UCI announced the official launch of the Brilliant Future campaign, which is the second 10-figure philanthropic effort in its history, on Friday, Oct. 4. Students, faculty and alumni attended the opening of Brilliant Future. Chancellor Howard Gillman, who gave a speech on the funding efforts of the campaign, was also in attendance.
UCI was invited in spring 2019 to participate in the Peer Body Project, an ongoing nationwide research study focused on reducing eating disorder risk factors such as “thin” body ideals and body dissatisfaction. Evidence of the research shows that the program has been effective for participants both at UCI and colleges across the country.
UCI Campus Recreation held a Self-Compassion Yoga day at the ARC on Saturday, Oct. 5 as part of Year of Yoga, a year where UCI is promoting student wellness by hosting and promoting yoga events.
The digital platform Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) became available for UCI students to promote self-help services on Aug. 16, 2018. Founder and chief science officer of TAO Connect, Dr. Sherry Benton, explained that TAO’s upbringing was centered around her own experience with students and mental health.
UCI’s CALPIRG chapter is pushing the university to ban single-use plastics through their fall campaign, which aims to have the UC system eliminate single-use plastics by 2022.
An open mic night was held by UCI’s literary journal, New Forum, to kick off their first event of the school year on Oct. 3. Hosted in the cross-section of the School of Humanities, the event became a platform for many voices.
UCI's Center for the Study of Cannabis hosted a Cannabis Awareness Week from Oct. 1 to Oct. 4 in conjunction with the UCI School of Medicine where they held educational talks, a “Reefer Madness (1936)” movie screening and set up an “Understanding Cannabis” booth on Ring Road.
Vice Provost for Academic Personnel Diane O’Dowd granted Lecturer Andrew Tonkovich paid medical leave for the duration of Fall Quarter 2019 on Oct. 7 after receiving backlash for denying Tonkovich’s request to receive paid leave twice.
Due to growing concerns about pedestrian safety, in particular around Arroyo Drive, the UCI Police Department has aimed to decrease traffic accidents through education and greater enforcement of traffic laws.
UC President Janet Napolitano announced that she will step down from her position by Aug. 1, 2020 at the UC Board of Regents meeting held on Wednesday.
U.S. News & World Report ranked UC Irvine as the No. 9 public university in the U.S. in its Top Public Schools ranking. UCI also ranked as the no. 2 most sustainable university in Sierra Magazine, and took the #1 spot in Money Magazine as the best university for “cost” and “quality.”
In response to recent accidents on Arroyo Drive, UCI senior Julien Goavec began a petition two weeks ago on change.org proposing street modifications to increase pedestrian safety.
