Latest news with #UC
USA Today
5 hours ago
- Health
- USA Today
She lost her arm in a train accident. She was shocked by what happened next.
Elieah Boyd faces a long road to recovery, but she is thankful for doctors who reattached her arm and a community that is supporting her healing. Elieah Boyd describes herself as an active and creative person. The Southern California cafe manager loves to surf, to hike, to take her Australian cattle dog running. She paints, travels as often as possible, and makes jewelry and bags. She's also right-handed. Now, she's looking at a long road to recovery after her right arm was severed — and then reattached — in early July. But the 24-year-old sees the future not as a difficult process but as a "fun challenge." "I might be left-handed for a little while," she told USA TODAY from UC Irvine Medical Center, where she's already undergone multiple surgeries, with more to come. "I'll have learn how to live my life left-handed." Boyd was riding a friend's e-bike to meet her boyfriend on July 7 when she came upon railroad tracks that cut through two neighborhoods in Ventura. As she tried to wrangle the heavy bike across the tracks, a passerby offered to help. They were lifting the bike together when Boyd saw an oncoming train. Tracking the dangers: Cross with caution: Lack of oversight creates safety risks at private railroad crossings "I've gone this way hundreds of times," she recalled. "People around here do it all the time to get from one side of town to the other. Everybody in the city uses this crossway all the time. This just happened to be an unsafe time." She saw the train. She (and the man who stopped to help her) tried to get out of the way. But Boyd estimated she had about 3 seconds to react before the train bore down on them. 'Everything went silent' "I remember looking down at my arm, and everything went silent for a moment," she remembered. "I think I was in disbelief and I was still standing there. The train was gone so fast... I remember looking at my right arm, grabbing it, and there was nothing there." The man who'd helped her with the bike called for help. He is a retired firefighter, Boyd said, so he knew what to do, making sure she was stabilized and telling first responders to find her arm, which was severed cleanly. "He saw that, and he knew (the arm) was probably still viable," Boyd said. Boyd was taken to the nearest hospital, and then taken by helicopter to UC Irvine Medical Center. After 10 hours in surgery, the arm was reattached. She's had four surgeries since, and more are planned. But her outlook hasn't required any help. "I feel OK, and I'm trying to stay as positive as I can," she said. The pain has been minimal and she's been able to mostly avoid heavy painkillers, while expressing how impressive and compassionate medical professionals at the hospital have been. (A request for comment from UC Irvine was not immediately returned.) According to Massachusetts General Hospital, replantation (or the surgical reattachment of a limb) is a complicated process requiring several steps including removal of damaged tissue, shortening bones, reattaching with pins or plates, and repairing muscles, tendons, blood vessels and nerves. "The patient has the most important role in the recovery process," the hospital notes, and Boyd may have some advantages: Younger patients have better odds of regaining nerve function and feeling, and cleanly-cut limbs like her arm are more likely to recover. Doctors generally consider restoring 60% to 80% of function as an excellent outcome. Community steps up to help a woman with 'an undeniable spark' Her community has stepped up to support her as well, with a GoFundMe that's raised more than $50,000 so far. "She radiates joy, warmth and inclusivity in and out of the water," said photographer Amber Jenks, a friend who met Boyd through the local surf community. "She's not just an incredible longboarder, but someone who genuinely lifts everyone around her." Jenks mentioned Boyd's "undeniable spark," and added, "Her recovery is something we're all rooting for, every single day." Doctors haven't given Boyd a date when she can be released, nor are they certain how much function can be restored to the arm. She's has at least 18 months of physical and occupational therapy ahead, she said. "The amount of support, donations, texts and messages, even from people I don't know ... all their positive words have kept me going," she said. Once she's released from the hospital, she's looking forward to getting back to as much normalcy as possible: all the things she'd done before the accident, like surfing and going to the beach, playing with her dog and hanging out with friends and family.
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
UC Scientist To Serve On United Nations Panel
Press Release – University of Canterbury Laura Revell, Associate Professor in Atmospheric Chemistry at Te Whare Wnanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC), is the only New Zealand representative on the independent Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War. A University of Canterbury academic has been appointed to a United Nations expert panel examining the physical effects and social impact of nuclear war. Laura Revell, Associate Professor in Atmospheric Chemistry at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC), is the only New Zealand representative on the independent Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the 21-member expert panel this week, saying it would examine the physical effects and societal consequences of a nuclear war on a local, regional and planetary scale in the days, weeks and decades following a nuclear war. The panel is tasked with publishing a comprehensive report, making key conclusions, and identifying areas requiring future research. Associate Professor Revell was nominated by the Royal Society Te Apārangi and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the panel because of her expertise in atmospheric chemistry, climate modelling, and recent research into the environmental consequences of a rapidly intensifying rocket launch industry. She is also a member of the UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, which assesses the effects of ozone depletion and UV radiation on life on Earth. 'Obviously we live in uncertain geopolitical times and it's unnerving that research into the consequences of nuclear war is relevant again, four decades since the United Nations last studied its effects,' she says. 'I'm honoured to serve on this panel which I believe will contribute to a greater understanding of the far-reaching consequences of this kind of event.' A report prepared by the scientific panel will be considered by the United Nations General Assembly in 2027.
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
UC Scientist To Serve On United Nations Panel
Press Release – University of Canterbury Laura Revell, Associate Professor in Atmospheric Chemistry at Te Whare Wnanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC), is the only New Zealand representative on the independent Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War. A University of Canterbury academic has been appointed to a United Nations expert panel examining the physical effects and social impact of nuclear war. Laura Revell, Associate Professor in Atmospheric Chemistry at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC), is the only New Zealand representative on the independent Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the 21-member expert panel this week, saying it would examine the physical effects and societal consequences of a nuclear war on a local, regional and planetary scale in the days, weeks and decades following a nuclear war. The panel is tasked with publishing a comprehensive report, making key conclusions, and identifying areas requiring future research. Associate Professor Revell was nominated by the Royal Society Te Apārangi and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the panel because of her expertise in atmospheric chemistry, climate modelling, and recent research into the environmental consequences of a rapidly intensifying rocket launch industry. She is also a member of the UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, which assesses the effects of ozone depletion and UV radiation on life on Earth. 'Obviously we live in uncertain geopolitical times and it's unnerving that research into the consequences of nuclear war is relevant again, four decades since the United Nations last studied its effects,' she says. 'I'm honoured to serve on this panel which I believe will contribute to a greater understanding of the far-reaching consequences of this kind of event.' A report prepared by the scientific panel will be considered by the United Nations General Assembly in 2027.
Scoop
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
International Animator Draws In UC Students
Press Release – University of Canterbury Michaela Ternasky-Holland, who specialises in creating installations and animated films using emerging technology such as artificial intelligence and extended reality (XR), is in Aotearoa New Zealand for the Doc Edge Festival, where her international … A New York-based Emmy Award-winning director has shared her industry insights with UC students during a rare Christchurch visit. Michaela Ternasky-Holland, who specialises in creating installations and animated films using emerging technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR), is in Aotearoa New Zealand for the Doc Edge Festival, where her international installation Kapwa won an Immersive Impact Award. On her first visit to Christchurch, Ternasky-Holland met with a group of Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) Digital Screen students yesterday ahead of speaking at a Kōawa Studios-hosted Beyond the Screen: The Future of Immersive Storytelling industry event last night. She told the students that when she started out, she didn't know how to code and didn't have an engineering background. 'I really have a storytelling background and a people skills background.' She encouraged them to be flexible and open to new opportunities. 'I think a lot of my career has not necessarily just come from me being in the right place at the right time, but also me treating people with kindness and respect, no matter who they are, and not even realising that would open up doors of opportunity for me in the future.' Ternasky-Holland began creating her own VR documentaries in 2016 and since then she has created, directed, produced, and edited a number of social-impact focused XR projects, installations and animated films, including a new episodic animation series, Echoes of Legend, available on YouTube, and her Emmy-award winning VR documentary Capturing Everest. She says globally the art of animation is changing rapidly and AI offers tools that can help speed up the animation process by supporting artists and storytellers, rather than replacing them. 'If we can utilise some of these generative platforms to do things like frame-by-frame animation or in-betweening the animation, or even helping us get started by filling in background and environment and some lighting – all the things that really take that extra time and energy and budget – then we can have more storytellers and more character designers, background artists, just be able to focus on making good work, versus being stressed about finishing it. That's where AI really sits at its best.' Ternasky-Holland says generative AI cannot replace the skill of human storytellers. 'We can make really cool art, but if they don't have the amazing characters, storylines and plot points that we are inviting the audience to experience alongside the art, then we're just making beautiful photos and beautiful imagery, we're not actually making stories. So I think that's still very resonant.' UC Kōawa Studios Director Sam Witters says it was fantastic to have someone of Ternasky-Holland's calibre and international experience at the Beyond the Screen event, which was part of Kōawa's sponsorship of the Doc Edge Documentary Film Festival. 'Michaela is an amazingly innovative, creative filmmaker who is using cutting-edge technology in her work. Our Bachelor of Digital Screen students learned so much from meeting her and the panel event was really inspiring.'
Scoop
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
International Animator Draws In UC Students
A New York-based Emmy Award-winning director has shared her industry insights with UC students during a rare Christchurch visit. Michaela Ternasky-Holland, who specialises in creating installations and animated films using emerging technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR), is in Aotearoa New Zealand for the Doc Edge Festival, where her international installation Kapwa won an Immersive Impact Award. On her first visit to Christchurch, Ternasky-Holland met with a group of Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) Digital Screen students yesterday ahead of speaking at a Kōawa Studios-hosted Beyond the Screen: The Future of Immersive Storytelling industry event last night. She told the students that when she started out, she didn't know how to code and didn't have an engineering background. 'I really have a storytelling background and a people skills background.' She encouraged them to be flexible and open to new opportunities. 'I think a lot of my career has not necessarily just come from me being in the right place at the right time, but also me treating people with kindness and respect, no matter who they are, and not even realising that would open up doors of opportunity for me in the future.' Ternasky-Holland began creating her own VR documentaries in 2016 and since then she has created, directed, produced, and edited a number of social-impact focused XR projects, installations and animated films, including a new episodic animation series, Echoes of Legend, available on YouTube, and her Emmy-award winning VR documentary Capturing Everest. She says globally the art of animation is changing rapidly and AI offers tools that can help speed up the animation process by supporting artists and storytellers, rather than replacing them. 'If we can utilise some of these generative platforms to do things like frame-by-frame animation or in-betweening the animation, or even helping us get started by filling in background and environment and some lighting - all the things that really take that extra time and energy and budget - then we can have more storytellers and more character designers, background artists, just be able to focus on making good work, versus being stressed about finishing it. That's where AI really sits at its best.' Ternasky-Holland says generative AI cannot replace the skill of human storytellers. 'We can make really cool art, but if they don't have the amazing characters, storylines and plot points that we are inviting the audience to experience alongside the art, then we're just making beautiful photos and beautiful imagery, we're not actually making stories. So I think that's still very resonant.' UC Kōawa Studios Director Sam Witters says it was fantastic to have someone of Ternasky-Holland's calibre and international experience at the Beyond the Screen event, which was part of Kōawa's sponsorship of the Doc Edge Documentary Film Festival. 'Michaela is an amazingly innovative, creative filmmaker who is using cutting-edge technology in her work. Our Bachelor of Digital Screen students learned so much from meeting her and the panel event was really inspiring.'
