for Chronic Pain Sufferers
For an estimated 76 million people in the U.S., pain is a way of life, clouding their days and tormenting their nights. In fact, chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. UCI’s new Center for Pain Management at Gottschalk Medical Plaza now offers them hope. Established by the Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care, it’s the only comprehensive, multidisciplinary outpatient practice in Orange County that provides a complete spectrum of pain management techniques in one location.
Headlines
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Campus News & Announcements
Freemasonry: Fact vs. Fiction
Dan Brown’s latest best-seller, The Lost Symbol, has stirred public interest in the Freemasons, a society for upper-class men that began during the Enlightenment. In the book, fictional Harvard University professor Robert Langdon must decipher Masonic symbols and codes to find a missing Freemason. UCI’s Lilith Mahmud studies “secret” groups like the Freemasons. Her research has taken her to Italy, where she lived among Freemasons for 18 months. The assistant professor of women’s studies, anthropology, and culture & theory discusses the appeal of secret societies and the accuracy of Brown’s depiction of the Freemasons. Photo by Steve Zylius and Hoang Xuan Pham, University Communications.
Engineering Hall Houses New Biomedical Engineering Research Center
Engineering Hall is the latest jewel in UCI’s cluster of world-class research facilities – a striking 123,000-square-foot, five-floor structure with state-of-the-art laboratories, a 350-seat auditorium, and headquarters for the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. The building – officially dedicated Oct. 29 – also is home to a new cardiovascular research and training center created with a $5 million endowment from one of Orange County’s largest medical products companies, Edwards Lifesciences Corp. Shown: Dr. Steven George, the center’s founding director. Photo by Steve Zylius, University Communications.
UCI to Host 16th Annual Religious Diversity Forum
The 16th annual Religious Diversity Forum, addressing “Faith & Community Service,” will take place at UCI 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Student Center. David Levinson, founder of Big Sunday Weekend, the largest regional community service event in the country, is the keynote speaker. Clergy and leaders from eight faiths will host breakout sessions, and participants will learn skills and tools for effecting change at the local level. Full-day registration, including a vegetarian lunch, is $45; $15 for students.
Contact: Sande Hart, 949.584.7841 or sandehart@cox.net
Sackler Colloquium to Celebrate Darwin
The year of Darwinian celebration will close with an Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia of the National Academy of Sciences event devoted to human evolution. “In the Light of Evolution IV: The Human Condition” will be held Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 10-12, at the Beckman Center. The event will bring together leading experts in biological and cultural evolution. A preliminary program can be viewed online. Registration includes the cost of meals, reception and banquet: discounted early registration by Sunday, Nov. 15, is $300, $150 for students and postdocs; $350 after Nov. 15. Attendance is limited to 230 registered individuals. Registration will be accepted only when the fee is included and in the order received.
UCi brief Holiday Schedule
UCi brief will have a modified publication schedule for the holiday season. Due to Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, UCi brief will be published Tuesday, Nov. 10, with the submission deadline noon Friday, Nov. 6. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there will not be an issue on Nov. 25, but regular weekly publication will resume Dec. 2. As always, UCi brief welcomes your comments and suggestions.
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Research Discovery
Bad Driving May Have Genetic Basis, UCI Study Finds
Bad drivers may in part have their genes to blame, suggests a new study by UCI neuroscientists. People with a particular gene variant performed more than 20 percent worse on a driving test than people without it – and a follow-up test a few days later yielded similar results. About 30 percent of Americans have the variant. “These people make more errors from the get-go, and they forget more of what they learned after time away,” said Dr. Steven Cramer, neurology associate professor and senior author of the study, published recently in the journal Cerebral Cortex. Photo by Steve Zylius, University Communications.
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Involvement Opportunities
Lend Staff Helping Hands
Need a helping hand for the holidays? Or are you fortunate to have enough to share? Staff Assembly is sponsoring the annual UCI Staff Holiday Helping Hands Program to assist UCI families in need. This confidential program will pair families who need assistance anonymously with those able to help. Visit the Staff Assembly Web site and complete the appropriate form by Monday, Nov. 16.
A&PW Adopt-a-Family Holiday Project
Now in its 19th year, Academic & Professional Women’s annual Adopt-a-Family Holiday Project, coordinated by its Community Service Committee, is seeking departments or individuals interested in adopting a Verano Place or Palo Verde student family for the holidays. The deadline is Monday, Nov. 9.
Contact: Cindy Fern, 949.824.7517 or cindy.fern@uci.edu
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Work/Life
November Is ‘Stand Up’ Month
The Wellness & Safety Partnership reminds the campus community that November is “Stand Up” Month. “Stand up” for a good cause. Step up, fight cancer, quit smoking, prevent spreading the flu – whatever your cause, the Wellness & Safety Partnership wants to remind you to “stand up.” For more information and resources, check out the partnership’s online toolkit.
Open Enrollment: Enroll in Flexible Spending Accounts Every Year
Employees must enroll or re-enroll each year for flexible spending accounts during Open Enrollment. Those who expect to have between $180 and $5,000 of out-of pocket expenses should consider enrolling. Flexible spending accounts allow employees to pay for eligible dependent care and health-related expenses on a pre-tax, salary-reduction basis. Use the calculators available on the Open Enrollment Web site to help estimate the amount to set aside. Remember, 2009 Health Flexible Spending expenses must be incurred by March 15, 2010, and filed by April 15, 2010, to CONEXIS. Open Enrollment ends 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24.
‘Dig, Set, Spike!’ with Staff Assembly & Athletics
Join the excitement and watch the No. 23-ranked women’s volleyball team take on Orange County rival Cal State Fullerton 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at the Bren Events Center. All UCI campus and medical center staff can receive up to five complimentary tickets. Pick up tickets at the Staff Assembly table outside the east entrance (near the Anteater statue) starting at 6 p.m. on game day. The first 100 staff members at the match will receive a free Staff Assembly sports event T-shirt. Tickets must be reserved in advance at the Staff Assembly Web site. More information on discounted Anteater athletic event tickets for staff is available online.
Contact: Mike Puritz, mipuritz@uci.edu
Save Money with Entertainment Books
The Staff Assembly 2009-10 Entertainment Books are now on sale. Every dollar raised through the sale of the books goes toward the Staff Assembly Career Enhancement Scholarship Program, which helps UCI career staff members continue their education in associate, bachelor’s or graduate programs at community colleges, state colleges or universities. Entertainment Books contain hundreds of discounts on local entertainment venues, restaurants and services for only $35. To purchase an Entertainment Book, complete an application online.
Contact: Monica Prentice, 949.824.2239
Video: Staff Celebrate Halloween
Check out the video of Staff Assembly’s 2009 Annual Halloween Costume Contest. Congratulations to the winners: Scariest – Joani Harrington (Registrar’s Office) as a zombie; Most Original – Kelly Douglas (University Advancement) as a robot; Best Character – Evie Anderson (shown, Equal Opportunity & Diversity) as a finger pie lady. Photo and video by Steve Zylius, University Communications.
Prevent Cuts and Lacerations
In 2007, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that more than 100,000 workers lost an average of four workdays due to cuts and lacerations, the third most common type of non-fatal work injury. Cuts and lacerations can happen whether working with tools in a lab, workshop or office. Environmental Health & Safety would like to remind everyone to follow these recommendations: Be safety conscious when using hand tools that can puncture or cut. Keep hand tools in good repair; dull tools can slip and cause injuries more than sharp tools. Wear gloves to protect hands. Sweep up broken glass and dispose of it safely; do not pick up glass with your hands. To treat minor cuts, apply direct pressure, wash with mild soap and water and, when the bleeding has stopped, cover with a bandage that will not stick to the injury. Report any injuries to your supervisor as soon as possible.
Wellness & Safety Partnership: Did You Know?
Slips, trips and falls account for more than 1 million injuries and 16,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
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People
ITS Researchers Win Pyke Johnson Outstanding Paper Award
A team of Institute of Transportation Studies researchers has won the prestigious Pyke Johnson Outstanding Paper Award from the U.S. Transportation Research Board. The award is given annually for the best paper presented at the TRB annual meeting in the area of planning and environment and is subsequently published in the TRB Transportation Research Record. The 2009 winning paper is “Environmental Impacts of a Major Freight Corridor: A Study of I-710 in California,” co-authored by Gunwoo Lee, Soyoung (Iris) You, Stephen Ritchie, Jean-Daniel Saphores, Mana Sangkapichai and R. Jayakrishnan. The award will be presented at the TRB 89th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., in January.
Koenig, Bey Honored for International Emergency Medicine Expertise
UCI emergency medicine professors Drs. Kristi Koenig and Tareg Bey have been awarded the Order of the International Federation for Emergency Medicine, for significant contributions and commitment to the specialty of emergency medicine in their own country and abroad. A leading honor in the area of international medicine, the order has been awarded to fewer than 100 emergency medicine physicians worldwide. Both Koenig and Bey are recognized around the globe for their expertise on disaster preparedness and have worked with foreign governments on their emergency response efforts. Both also have been appointed “international ambassadors” for the American College of Emergency Physicians, helping to promote emergency medicine in Europe and Asia. They will receive their honor at an IFEM conference next June.
Bean Receives Grant to Study U.S. Immigrant Health
Frank D. Bean, sociology and economics Chancellor’s Professor, is a co-recipient of a $1.34 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health & Development, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Bean will use the grant to study the health of immigrants living in the U.S. The resulting information will be made publicly available for future studies on immigrant health.
Richards Receives NIH Grant to Study Background Noise & Hearing
Virginia Richards, cognitive scientist and hearing specialist in the School of Social Sciences, has received a $192,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, to conduct a study on how certain background noises may improve a person’s ability to detect new sounds in a noisy environment. Richards has studied the complexities of human hearing for 20 years, the first 19 as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania before she joined the UCI faculty in January of this year.
Zachariah Hopes to Make a Difference Among the World’s Poor
Benji Zachariah sees the world as his classroom, and he encourages fellow UCI students to do the same. The public health sciences junior hopes one day to be a physician like his father. But instead of confining his education to the UCI campus, Zachariah spent a month this summer providing healthcare to Chinese farming families. He found his calling during a student internship with China California Heart Watch, a nonprofit run by UCI radiology professor Dr. Robert Detrano that screens for heart disease and offers basic healthcare to the poor in rural China. Photo by Brandon Fini.
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Sports Update
Highlight: Women’s Volleyball
Women’s volleyball hosts Cal State Northridge 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Crawford Court.
Highlight: Men’s Water Polo
Men’s water polo hosts Stanford noon Sunday, Nov. 8, and Concordia 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8. Both matches take place at Anteater Aquatics Complex.
Keeping Score
Follow these links to get the Anteaters’ latest results.
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Research Recruitments
Study Seeks Adults with Major Depressive Disorder
Dr. Rimal B. Bera is currently conducting a research study at UC Irvine Medical Center to determine whether AZD6765, an investigational drug, has an effect on depression when taken together with current prescribed depression medication. AZD6765 is being developed for individuals with symptoms of depression and who have responded poorly to currently available antidepressants. To be eligible, participants must:
Participation in the study will last approximately 13 weeks. Compensation of up to $680 will be provided to those who qualify and complete the study. IRB HS#: 2009-6787
Contact: 888.824.1588 or 714.456.6317 or dianne.sullivan@uci.edu
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University Communications
Informing campus and community
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Quicklinks
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Quotable
Zell on Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trials
“It is hoped that these new clinical trials will provide definitive recommendations for colorectal cancer risk reduction among colorectal cancer survivors.” – Dr. Jason A. Zell, hematology/oncology assistant adjunct professor, commenting on clinical trials on colorectal cancer and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like ibuprofen or naproxen). ABC News, Oct. 29, 2009.
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UCI in the News
Get a Daily Dose:
UCI in the News, a compendium of articles featuring UCI, is available by e-mail each workday from University Communications.
Contact asamano@uci.edu to be added to the distribution list. Daily news clips are also available at: today.uci.edu/news
/newsclips.php
For breaking news, visit Zot!Wire – UCI’s frequently updated newswire.
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Featured Events
Institute for Money, Technology & Financial Inclusion
First Annual Conference for Funded Research.
10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4. Student Center, Doheny Beach Room. Free. Registration required. Continues Nov. 5.
Rainbow Festival & Conference
Cultural Fair & Performances.
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4. Ring Mall. Keynote address with Dr. Sylvia Quadrelli, co-founder of Medicos del Mundo Argentina (Doctors of the World): noon-1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, Cross-Cultural Center, Dr. Joseph White Conference Room. A Woman Among Warlords: presentation and book signing with Malalai Joya, Afghan activist, 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, Student Center, Crystal Cove Auditorium. Free.
University Club Forum
Value Based Legacy Planning.
With Michael Crvarich, legacy planning executive director. 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4. University Club. $11.50-$13.50. RSVP.
Earth System Science
El Niño Without Southern Oscillation: A New View of Tropical Pacific Warming.
With Jin-Yi Yu, Earth system science associate professor. 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4. Croul Hall, Room 3101. Free.
Music
Gassmann Electronic Music Series.
With Steve Lehman, on saxophone and electronics. 4:30 p.m. discussion, 8 p.m. performance Wednesday, Nov. 4. Music & Media Building, Room 218. Free.
Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Wireless Communications and Networks: Status and Future Challenges.
With Ender Ayanoglu, electrical engineering & computer science professor. 5-6:20 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4. McDonnell Douglas Engineering Auditorium. Free.
Bookstore
Author Series.
With Victoria Patterson and Vicki Forman, novelists. 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4. Bookstore. Free.
Distinctive Voices @ The Beckman Center
Time’s Up.
With Ed Krupp, astronomer and Griffith Observatory director. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4. Beckman Center. Free.
Center for Emergency Response Technologies
Emergency Management: Incident, Resource and Supply Chain Management.
7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Calit2 Building. Free. Continues Nov. 6.
Business
Distinguished Speaker Series: Neel Grover, CEO, Buy.com.
6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Student Center, Pacific Ballroom D. Reception follows. $50, free for UCI staff and students (with code).
Film & Video Center
Cinephilia 101/ 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Directed by Stanley Kubrick. 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Humanities Instructional Building, Lucille Kuehn Auditorium (Room 100). $3-$6.
Arboretum
Saturday Plant and Fall Clearance Sale.
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. Arboretum. Free.
Music Chamber Series
English Viola Favorites.
With Jerzy Kosmala on viola and Lorna Griffitt on piano. 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. Winifred Smith Hall. $9-$14.
Education
Intended & Unintended Effects of Youth Bicycle Helmet Laws.
With Kitt Carpenter, economics/public policy associate professor. Noon-1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9. Education, Room 3238.
Public Health Seminar
Cholera, Canker Rash and Consumption: Historical Epidemiology and Nosology in Massachusetts, 1850-1920.
With Alan Swedlund, anthropology professor emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Noon-1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9. Social Science Lab, Room 140.
Event sponsors: Send information regarding upcoming events to
calendar@uci.edu.
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