The University of California Humanities Research Institute, led by UC Irvine's David Theo Goldberg, will administer a $2 million open competition for ideas on using digital media to transform learning. The challenge was announced Nov. 23 at a White House event in partnership with National Lab Day, an effort to revitalize science, technology, engineering and math in schools. Designers, inventors, entrepreneurs, researchers and others are invited to submit proposals for creating digital media experiences. Previous winning ideas include a video blogging project for young women in India, a mobile phone application that lets children conduct digital wildlife spotting and a project that leverages low-cost laptops to help indigenous children in Mexico.   More »

Giant black holes - among the strangest and most fascinating objects in the universe - exist in the centers of most large galaxies, including the Milky Way. Their role in the formation and evolution of galaxies is the subject of extensive astrophysical research. UC Irvine's Aaron Barth (pictured), physics & astronomy associate professor, will speak on "Supermassive Black Holes in Galaxies" as part of the 2009-10 Discover the Physical Sciences Breakfast Lecture Series, sponsored by the School of Physical Sciences. Free and open to the public, the event will take place 7:30-9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, at the Student Center. Reservations are requested at 949-824-7252 or events@ps.uci.edu.   More »

Staff in the Department of Developmental & Cell Biology got a visit from K-EARTH 101 Friday, Nov. 20, thanks to their upbeat attitude and poetic communication style. The group was chosen as the radio station's "Office of the Day," which entitled them to an on-air interview and serenaded brunch. Loyal K-EARTH listener Kathy Deal, contracts & grants analyst, entered her office in the contest with the following verse: We're a positive group of ladies,/You'll see!/If you pick us,/We'll jump up and down with glee!/We've weathered the budget cuts,/Doom and gloom,/And would love some bagels,/As well as Antonio's tunes!   More »

Human embryonic stem cells could help people with learning and memory deficits after radiation treatment for brain tumors, a new UC Irvine study suggests. Research with rats found that transplanted stem cells restored learning and memory to normal levels four months after radiotherapy. In contrast, irradiated rats that didn't receive stem cells experienced a more than 50 percent drop in cognitive function. "Our findings provide the first evidence that such cells can be used to ameliorate radiation-induced damage of healthy tissue in the brain," says Charles Limoli (pictured), UCI radiation oncology associate professor and senior author of the study, which appears in the Nov. 10 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.   More »

It's the year 2060, and 75 percent of drivers in the Greater Los Angeles area have hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that emit only water vapor. Look into Shane Stephens-Romero's crystal ball - a computer model called STREET - and find that air quality has significantly improved. Greenhouse gas emissions are more than 60 percent lower than in 2009, and levels of microscopic soot and ozone are about 15 percent and 10 percent lower, respectively. "For the first time, we can look at these future fuel scenarios and say how they're going to impact things like ozone and particulate matter, which have severe effects on people's lungs and quality of life," says Stephens-Romero (pictured), a UC Irvine doctoral candidate in the Advanced Power & Energy Program. His 2060 analysis appeared online recently in Environmental Science & Technology.   More »

The first human embryonic stem cell treatment approved by the FDA for human testing has been shown to restore limb function in rats with neck spinal cord injuries - a finding that could expand the clinical trial to include people with cervical damage. In January, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration gave Geron Corp. of Menlo Park, Calif., permission to test the UC Irvine treatment in individuals with thoracic spinal cord injuries, which occur below the neck. However, trying it in those with cervical damage wasn't approved because preclinical testing with rats hadn't been completed. Results of the cervical study currently appear online in the journal Stem Cells. UCI scientist Hans Keirstead (pictured) hopes the data will prompt the FDA to authorize clinical testing of the treatment in people with both types of spinal cord damage. About 52 percent of spinal cord injuries are cervical and 48 percent thoracic.   More »

The defending Big West champion UC Irvine baseball team will kick off a new season with its annual Ants vs. Eaters intrasquad series at Anteater Ballpark. The first game of the series starts at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, and is sponsored by El Cholo Mexican restaurant, which will be giving out free tacos to all fans after the initial pitch. Also, UCI Athletics will provide free Home Run Hankies to the first 100 people attending. The hankies are good for 10 percent off at El Cholo after all UCI baseball home games during the 2010 season. The Anteaters play additional intrasquad games Nov. 20 and 21.   More »

UCI has received a limited amount of H1N1 flu vaccine, which will be made available to students, faculty and staff who fall under the following Centers for Disease Control-selected priority groups: Persons ages 18-24; pregnant women; people who live with or care for children 6 months old or younger; healthcare and emergency medical personnel; and persons ages 25-64 with existing medical conditions that put them at higher risk of flu-related complications. Walk-in vaccination clinics are scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Anteater Recreation Center and Monday, Nov. 23, at the Student Center Pacific Ballroom. A valid UCI ID is required. Campus officials ask that people who are not in a priority group contact their health care provider or Orange County Health Care Agency for further vaccination information.   More »

The UC Irvine men's basketball team kicks off its 2009-10 season Friday with a 7:30 p.m. game against the University of La Verne at the Bren Events Center. To rally support and raise Anteater spirit, UCI Athletics will host a pregame tailgate party on the basketball courts behind the center, starting at 5 p.m. While a DJ spins tunes, Associated Students of UCI will provide 300 free barbecue meals for students, and free kettle corn and cotton candy will be available for everyone. In addition, UCI Athletics staffers will distribute 2,500 free 'Eater Nation T-shirts. At 5 p.m., the UCI women's team plays San Diego State at the Bren Center.   More »