The Center & the Community

The Center strives to involve the community both in development of activities and programs that make science more useful and usable and through communications about scientific information and important scientific issues of contemporary interest.

The Center defines community in its broadest terms. Some of our programs are oriented to local audiences, Orange County for example. Others are of statewide relevance, such as programs planned on water quality and water quantity for California. Others are nationally targeted, and some are international. For example, we are working on a conference and panel presentation on the science and background of global climate change. Even here however the Center's focus is on local as well as regional and national impacts of climate change.

At the local level the Town Hall presentations and the seminar and colloquia series are open to the public. Community members serve on the Center Advisory Board, and important local issues that can be informed by relevant UCI scientific knowledge are regularly monitored to consider potential Center contributions.

Among the recently funded seed grant programs of great interest to the local community was that on stress, anxiety and coping strategies following the September 11 attacks.