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News and Notes: Yosemite Podcast Features Faculty, Free Tacos and Farewell to Summer

July 17, 2018

UC Merced Faculty Discuss Yosemite in New Podcast Series Debut

Capital Public Radio has launched a new series about Yosemite National Park, and School of Engineering faculty members Catherine Keske and Jeff Jenkins are featured in the debut episode. YosemiteLand is a podcast that looks at how decisions made today will affect visitors in the years to come as the region learns to manage a changing environment and increased tourism.

Additional UC Merced faculty will figure prominently in subsequent episodes, which will be released over the next few weeks. Look for new episodes on Monday mornings. Follow this link to listen to the first episode and to subscribe to the podcast.

Come Hear About Ooooby and Enjoy Free Tacos

If you like free tacos, organic produce and want to support local farmers, then head to the Garden Dining Room in the Yablokoff Wallace Dining Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 18, to learn about Ooooby.

Fresno-based Ooooby delivers fresh, organic produce to UC Merced weekly for as little as $13 a box. The company has a rich network of local and organic growers and suppliers that produce a variety of seasonal fruit and vegetables. The produce pick-up event happens from 2-5 p.m. every Tuesday at the Early Childhood Education Center, and the company accepts EBT/CalFresh.

For more information about Oooooby, visit the website, call 559-ORGANIC (674-2642) or email fresno@ooooby.com. You can also email basicneeds@ucmerced.edu.

CARE Office Hosts Self-Care Events July 23 and July 30

Looking for ways to de-stress and practice self-care? Consider joining UC Merced’s Campus Advocacy Resources and Education (CARE) Office for two self-care events.

Participants will complete fun do-it-youself crafts and painting. Supplies will be provided. Both events take place from from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Bobcat Lair. The July 23 event is for students and the one on July 30 is for staff and faculty members. For more details, contact the CARE Office.

UC Merced Honor Society Recognized by National Chapter

UC Merced’s chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) has been awarded Bronze Star status by the national group for 2017-18.

Bronze Star chapters are lauded as leaders in implementing engaging, student-centered events at their campuses and in their local community. In a letter to the campus announcing the honor, the national organization complimented UC Merced for its exceptional work and commitment to NSCS’s ideals. UC Merced’s chapter was established in 2015.

NSCS is a national, nonprofit organization that recognizes high-achieving first- and second-year students. The group includes 320 chapters across the country. The organization distributes more than $1 million in scholarships, awards and chapter funds annually.

Lab Seeks Spanish Translators for Research Project

UC Merced’s Health Communications and Interventions (HCI) Lab is looking for individuals to translate research study materials into Spanish for Spanish-speaking couples who face terminal illness. Scholar Sara Fleszar is creating an intervention for couples who face relationship difficulties when one is terminally ill. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 20. Visit the HCI Lab website for more information.

Series Showcases Science, Research for Community Members

UC Merced kicked off its Science for Humanity series this week with a talk by chemistry and chemical biology Professor Andy LiWang titled, “Biological Clock Reassembled in a Test Tube,” which covered science, technology and reproduction.

Hosted by the NSF-CREST Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines (CCBM), the Science for Humanity series invites community members to participate in talks led by UC Merced faculty that focus on major topics of societal relevance. Participants will discover how local research aims to improve the way people live.

The talks, from 7 to 8 p.m., are community-focused and family friendly. Admission is free and so is parking after 6 p.m. in North Bowl 1 Lot. All talks will take place in room 170 of the Student Services Building unless noted otherwise. Upcoming presentations include:

  • July 31 : Professor LeRoy Westerling, “Our Changing Climate and Extreme Wildfires in California and the West;”
  • Aug. 22 : Executive Director Armando Quintero of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute, “Water in California – “Connecting the Drops From Your Home to a Statewide View;”
  • Aug. 28 : Professor Kara McCloskey, “Regenerative Medicine: Hype of Hope?”
  • Sept. 26 : Associate Adjunct Professor and senior research specialist Aleksandr Noy, “Carbon Nanofluidics: Can Biomimetic Membranes Help Solve the Water Crisis?” in room 120 of Classroom and Office Building 1.

For more information, email Nora Cole or call 209-3603.

Enjoy Food, Fun at End-of-Summer Barbecue on Aug. 2

The Office of Student Life (OSL) and Splash into Summer program invite students, staff and faculty members to celebrate the end of summer with a barbecue from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 2 at Lake Yosemite. Come and enjoy food, friends and hot fun in the sun as we say farewell to summer and prepare for start of the 2018-19 academic year. There’s no need to RSVP, but come early; when the food is gone, that’s it. For more information, contact OSL’s James Hatten at 209-228-5433 or email the Office of Student Life .

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