There are sunny days and magnolias are beginning to bloom. More neighbors than I ever knew I had are out walking with dogs, strollers and bundled-up children, in couples, or by themselves, perhaps listening to music. What are they thinking? Many more are at home or being cared for. Special thanks to the teachers, health care workers and public servants on the front lines. Awareness of the personal and professional challenges we each will face in the coming weeks is also an invitation to generosity of spirit and deed.
Monmouth University has been proactive. Students, professors and support staff are working hard to deliver classes virtually for the balance of the semester and the summer (see the University’s COVID-19 page for the latest updates). The UCI and other staff are at home working remotely. Although we are in the process of cancelling or rescheduling UCI-sponsored symposia and speakers through May, and most of our field research projects are on pause, we are evaluating alternatives to assure the continuation of our work.
We are still hopeful that UCI will be able to support students and faculty this summer to continue their research and re-engage with our coastal community partners. We will provide you with regular updates and links to information and virtual events that may be of interest. Please do not hesitate to contact us by email if we can be of any assistance. We will follow up as soon as we can.
Finally, a friend recently shared the following quote with me, which seems apropos.
When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come,
I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds,
cleanses me with its noise,
and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused.
~Rainer Maria Rilke
All the best,
Tony MacDonald & the UCI Staff