Dateline archive:

VC search, new budget model, Big Bang! — 5.25.12

UC Davis FRIDAY UPDATE

5.25.2012

News and information for faculty and staff


Spotlight on…

Let There Be LightPhoto: Soldier closeup

Professor Scott Simmon, film historian, discusses the recently restored Army documentary about World War II soldiers suffering from psychological wounds. "The restoration reveals the film's full force," Simmon told The Washington Post. He also sat down for an NPR interview. See Let There Be Light and read Simmon's film notes on the National Film Preservation Foundation website. [ More… ]

NEWS SUMMARY

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

Search begins to replace Vice Chancellor Fred Wood

As Vice Chancellor Fred Wood begins preparations for his new role as chancellor of the University of Minnesota, Crookston, Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi has begun the process to find his successor. [ More… ]

Provost says new budget model will not drive changes in allocations

Amid a sea of economic uncertainty in California, UC Davis continues to tack toward a new, more transparent budget model that will provide campus faculty and administrative leaders with a greater understanding of and control over their budgets. In a letter this week, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter stressed that the shift to the new budget model will not drive any change in budget allocations for the 2012-13 year. [ More… ]

Chancellor, ASUCD join forces for higher ed funding

In a Sacramento Bee opinion piece today, Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi and ASUCD President Rebecca Sterling write about their "growing sense of alarm over the public's systematic disinvestment in higher education over the past decade." [ More… ]

Green power sources and baby products win at Big Bang! business competition

The biggest bang in this year's UC Davis business plan competition came from the S2E Energy founder who touted a thin, clear windowlike material said to conduct the sun's power more cheaply and efficiently than existing solar technology. [ More… ]

Afghan kites soar on winds of joy, freedom and charity

Despite a light wind, last week's Kites for a Kause — presented by the Afghan Student Association — was a soaring success, fueled by joyful memories of Afghanistan, by the country's new freedom and by the "kause," Afghan street children. [ More, with slide show… ]

Professor receives $5.6 million for gratitude research

Psychology professor Robert Emmons practices what he researches, expressing thanks for a $5.6 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation to advance the science of gratitude. [ More… ]

Fever during pregnancy doubles the risk of autism or developmental delay

A team of MIND Institute researchers has found that mothers who had a fever during pregnancy were more than twice as likely to have a child with autism or developmental delay than mothers who did not have a fever or who took medication to counter its effect. [ More… ]

BOOK PROJECT: Theme chosen for 2013-14; nominations welcome

The theme is set — gender issues-gender equity — and nominations are now being accepted for the 2013-14 Campus Community Book Project. The 2012-13 theme of civility and civil rights, as decided by the Campus Council on Community and Diversity, led to this selection: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, by Isabel Wilkerson. Now the process begins for the book after that one. [ More… ]

NEWS BRIEFS: Campus aims to improve funding process for grad students

UC Davis has set in motion a plan to streamline and improve the funding process for graduate students, in response to students' concerns about the highly decentralized financial support system. … Find a fragment from the recent meteor explosion? Our lab is perfectly suited to study the specimen. … Firehouse serves as rest stop on NorCal AIDS Cycle. … Registration is under way for a May 31 webinar on "UC Participation in Ballot Initiative Campaigns: Legal Guidelines." … UC Davis' computer watchdogs have issued warnings on two phishing scams. … Sign-ups are being taken for a Europe Research Funding Workshop scheduled for Monday, June 4. … Gas scare ends without incident at UC Davis West Village. [ More… ]

DIRECTIVES and ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announcements: 3 more forums for athletics director candidates

Three more athletics director candidates will participate in campus community forums: May 29, and June 4 and 7. ... Faculty and staff are invited to nominate undergraduates for the McNair Scholars Program, offering support to those who intend to pursue Ph.D.s. [ More… ]

EVENTS

Aggies host Irvine over Memorial Day weekend

May 25-27, Dobbins Stadium

The Aggies close the 2012 baseball season with a three-game homestand against UC Irvine. Tickets and special discounts are available online. Don't forget to wear Aggie Blue! [ More… ]

In Pursuit of the Traveling Salesman: Mathematics at the Limits of Computation

Wednesday, May 30, 4:10 p.m., 1002 Giedt Hall

A colloquium on complexity theory with Georgia Tech's William Cook. Sponsored by the Department of Mathematics. [ More… ]

FOOD, ETC.: Farm to College

Wednesday, May 30, 4:30-7:30 p.m., central lawn, Segundo housing area

Straight from local farms to the university — that's how much of the food will arrive for next week's Farm to College dinner, where Dining Services showcases its commitment to a local and sustainable food system. The event is open to the public; UC Davis staff receive a discount on admission. [ More… ]

More calendar listings…