Dateline archive:

Mars mission, climate change, faculty laurels — 8.3.12

UC Davis FRIDAY UPDATE

8.3.2012

News and information for faculty and staff


Spotlight on…

Sumner's 'Curiosity' about MarsPhoto: Mars rover

As the Mars rover Curiosity prepares for its Sunday landing after a nine-month, 352-million mile journey through space, geology professor Dawn Sumner is making preparations of her own. Sumner, co-investigator for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory team, will coordinate the first scientific interpretations of what Curiosity's cameras and sensors see after it lands, and she'll help make daily decisions about the research vehicle's activities. [ More, with video… ]

NEWS SUMMARY

More stories at Dateline UC Davis and UC Davis News and Information

Aggie runner and kayaker compete in Olympics next week

After the excitement of Scott Weltz's reaching the Olympic finals this week in the 200-meter breaststroke, two more Aggie athletes are getting ready to take their turn in the London Games. First-time Olympian Kim Conley (a distance runner) and three-time Olympian Carrie Johnson (a sprint kayaker) both have races on Tuesday (Aug. 7), early in the morning, PDT. They will be streamed live, online. [ More, with slide show… ]

Scientists examine California's vulnerability to climate change

As climate change threatens to reshape California's landscape, campus researchers are helping to inform policymakers about the state's vulnerability and provide strategies for adaptation. UC Davis scientists authored nine of the 35 studies contained in a report, "Our Changing Climate," released this week by the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Energy Commission. [ More… ]

Your vote influenced by friends, neighbors, chatter

Neighbors' lawn signs, public opinion polls and even a conversation in the next restaurant booth can affect how people vote in an election, suggests a new study by psychology researcher Alison Ledgerwood. But it all depends on how far away the election is. [ More… ]

New class of medical students noted for leadership, diversity

Six years ago, Leopoldine Matialeu didn't speak English that well and was living in a shelter with her younger sister after her mother had lost her job. On Aug. 6, she and the 108 other students in the medical school's class of 2016 begin their studies. Of the 60 women and 49 men, almost half (43 percent) identified themselves as coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, and 42 percent are from populations that are underrepresented in medicine. [ More… ]

LAURELS: Simmon's The West named best DVD series and boxed set

The video-and-text project Treasures 5: The West, 1898-1938, curated by Professor Scott Simmon, received best DVD series and best DVD box set honors in the 2012 Il Cinema Ritrovato, a major venue for restored and rediscovered films. … Plus other faculty honors. [ More… ]

AT THE MONDAVI CENTER: New shows, another head start on tickets

Get ready for another head start on Mondavi Center tickets: Wednesday and Thursday (Aug. 8 and 9). The head start is for staff, faculty and students, and the tickets are single-event tickets for the 2012-13 season, including two more "just added" shows: B.B. King and Arlo Guthrie. [ More… ]

Clouded campus climate for Jewish, Muslim, Arab students

Jewish, Muslim and Arab students find the University of California a safe and welcoming place. But their experiences are less positive when disputes over geopolitics in the Middle East and anti-Islamic sentiment fueled by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks spill onto campus. Those are the conclusions of recent reports by UC President Mark G. Yudof's Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture and Inclusion. [ More… ]

Safety Spotlight: Hazards in the chemical laboratory

The August edition discusses chemical labeling and waste; the danger of keeping old chemicals; power failures; emergency eye wash and shower stations; and the new, systemwide Biosafety Information Online (BIO) application. [ More… ]

NEWS BRIEFS: Campus launches online estimator for paint jobs

Facilities Management has rolled out an online estimator for paint jobs — the first in what will be an assortment of such tools allowing departments to do their own estimates for free. … The campus's new, online system for prepurchasing will be demonstrated at a town hall on Aug. 16. … The Davis campus's chief information officer, Peter M. Siegel, is encouraging faculty and staff to complete a tutorial on online information security awareness. People who complete the course will be eligible for $50 gift cards. [ More… ]

DIRECTIVES and ANNOUNCEMENTS

No directives or announcements were issued this week.

EVENTS

EXHIBITIONS: Rapunzyl's Designs at the Craft Center Gallery

Aug. 3-Sept. 7, Craft Center Gallery, South Silo

Opening this week at the Craft Center Gallery: Rapunzyl's Designs by Craft Center felting instructor Rebecca Klein. Elsewhere: Flatlanders on the Slant, at the Nelson Gallery; Ignite! The Art of Sustainability, at the Design Museum; and Visualizing History, Then and Now: Recent Acquisitions, at the C.N. Gorman Museum. [ More… ]

THE OUTDOORS: Arboretum presents program on armchair birding

Saturday, Aug. 4, 9-10:30 a.m., Arboretum Terrace Garden, next to the former Borders bookstore in the Davis Commons shopping center, First Street and Richards Boulevard

Learn what to plant in your yard, so you can sit back and enjoy the sound and movement of the birds that fly in. … Sign up for Oak Ink and Beetle Juice: Painting with Mother Nature, an all-ages program scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 9. [ More… ]

Summer brown bag: 'Ethical Trips vs. Ego Trips'

Thursday, Aug. 9, noon-1 p.m. Meeting Room D, Student Community Center

Dean MacCannell, author of The Tourist and the Ethics of Sightseeing, leads this brown bag on how to make the most of your sightseeing experiences, by not falling into the traps of commercialized tourism. Part of the WorkLife and Wellness Brown Bag Series. No pre-enrollment. [ More… ]

More calendar listings…