University of California, Merced - Michelle Morgante

Low-Wage Work Is Linked to Spread of COVID-19, Study Finds

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 18:52:51 +0000

By Michelle Morgante, ��ϰٿ�

July 21, 2020

California counties that surpass state averages for both households living below a living wage and the number of people in a household are more likely to appear on the state watchlist for COVID-19.

California counties with high numbers of low-wage workers are seeing higher incidence of COVID-19, suggesting a link between so-called “worker distress” and spread of the virus, according to a new study by ��ϰٿ�’s Community and Labor Center.

While efforts to contain COVID-19 have centered on regulating large gatherings and closing certain businesses, the findings suggest authorities must also track transmissions within low-wage industries and create a greater safety net for workers in essential jobs.

“COVID-19 may travel through tightly congested work environments or overcrowded housing,” said the study’s authors, sociology Professor Edward Orozco Flores and Community and Labor Center Executive Director Ana Padilla.

“In turn, the lack of options available to low-wage, essential workers to cope with the pandemic — as many lack access to unemployment benefits, emergency paid sick or family leave or health insurance — places low-wage workers and their communities at higher risk of COVID-19 infection and transmission.”

The study of data from California’s 58 counties and the U.S. Census Bureau found a strong relationship between low-wage work and COVID-19 positive test rates. It also identified industries with the greatest prevalence of low wages, such as agricultural work, food services, transportation and other essential roles.

Analysts examined worker distress by considering the percentage of households living below a living wage and the number of people in a household. Fifteen counties that surpassed state averages for both measures were deemed to be high in worker distress.

The counties include seven in the San Joaquin Valley: Tulare, Kern, Kings, Fresno, Madera, Merced and Stanislaus. Others were San Joaquin, Sutter and Yuba in Northern California; and Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial in Southern California.

Nearly all of the counties with high worker distress are on the state watchlist for those with COVID-19 positivity rates above 8 percent. In comparison, only two of the 37 counties with low worker distress were above that threshold.

The relationship between worker distress and COVID-19 positivity held constant across rural, suburban and urban regions, the study found.

Community and Labor Center Executive Director Ana Padilla and sociology Professor Edward Orozco Flores

Low-wage workers and their communities have been put at higher risk of virus exposure, with Blacks and Latinos suffering the highest rates of infection and death. And people who must work due to a lack of unemployment benefits, emergency leave or health insurance place themselves and their families and neighbors at increased risk.

The study’s authors recommend that COVID-19 positivity rates be tracked by industry to help develop workplace health and safety standards that could counter the virus’ spread. The broader public will be made safer through efforts to reform workplace health and safety and to give workers greater access to unemployment benefits, health care and paid leave, it said.

Padilla and Flores were invited to present their findings at the July 16 meeting of the state Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. The body began steps to act on the findings within the next year.

“Our findings indicate low-wage work is associated with the spread of COVID-19, and that to mitigate COVID-19 spread it is not enough to simply regulate business openings and public gatherings,” the authors said. “Policymakers must also innovate health and safety reforms focused on the workplace and provide a greater safety net for workers.”

Professor Mark Aldenderfer Closes His Time at ��ϰٿ� and Seeks New Mountains to Climb

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 21:31:07 +0000

By Michelle Morgante, ��ϰٿ�

July 14, 2020

Professor Emeritus Mark Aldenderfer

Esteemed archaeologist and anthropologist Mark Aldenderfer, the new Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorship endowed chair, brings his distinguished time on campus to a close this month, as he steps away from daily life of the university.

Aldenderfer joined the ��ϰٿ� campus in 2010, becoming dean of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts. He is best known for his comparative interdisciplinary studies of high-elevation adaptation from an archaeological perspective.

His many achievements also include recent archaeological research in Tibet and Nepal and serving as editor of Current Anthropology, one of the field’s most prestigious academic journals. A native of Ohio, Aldenderfer was a faculty member at the University of Arizona and UC Santa Barbara before ��ϰٿ�.

Aldenderfer was one of ��ϰٿ�’s first two professors to be named a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur chair.

Aldenderfer, who officially departed ��ϰٿ� on July 1, is transitioning his life and work to Santa Fe, N.M., where he will continue his lifelong exploration of how the ancient past continues to shape the world’s future.

Below, Aldenderfer shares thoughts on his career and his plans going forward.

Q: What have been the highlights of your time at ��ϰٿ�?

A: There have been many. I am proud to have been the dean of SSHA during a crucial growth phase. Over the 5½ years of my tenure as dean, I was able to bring to campus dozens and dozens of new faculty, many of whom have gone on to impressive careers — I think about 60 or 70 faculty came in under my tenure. In fact, the new dean of SSHA, Jeff Gilger, was one of my hires. He'll be a fine dean.

I also was able to grow the staff to a reasonable size. And many of my hires are still working and thriving in the school. I was pleased to serve on the chancellor's cabinet as a member of senior leadership as Dorothy Leland developed her plans for the remarkable expansion of the campus. As a scholar, two things stand out: my appointment as a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation endowed chair and my achievement of the rank of distinguished professor. The MacArthur allowed me to expand my research, and my appointment as distinguished professor — the highest rank a professor can obtain in the UC system — was a great honor that helped to cap my career as a scholar.

Professor Emeritus Mark Aldenderfer

Q: What brought you to ��ϰٿ�? And what are your thoughts about where the university is going?

A: I had not been seeking a career in administration, but things happen. During my time at UC Santa Barbara, however, I became very interested in the IT issues on the campus, first at the college level, and then campus wide, when I was appointed to be the director of the Office of Information Technology. I was instrumental in getting such a position created at the campus and was especially pleased that it eventually evolved into a permanent, full-time CIO.

At the time, I reported to the EVC/provost, who left to become a head-hunter for an academic executive search firm. I was at the University of Arizona at the time and she calls me out of the blue and tells me she has the perfect job for me. I applied and was selected. I was anxious to get back in the UC system for a number of reasons and the challenge of building out ��ϰٿ� was intriguing.

Where is the university going? All bets are off due to the pandemic. It has aspirations to join the ranks of very high research-intensive universities. It will take continued expansion of the faculty, recruitment of graduate students, and more. And while I know ��ϰٿ� has students from all over California, I also think that it will be the most "regional" of the UCs. Indeed, it has taken on that role already and my sense is that priorities in funding faculty and departmental growth will favor those programs that fit most effectively within that emphasis.

Q: What inspired you to start on the career path you have made?

A: I've wanted to be an archaeologist since early childhood. I was raised by my grandparents; my uncle left many of his college books in the attic. I'd sneak up there and became fascinated by images of dinosaurs and their bones — somehow, I translated that to archaeology. But by third grade, I already knew the difference between archaeology and paleontology. My class wrote what they called a class future; for my bit, I explicitly said I wanted to be an archaeologist. In third grade, what do you know? But hey, it worked out.

Q: What has been the biggest surprise of your career?

A: Archaeology is full of surprises. Honestly, you never know quite what you are going to find when you start digging. But some discoveries stand out: One was the discovery of the earliest gold in the Americas at the site of Jiskairumoko in the Andes of Peru. We knew the site was going to be ideal for answering questions about the domestication of plants like potatoes or quinoa, but the discovery of the gold was wholly unexpected. It really shouldn't have been there, but it was! One of my Peruvian crew brought me over to a unit they were digging. It was a human skull; as I started working in the unit, I saw the tiniest glimmer of color near the base of the skull in the soil. The glimmer turned out to be what we interpret as a gold necklace composed of nine beads and 11 small blue disks of sodalite. It was found near the base of the skull which was the only human remains in that burial context. Gold had never been found in the early societies — the hunters and gatherers — of the Andes so the discovery was of real significance.

Q: You’ve traveled to many places during your career. Which place is your favorite?

A: Ah, a trick question! Almost everywhere I've been holds a special place in my heart and soul. I've enjoyed the contrasts of jungles and arid plateaus, of mountains and beaches. If I have to choose, it will be the high mountains of the Andes and Himalayas — stunning vistas, wonderful people and very cool archaeology!

"I will miss that daily grind. And while I will always have mountains to climb and enjoy, I will miss Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada very much. But as I write this, I can see the Jemez mountains off in the western distance. Some things never change."

Mark Aldenderfer

Q: What do you plan to do next? How will you be spending your time?

A: The idea of retirement, at least in one sense, is frightening. I've spent 65 years of my life in some sort of school environment, from kindergarten to university. The pace of the academic cycle has provided a welcome structure, one punctuated by summer or longer field seasons. Leaving that behind is bittersweet and challenging. So while I will be leaving behind teaching and administrative duties, I will be have much more time to keep my research going. I have data from years of work that needs to be published as well as curated, and I still have plans (COVID-19 willing) for more fieldwork in Nepal. I'll keep that up until the wheels fall off. So, no make-work hobbies for me: I can't imagine making ships in a bottle or anything quite like that. And I still have more travel in mind. There are so many places to see before I check out.

Q: What are your hopes for the future?

A: Personal or global? I hope to remain healthy enough long enough to finish the ongoing projects as well as curate materials from earlier research. At a global level, I can only hope that we find a way out of the bitter divisions plaguing our country. I also hope we, as a global people, come to some sort of mutual understanding about mitigating the effects of anthropogenic climate warming. I hope that my grandchildren will have a stable and clean planet in which to live. Do I believe that it will happen? Let’s just say I have my doubts and worries.

Q: What do you hope to see develop in the fields of archaeology and anthropology? What are the big questions that remain unanswered?

A: We know more about the past than ever before: Advances in archaeological science, or archaeometry, have made that happen. We can now address questions about the past, some of which were posed many decades ago, with realistic hopes of coming up with answers to them.

Using ancient DNA technologies, we can now track the movement of ancient peoples around the globe. Other technologies give us amazing data about ancient diets even back to millions of years ago. But one of the areas of archaeology that needs more attention is how archaeology can contribute insights into modern problems. I know it seems like a stretch, but it can be done. I've been working with a team of other archaeologists to look at how archaeology can work with indigenous peoples about how to cope specifically within the context of climate-related migration in an increasingly and rapidly warming planet. Our team submitted a grant to NSF and, while it was not funded, we got considerable encouragement for the effort and its value. We'll be revising it. So projects like these can "give back" and show that archaeology is not a "luxury" discipline. Archaeology also has a role to play in working with indigenous peoples worldwide to help them tell their own stories of the past. This kind of community-focused research has become increasingly common and it's a trend that deserves real funding and wider recognition.

Q: What advice do you have for the ��ϰٿ� community?

A: When I was dean, I often asked senior administrators, faculty, and staff this question: "What does ��ϰٿ� want to be when it grows up?" I wasn't being flippant (certain people may have thought so cue the eye rolls), but just asking people to start thinking about priorities. As you might expect, the answers varied by discipline and relative degree of overlap in common vision. The obvious problem is that ��ϰٿ� will never be a UCLA or Berkeley in terms of developing a very large range of research emphases, degrees, schools or whatever. Given the reality of funding, especially in the days of the pandemic, ��ϰٿ� must be far more deliberate in what it sees for its future. This means that some programs will grow while others will stay stable or even be combined.

��ϰٿ� is making progress here. The focus on the Central Valley is one way this is being accomplished, and health, agriculture, engineering and community-engaged research in the social sciences and humanities are emerging themes. This is all good.

But as these themes develop, I would ask that everyone remember that a university is not an enterprise solely directed at instrumental outcomes. There is a life of the mind that must be encouraged and cultivated, and not every field can be neatly boxed into the emerging themes. I'm not asking for lavish funding. That would contradict my thesis. But the life of the mind beyond these themes must be tended and cultivated. Yeah, tall order, I know. And I've lived through way too many "strategic planning processes" to have much faith in them. But planning will have to happen, so you un-retired folks, buckle up for the ride.

Q: What will you miss most about ��ϰٿ�?

A: It's been a pleasure to have had a role in helping both the university but, perhaps more importantly, the people who have made it grow and thrive. Some of the hires I helped make as dean are now department chairs, and it's a real satisfaction to watch them move into leadership positions. Other colleagues have received academic distinctions for which I played a minor role. As I move out of daily life at ��ϰٿ�, opportunities to relive this sense of satisfaction will diminish. And while I and others have complained about the many bureaucratic chores that come with being a faculty member and chair, I often reflect that each task, no matter how small, keeps me a member of a community — a life in the university — that has been the focus of my career. In that way, I will miss that daily grind. And while I will always have mountains to climb and enjoy, I will miss Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada very much. But as I write this, I can see the Jemez mountains off in the western distance. Some things never change.

Professor’s Documentary Film about Refugee Family Honored at Vienna International Festival

Anonymous — Thu, 07 May 2020 23:17:53 +0000

By Michelle Morgante

May 7, 2020

Professor Yehuda Sharim's film "Songs that Never End" is a finalist in Ethnocineca 2020

“Songs that Never End,” Professor Yehuda Sharim’s intimate film about a family transitioning from Iran to life in Texas, is a finalist contender in the International Documentary Film Festival Vienna and will stream on the festival’s site for one week starting Thursday.

The feature-length documentary follows the Dayan family who, having fled danger in their homeland, face a wave of challenges as they struggle to adjust to life amid the sprawl of Houston. Sharim’s camera tells their story through the eyes of 9-year-old Hannah, whose spirit is shaped by the weight of life as a refugee.

“How does she see the world, the U.S.? What does she think about human beings? How does she make sense of the inequality that impacts her parents in a very direct way?” Sharim asked. “This piece is about her. Where does she find beauty and love amidst all of this chaos?”

In a scene shared in the film’s trailer, Hannah and her older brother, Ali, discuss their visions for the future.

“I wish all humans on Earth happiness and loveness,” Ali says.

“Me, too. I wish that,” Hannah agrees, before adding, “but this is never gonna happen.”

Professor Yehuda Sharim

Sharim, who is part of ��ϰٿ�’s Global Arts, Media and Writing Studies interdisciplinary program, began working with the Dayan family in his previous film, “ Seeds of All Things.” The 2016 documentary explored the experiences of migrants as they pass through a health clinic in southwest Houston, home to a high concentration of immigrant communities.

The experiences lived by the Dayan family are ones that ring true for all of us, Sharim said, particularly as we cope with the global pandemic and the inequalities it exposes.

The film, he said, “humanizes the experience of displacement that many immigrants and refugees face daily. It questions how we deal with loss, defeats, terrors, and how we cope with pain and with death. Those questions pertain to all of us, especially now as we seek shelter and kindness. Can our pain be transformed?”

Psychological sciences Professor Anna Song said the film is a “must-see” for students in the fields of social justice and equity, and makes it a requirement for her classes.

“What unfolds in this family’s stories are within-family struggles that are clearly microcosms of larger societal and cultural issues,” Song said in a review. “Perhaps the most important aspect of Sharim’s film is that it is a brutally honest depiction of refugee life in America. The complexities and consequences of diaspora, especially for individuals and their families, are laid out in their raw forms.”

“At the heart of the matter, this tragic moment with all its bleakness is our chance to imagine and act together; a reminder that we are all mortal and we all depend on one another, a fact that complicates all divisions that surround us.”

Yehuda Sharim

“Songs that Never End” is one of five finalists for best international documentary in the festival, which is known as Ethnocineca 2020. In all, 50 films were selected for the festival, which cancelled its in-person events due to the coronavirus. After Vienna, the film is expected to travel to film festivals and art venues in Germany, France and Houston.

Sharim’s film will be among those that can be viewed online through May 14.

While he appreciates the honor, Sharim said his aim was not to win prizes. “I think films right now have become one of the most corrupted fields — with violence against women, obsession with ratings, and the limited and negative presentations of people of color. We need to think about films differently. It cannot be that films are only here to entertain us.”

Sharim’s next project will look at experiences in the Central Valley and contextualize them with the experience of other refugees.

Both the Valley and ��ϰٿ� are places that draw people from all over the world, said Sharim, who grew up in Israel, where his Iranian parents sought refuge.

“This moment of crisis is a reminder that our histories are much more complex than how we would like to think about them,” he said. “At the heart of the matter, this tragic moment with all its bleakness is our chance to imagine and act together; a reminder that we are all mortal and we all depend on one another, a fact that complicates all divisions that surround us.”

Students Can Go Online for Wide Range of Leadership, Service and Career Support Services

Anonymous — Tue, 05 May 2020 21:57:42 +0000

By Michelle Morgante, ��ϰٿ�

May 5, 2020

��ϰٿ�'s Office of Leadership, Service and Career provides online webinars and virtual events

��ϰٿ�’s support for students who are building leadership skills, engaging in community outreach or searching for careers is going strong during the campus’s move to remote instruction, with the Office of Leadership, Service and Career providing new webinars, online workshops and virtual events.

“Students are sharing with us they are eager to continue to build and develop themselves personally and professionally, so we have pivoted our services to meet them where they are,” said Brian O’Bruba, executive director of the Office of Leadership, Service and Career.

With the end of the semester fast approaching, many students are turning their attention to job searching. The Center for Career and Professional Advancement has quickly pivoted to virtual delivery of all its services for students and alumni and to create virtual recruiting events for partner employers.

��ϰٿ�’s Employer Relations team is working with Fortune 500 and regional employers to identify employment and internship opportunities. With a focus on industries where hiring is taking place, employers are connecting with ��ϰٿ� students and alumni through industry panels, information sessions and career conversations.

The campus is partnering with other UC campuses to offer a pair of systemwide virtual career fairs that will allow students to meet employers and network to learn about full-time positions, partnership experiences and internships.

A STEM-focused virtual career fair will take place May 26, followed by a general virtual career fair May 27, for non-technical careers. All students, from undergraduates to postdoctoral scholars, are welcome to participate.

Students were honored during the 2020 Leadership Awards virtual ceremony

“It may seem like the world is on hold right now, but that doesn’t mean employers aren’t eager to find talented prospects for their open positions. The skills ��ϰٿ� students are gaining by learning to operate remotely will help them as they search for positions,” said Elizabeth Atilano, interim director for Employer Connections and Internships.

Support for current Bobcats is also coming from alumni who are volunteering their time and talents to support career readiness. More than two dozen alums have agreed to help graduating Bobcats prepare for their job searches in a range of industries by reviewing resumes, offering advice and conducting practice interviews. Students can sign up through the Handshake career portal.

This week, the Souza Leadership Center kicks off a series of interactive workshops to address the specific needs students are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The workshops are open to all students, including graduate students. Register for the workshops online .

● A Fashion for Leadership! Identify Your Leadership Style

Tuesday, May 5 – 3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

● You Got This! Leading Confidently Through Uncertainty

Wednesday, May 6 – 3:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m. and Thursday, May 7 – 5:30 p.m.-6:15 p.m.

● Lead Fierce Like Beyoncé! 5 Effective Leadership Strategies for Women

Thursday, May 7 3:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m.

Semester-long development programs offered through the Souza Leadership Center continue to meet weekly such as the Yosemite Leadership Program; the UnDocu Bobcat Leadership Seminar ; Empower: Womxn’s Leadership Development Program ; and the Leadership & Service Living Learning Community , which holds virtual “check-ins” to keep members of the residential community in touch with one another.

“There are so many ways for ��ϰٿ� Bobcats to continue learning ways to engage in leadership and to connect with their fellow students,” said Jess Evora, associate director of the Souza Leadership Center.

“It may seem like the world is on hold right now, but that doesn’t mean employers aren’t eager to find talented prospects for their open positions."

Elizabeth Atilano

The Community Engagement Center is helping students find and support their community outreach goals by helping Bobcats connect with virtual service opportunities that can be done remotely. More information can be found at the center’s website. The center also continues to support basic needs security through programs such as the Bobcat Pantry and CalFresh. Information can be found online.

“We hope students will remember that we are here to help them no matter where they are. With finals and other pressures rising, it’s important that our Bobcats know that no one should feel alone at this time,” said Vernette Doty, director of the Community Engagement Center.

The Margo F. Souza Student Leadership Center drew more than 100 people to celebrate its annual Leadership Awards on May 1, capping Remote Leadership Week . Twenty awards were presented, and all participants in the center’s programs were recognized.

Tamalyn Ya, a senior and applied mathematics major who served as master of ceremonies for the event, said the programs and opportunities at ��ϰٿ� “allowed me to continue developing my leadership skills in order to support and mentor peers.”

"It was so beautiful to see all the love in the 'room' during the awards. To see the chat function during the event explode with love and encouragement for the recipients was extremely heart-warming,” Evora said.

��ϰٿ� Professor Arias Wins Guggenheim Fellowship

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 19:13:52 +0000

By Michelle Morgante, ��ϰٿ�

April 10, 2020

��ϰٿ� Professor Arturo Arias, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Chair

Arturo Arias, a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation professor in the Humanities at ��ϰٿ�, has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for his ground-breaking study of contemporary indigenous novels from Guatemala and Mexico.

Arias was one of 173 American and Canadian fellows announced Wednesday by the Board of Trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

“This fellowship represents a unique honor for any scholar because it recognizes the exceptional value, not just of a single project, but of an entire professional trajectory,” Arias said.

“It also validates the areas of investigation that I have either opened or helped significantly to develop — Central American-American studies, Central American cultural studies and Meso-American indigenous studies — all of which were largely invisible in U.S. academia during the early decades of my career.”

Arias is working on the third volume of his collection “Recovering Lost Footprints: Contemporary Indigenous Narratives,” exploring contemporary novels and short stories from Guatemala and Mexico. The works, which are published in the original language with a Spanish translation, “offer unique (and bilingual) insights into possible responses to current expressions of colonialism,” he said.

The Guggenheim fellowship will allow Arias to complete the third volume, which, in contrast to the first two, features authors who are not Maya but Zapoteco, Nahua, P’urhepecha Rarámuri and Wixárika. Volumes 1 and 2 were published in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

"Recovering Lost Footprints, Vol. 1" by Arturo Arias

Arias was born in Guatemala in 1950, and his early life was marked by the overthrow of democracy in 1954 and the ensuing military dictatorships and civil rebellions. He began his academic career as a scholar of Central American literature but, over the years, his focus shifted in important ways.

“For example, the absence of any recognition of Central America in what we now call Latinx literature led me to explore the cultural production of a group I call ‘Central American-Americans,’” he said.

In the 1990s, controversy arose over testimony from Nobel Peace Prize recipient Rigoberta Menchu, with some challenging the Guatemalan activist’s veracity. In his 2000 work “The Rigoberta Menchu Controversy,” Arias assembled documents and accounts giving perspective to the debate and the surrounding “culture wars” of the era.

This experience, he recalled, “led me to shift my focus toward indigenous studies. This initiative became linked to the increasing visibility of Native American and indigenous studies in the U.S. and other parts of the world, which eventually led to the foundation of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA).”

This work led the State University of New York Press to invite Arias to be editor of its Trans-Indigenous Decolonial Critiques Series in 2017.

"The absence of any recognition of Central America in what we now call Latinx literature led me to explore the cultural production of a group I call ‘Central American-Americans."

Arturo Arias

Last fall, Arias was named Visiting Research Scholar in the Program in Latin American Studies at Princeton University. His other honors include being named the Tomas Rivera Regents Professor in Spanish Language and Literature at The University of Texas at Austin in 2013 and a distinguished visiting professor at several universities across the United States and in New Zealand, Spain, Mexico and Brazil.

Arturo has received important awards for his narrative fiction, among them the Casa de las Americas Award for his novel “Itzam Na” (1982), the Anna Seghers Scholarship for “Jaguar en llamas” (1990), and the Miguel Angel Asturias National Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature (2008) in Guatemala.

Arias’ other published works include “Taking their Word: Literature and the Signs of Central America” (2007); “Critical Edition of Miguel Angel Asturias’s ‘Mulata’” (2000); “The Identity of the Word: Guatemalan Literature in Light of the New Century” (1998); and “Ceremonial Gestures: Central American Fiction 1960-1990” (1998).

Arias joins the 95th class of fellows to be recognized by the foundation. The honorees were chosen through a peer-review process from among almost 3,000 applicants.

“It’s exceptionally encouraging to be able to share such positive news at this terribly challenging time,” foundation President Edward Hirsch said in a statement. “The artists, writers, scholars and scientific researchers supported by the fellowship will help us understand and learn from what we are enduring individually and collectively, and it is an honor for the foundation to help them do their essential work.”

Since its establishment in 1925, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has granted more than $375 million in fellowships to over 18,000 individuals. Created by Simon and Olga Guggenheim in memory of their son, the foundation has sought to “further the development of scholars and artists by assisting them to engage in research in any field of knowledge and creation in any of the arts, under the freest possible conditions.”

COVID-19 More Likely to Impact Smokers and People Exposed to Secondhand Smoke, Report Finds

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 16:41:57 +0000

��ϰٿ�

April 2, 2020

Smokers and former smokers are more susceptible to COVID-19, NCPC review finds.

Smokers and former smokers are not only more susceptible to COVID-19, they are far more likely to see their conditions worsen over time and to require intensive respiratory assistance, according to a review released Thursday by the ��ϰٿ� Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center (NCPC).

Furthermore, the health risks may be heightened for people exposed to secondhand smoke and secondhand vaping, it says.

The report by NCPC researchers, “Tobacco Control Is a Critical Component to COVID-19 Management,” summarizes early and emerging international work on COVID-19 and tobacco use from countries that have been battling the novel coronavirus for several months.

“The science suggests that smokers and vapers are at increased risk of contracting the coronavirus,” NCPC Director Anna Song said. “It also suggests that, if they contract the virus, they are less equipped to battle it. It’s really important for us to recognize this risk group and provide all the support we can to help smokers and vapers stay safe and healthy.”

Based on their review of the literature, the researchers, led by Song, explain how smoking and nicotine exposure might increase susceptibility to COVID-19. They also highlight work that demonstrates that current and former smokers are significantly less likely to improve from the illness over time. One study found that smokers who contracted COVID-19 were 14 times more likely than non-smokers to progress to the point where they required intensive respiratory assistance.

Smoking and exposure to nicotine not only weaken the immune system, they increase expression of the ACE2 enzyme in the respiratory system, the report says. COVID-19 binds to ACE2 receptors and “an increase in the receptors may relate to an increased likelihood of contracting the disease,” it says.

Anna Song, Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center director

The effects of tobacco are not just restricted to smokers. People breathing in secondhand smoke also are at greater risk, given that such exposure weakens the immune system and limits the body’s natural defense against COVID-19.

Researchers said that, in addition to employing preventative measures such as promoting social-distancing and increased hand-washing, successful mitigation of the pandemic should include identification of at-risk populations such as the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. Emerging evidence suggests those considered at risk should include smokers, former smokers and people exposed to chronic secondhand smoke, according to the report.

Globally, nearly 40 percent of children are exposed to secondhand smoke. In the San Joaquin Valley, where ��ϰٿ�’s NCPC is located, 56 percent of the population reported being exposed to secondhand smoke or vape, according to the 2018 California Health Interview Survey .

The NCPC has provided suggestions for public health departments to manage and reduce the number of people exposed to secondhand smoke while highlighting the dangers of the COVID-19 threat to current and former smokers.

“Now more than ever, we need to increase protection against secondhand smoke and vapes,” Song said. “Moreover, it’s critical that we ensure that smokers who want to limit their risk have access to cessation tools, like nicotine patches, gum or lozenges. Smokers should also know that the state provides free counselling (1-800-No Butts; www.nobutts.org) for those trying to quit.

“In this time of crisis, it’s so important that we do all we can to blunt the impact of COVID-19,” she said.

The NCPC is funded by the California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program , which is supported by tobacco tax and individual contributions. NCPC’s mission is to conduct primary tobacco and cannabis research in the San Joaquin Valley and address emerging issues affecting local communities.

Whiting Fellowship Will Help Build Refugee View into High School Curricula

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 18:00:37 +0000

By Michelle Morgante, ��ϰٿ�

March 12, 2020

Professor Ma Vang of ��ϰٿ�'s Critical Race and Ethnic Studies program has been awarded a Whiting Public Engagement Program fellowship

The Whiting Public Engagement Program has awarded a $50,000 fellowship to Professor Ma Vang for her efforts to integrate the experiences of refugees into education for high school students in Merced County and beyond.

“This fellowship enables storytelling and community knowledge to shape curriculum — the key features of a critical refugee studies framework and an ethnic studies education — and it elevates Merced as the place to do collaborative work toward social change,” Vang said.

Vang, founding chair of ��ϰٿ�’s Critical Race and Ethnic Studies program, worked with the Critical Refugee Studies Collective to organize a Refugee Teaching Symposium, which in 2017 brought together teachers, refugee students and their parents to explore how schools could incorporate refugee worldviews into student learning.

The Whiting fellowship will support this effort by launching the Refugee Teaching Institute, a series of public workshops that will assemble scholars, teachers, students and parents to collaborate on lesson plans that reflect refugees’ histories and culture. The work will also incorporate the dispossession of indigenous Miwok and Yokut peoples and the relocation to the region of African Americans from the U.S. South.

“With strong support from Merced County schools, the Refugee Teaching Institute is poised to build a foundation for long-term educational partnerships that translate refugee knowledge into curriculum and expand narratives about life in the Central Valley,” the Whiting Foundation said in a statement.

Merced Union High School District Assistant Superintendent Constantino Aguilar commended Vang’s work to broaden course offerings.

“Working with Professor Vang will benefit our students, staff and community and will enhance our ethnic studies program,” he said. “Providing an array of courses like ethnic studies is important to the Merced Union High School District.”

The Whiting Public Engagement Program supports public humanities in all forms and highlights the roles scholars play in using the humanities to advance communities around the country.

Vang was one of six honorees in the 2020-21 cohort to receive a $50,000 fellowship; eight others were awarded $10,000 seed grants.

‘Philanthropy Day’ Celebrates ��ϰٿ�’s Growing Culture of Giving

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 03:43:20 +0000

By Michelle Morgante, ��ϰٿ�

March 4, 2020

Paw-print 'Friendship Cookies' sold on Philanthropy Day help fund the MSSM Friendship Scholarship

The Bobcat culture of giving will be celebrated with cookies and fun on Thursday, as the campus marks ��ϰٿ� Philanthropy Day hosted by the Student Alumni Association.

“The annual celebration highlights and supports the spirit of philanthropy across the campus community,” said Alumni Relations Specialist JaeJae Julian (’10), a graduate who advises the Student Alumni Association. “This truly is a day for Bobcats to define what philanthropy means to them and learn ways we can make a difference in our communities — whether it’s dedicating our time to volunteer, sharing our skills as mentors, or fundraising for student scholarships.”

This year’s Philanthropy Day is putting a spotlight on the MSSM Friendship Scholarship, which was founded by Dr. Christine McFadden, a Merced veterinarian, philanthropist and writer, in celebration of the lives of her children Melanie, Stanley, Stuart and Michelle.

The children are honored in the McFadden-Willis Reading Room atop the campus library, where there is a portrait of the four.

Sunbeams light the McFadden-Willis Reading Room atop ��ϰٿ�'s library

This year, the foundation awarded MSSM Friendship Scholarships of $1,000 each to four ��ϰٿ� students.

Fourth-year environmental engineering major Spencer McDermott says the scholarship has helped him fund his education without having to rely as heavily on his family.

“It means everything to be accepted for any scholarship, but particularly for the Friendship Scholarship,” McDermott said. With its theme of friendship, he said, “I feel especially honored to be recognized, and I hope to someday be able to give back to the community.”

On ��ϰٿ�’s Philanthropy Day, anyone wishing to support the MSSM Friendship Scholarship for ��ϰٿ� students will be able to do so by purchasing “Friendship Cookies.”

The pawprint-shaped sugar cookies will be sold for $2.86 each, with $1 of each sale going to the scholarship fund. The cookies will be available in the Lantern from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Bobcats also will be able to use the cookies to create “Friendship Goodie Bags” for their friends. Tables set up on Scholars Lane from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will have stations for people to create friendship cards or bracelets and take photos.

They also will be able to learn about the many forms of philanthropy that are supported by ��ϰٿ� clubs and organizations through both volunteer hours and fundraising. Signage on campus will highlight the many ways ��ϰٿ� alumni and students have made a meaningful impact on the campus community. For example, showcasing alumni donors, class gifts, and the incredible turnout of student participation in the annual Give Tue ��ϰٿ� campaign.

Despite its young age, ��ϰٿ� has already proven to be a campus with one of the nation’s strongest cultures of giving. Last year, U.S. News and World Report said ��ϰٿ�’s rate of alumni giving ranked No. 27 in the nation among public universities . Already, a dozen Bobcat alumni have committed to endowing scholarships by pledging $10,000.

Julian, who is among the 12 alumni who have endowed a scholarship, said Philanthropy Day is about continuing the tradition of giving.

“That’s what builds our community,” she said. “And that’s what makes us Bobcats.”

New "Babies" Series on Netflix Features ��ϰٿ� Professor's Research on Development

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 19:36:49 +0000

By Michelle Morgante, ��ϰٿ�

February 21, 2020

Professor Eric Walle with Penelope and her mom, Jessica Mohatt, in a scene from the new Netflix docu-series "Babies."

Psychology Professor Eric Walle found something interesting when he studied babies who were walking compared to those who were crawling: Babies who walk are not only more mobile, they have vocabularies that are significantly larger than those of the crawlers.

It’s a finding that applies to babies regardless of their age, culture or language. And it’s an intriguing fact that is explored in an episode of “Babies,” a new docu-series launching Feb. 21 on Netflix.

“Babies” is divided into two blocks of six episodes each. The first six episodes are titled “Love,” “First Food,” “Sleep,” “Crawling,” “First Words,” and “First Steps.” The second set of episodes will be “What Babies Know,” “Senses,” “Movement,” “Relationships,” “Nature and Nurture,” and “Toddlers.”

Professor Eric Walle with one of the subjects of his study of child language development.

Walle made the discovery by chance while doing graduate work at UC Berkeley a decade ago. His study of the ability of babies to remember emotional messages happened to include a measure of the babies’ vocabularies.

“It turned out that the only thing that was significant from that whole study had nothing to do with kids remembering emotional messages and it had everything to do with the finding that walking infants had larger vocabularies than crawling infants,” he said. “It was a finding that just didn’t exist in the literature.”

The vocabulary boost was particularly noticeable in children with two to four weeks of walking experience.

“It wasn’t just a matter that these kids were older. It was that these kids had begun walking,” he said. “Walking seemed to give them an added boost to their vocabulary development.”

Young Penelope wears a vest that contains a recording device used to study her language growth.

Walle’s work will be explored in the sixth episode of “Babies” called “First Steps.” It also features one of the Merced-area families who have participated in his ongoing studies.

Viewers will watch Penelope, the daughter of political science Professor Matt Hibbing and his wife, Jessica Mohatt, expand her vocabulary during a visit to Merced’s Applegate Zoo.

Mohatt, an environmental engineer in Merced, points to various animals and names them. While looking at ducks, a tiny recording device in a vest worn by the walking Penelope catches her saying “duh - duh” and then following her mom’s prompt to say the full “duck.”

“It’s so much fun to see them grow and learn, especially in the moment when you see the instant feedback from them,” Mohatt said. “I was asking Penelope to repeat what I was saying, and ‘duck’ was the one that finally landed for her.”

The reason for the tie between walking and vocabulary is the subject of continuing research by Walle and his partners.

“Why is walking related with language development? That’s a question we’ve now been focusing on for the past decade,” he said.

Having his work shared with a wide audience via “Babies,” he said, is humbling.

“I’m appreciative to have the opportunity to share the science behind what we know about how kids develop,” he said. “This tells us a lot about not just how an individual child might develop, but how we as a species are developing and how we function.”

Nature Retreat Teaches Students the Importance of Service to Community

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 21:46:26 +0000

By Michelle Morgante, ��ϰٿ�

February 11, 2020

��ϰٿ� students in the Leadership & Service Living Learning Community take in the view from atop Mount Tamalpais.

Hiking to the top of Marin County’s iconic Mount Tamalpais gave a group of ��ϰٿ� students not only a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean, but insight into how they, as individuals, can contribute to their communities’ enrichment.

The 19 first-year students are members of the campus’s Leadership & Service Living Learning Community (LLC), which allows them to live together to build relationships with one another while developing their leadership and service skills through volunteer efforts in Merced County and California State Parks.

Over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend in January, the students went on a two-day retreat, learning about conservation work at Mount Tamalpais State Park and the region’s Watershed Project, and providing volunteer service in nearby Richmond.

The team learned how park leaders have overcome procedural and bureaucratic differences by forming one organization, One Tam, to align the efforts of four federal, state and county agencies that manage Mount Tamalpais.

“Our trip to Mount Tamalpais was a unique experience,” said Adrian Buitron Boada, a mechanical engineering student. “I had a chance to learn about the problems that state parks face every year and how creatively they are solved by the leaders who preserve them.”

Janet Klein, who directs One Tam conservation science programs at Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, said she was impressed by the students’ fortitude in hiking through wind and fog on the mountain.

“I very much enjoyed the collective awe at the unique perspective offered by the top of Mount Tam, with San Francisco to the south and national parks to the north. It is gratifying to see a rising generation of leaders step onto their public lands,” she said.

Adrian Buitron Boada, a student in the Leadership & Service Living Learning Community, walks along a wall atop Mount Tamalpais.

On the second day, the students worked at the Richmond Greenway, a stretch of abandoned railroad property that is being transformed into a community open space. They spread mulch around native plants to prevent weeds.

“Going on the retreat, I learned more about how the communities that are close to my home — communities that struggle — can see hope,” said Brianna Chavez Mancella, a psychology major. “It is amazing to see them all come together to help protect their environment for the future.”

Paula White, community programs manager for The Watershed Project, said the work was appropriate for the holiday’s day-of-service theme.

“It's really inspiring to get to work with young people like the students from ��ϰٿ� who came to the Richmond Greenway on Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday,” she said. “While the students worked to smother the weeds with wheelbarrows full of mulch, they helped create a joyful atmosphere of good will that was infectious. There's something about working outside next to a stranger that creates connections — to nature, to a place, to a new friend. I think this is the kind of service that Martin Luther King Jr. would be proud of.”

��ϰٿ� students in the Leadership & Service Living Learning Community gather after completing their community service work with The Watershed Project in Richmond.

The Leadership & Service Living Learning Community, one of 11 LLCs at ��ϰٿ�, is the result of a partnership between the Margo F. Souza Student Leadership Center and the university’s Community Engagement Center. It is also supported by the Office of Housing & Residence Education.

A grant from the California State Parks Foundation supports the retreat and other projects in the community.

Leaders of the Leadership & Service LLC have announced that it has been selected to pilot a second year in which students who complete their first year in the program will be able to continue the living-learning experience. Those who choose to continue in Fall 2020 will be introduced to a new career-readiness component, supported by ��ϰٿ�’s Center for Career & Professional Advancement.

“I’m grateful to be a part of the community of scholars that we’ve built within the Leadership & Service LLC,” said Jess Evora, associate director of the Margo F. Souza Student Leadership Center. “These first-years began the Fall 2019 semester as strangers. They have since grown into a family that both supports each other and holds each other accountable to the community expectations we have set for ourselves as an LLC.

“I’m extremely excited because these students have already shown what leadership in action can look like, yet they’re only in the beginning stages of their leadership journey here at ��ϰٿ�. The best is yet to come for these students.”

The Leadership & Service LLC is open to first-year students who are willing to commit themselves to exploring and developing their own leadership skills and style, understanding their personal values, and learning how to ethically and effectively engage with and in the local community.

University of California, Merced - Michelle Morgante

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Nature Retreat Teaches Students the Importance of Service to Community

Professor Mark Aldenderfer Closes His Time at ��ϰٿ� and Seeks New Mountains to Climb

��ϰٿ� Professor Arias Wins Guggenheim Fellowship

‘Philanthropy Day’ Celebrates ��ϰٿ�’s Growing Culture of Giving

New "Babies" Series on Netflix Features ��ϰٿ� Professor's Research on Development