Dateline archive:

Telescope, mosquito spraying, concerts — 8.5.14

Dateline UC Davis

8.5.2014

News and information for faculty and staff


Spotlight on…
Photo: Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, drawing

Telescope funds OK'd

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope "will let us explore the cosmos in a new way," says the project's chief scientist, J. Anthony Tyson, distinguished professor of physics at UC Davis. Now, with National Science Foundation support, construction can begin — and the telescope could see "first light" in 2019. [ More… ]

NEWS SUMMARY

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

Mosquito spraying by air: Wednesday-Thursday

Aerial spraying for mosquitoes is planned Wednesday and Thursday nights (Aug. 6 and 7) over Davis and UC Davis, including the entire central campus. The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District announced spray times of about 8 p.m. to midnight both days over Davis and Woodland, targeting adult mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus. [ More… ]

Breast milk reveals clues for everyone's health

An interdisciplinary team is decoding the mysteries of human breast milk, figuring out what makes it so good for babies — and hoping to capture that goodness to help improve other people's health, say, by boosting immunity in children in the developing world, and in cancer patients and the elderly. [ More… ]

EGGHEAD: Memory researcher wins Pentagon grant

As a newly named National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellow, Professor Charan Ranganath receives a five-year, $2.6 million grant in support of new work he's doing in learning and memory. [ More… ]

DDT linked to slow metabolism, obesity and diabetes

A UC Davis-led study — in mice — shows for the first time a link between a pregnant female's exposure to the pesticide DDT, and an increased chance that her female offspring, later in life, will develop metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that include increased body fat, blood glucose and cholesterol. [ More… ]

Accountability Report notes UC's strong financial aid

UC releases its 2014 Accountability Report, providing comprehensive data on how well the university is doing on key indicators related to teaching, research and public service. For example, UC enrolls a higher percentage of low-income undergraduate students than any other top research university in the country, and, with strong financial aid programs, the net cost of attendance for students from families earning less $100,000 has remained fairly steady since 2004-05. [ More… ]

LAURELS: Tomich appointed to CGIAR scientific advisory board

Tom Tomich, director of the Agricultural Sustainability Institute, has been appointed as a scientific adviser to CGIAR, the world's pre-eminent ag research system. … Plus, a NASA medal for Shu Lin; honorary doctorates for Gurdev Khush and Alex McCalla; a presidency for Charlie Bamforth; a book of the year award for Elizabeth Carolyn Miller; and GSA awards for James Trimmer and Victoria Dye. … We have three new fellows, Marilyn Olmstead, Debbie Decker and Howard Spero; and two new hall of famers, Chip Martel and Bill Maze, in bridge and tennis, respectively. … And retired CoHo Director Sharon Coulson wins a national award in collegiate food service. [ More… ]

GSM hosts Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders

The UC system's Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders is being held at UC Davis for the first time, hosted by the Graduate School of Management. The institute, a collaboration of all six UC business schools, is designed for undergraduates from historically black colleges and universities and from Hispanic-serving institutions. Fifty-four students are in this year's institute, which began Sunday and continues until Aug. 15. [ More… ]

School of Medicine welcomes its Class of 2018

Thomas Cranmer isn't quite your traditional first-year medical student. Seven years ago, as a Navy SEAL, he was in Ramadi, Iraq, helping platoon members who had been shot in an ambush. And he decided then and there: "I wanted to help heal others just as the doctors at the hospital at Camp Ramadi healed my men." Now, at age 38, he's one of 110 new students in the UC Davis School of Medicine, inducted in a special ceremony held July 31 in The Pavilion at the ARC. [ More… ]

All aboard? Sactown suggests Sacramento-Davis light rail

Sactown Magazine's Rob Turner, an Aggie alum, suggests a light-rail extension to connect with "many of the region's best and brightest," in Davis. With this more convenient transit option (the so-called Aggie Express), students can become more engaged with Sacramento — and, Turner hopes, more inclined to stay after they graduate. Not a bad idea for commuters, either. [ More… ]

NEWS BRIEFS: Web CMS now lives with IET

Information and Educational Technology has assumed responsibility for the UC Davis Web content management system, or Web CMS, a service that helps the campus create and maintain websites with a consistent look and user experience. Plus …

  • Phishing email uses 'At Your Service' disguise
  • TRAINING: 'Stay Day' and management skills program
  • UC Ready tabletop exercise set for Aug. 15

SUMMER DIVERSIONS, PART 2: Concerts in Sacramento (free) and Monterey ($1)

The Sacramento campus's annual summer concert is this Thursday night (Aug. 7), free of charge; and Staff Assembly is offering another great concert deal: two-day passes to Monterey's First City Festival (with headline acts Beck and The National) for only $1 (face value $160). [ More… ]

STILL TRENDING: TEDx video surpasses 750,000 views

The total as of this morning — 753,694 — for law professor Karima Bennoune's TEDxExeter talk, "When People of Muslim Heritage Challenge Fundamentalism." ... The Aggies take to Jim Sochor Field for the first football practice of the season, and, from outside the stadium, take a look at a spectacular summer sunset, in #YourSchoolYourView.

FEATURED COLLOQUIA

  • UC Center Sacramento Lunchtime talks on "Political Representation in Red and Blue Shades: How the Culture War Changes the Way Citizens Speak and Politicians Listen" (Aug. 7) and "Is There a Public Interest in Payment? Bitcoin and Beyond" (Aug. 14).
  • Global Forum with Humphrey Fellows — Second of two public forums with accomplished mid-career professionals from around the world, who have come to UC Davis for preacademic orientation and training before beginning their yearlong Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowships at universities around the United States. (Aug. 7)
  • Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER) — Another in a series of programs featuring artists who meld art and science, this time in the areas of animal and human herding behavior, space exploration, photogrammetry and memory theater. Sponsored by the Art-Science Fusion Program. (Aug. 7)
  • "Big City Life: Of Urban Flamingoes and Coral Reef Villages" A conversation with Simon Brandi and Madhusudan Katti of the Ecological Society of America, in the "Science Cafe" series, presented by the Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. (Aug. 13)
  • "Beyond 'Homophobia': Thinking More Clearly About Sexual Stigma and Prejudice" — Psychology professor Greg Herek gives this talk at the Commonwealth Club of California, in San Francisco, in the club's 2014 Platforum series, "The LGBT Journey." (Aug. 18)

ANNOUNCEMENT

Howard Way to be closed, Aug. 11-24; detour will get you to north entry garage

The north entry road off Russell Boulevard will be closed for reconstruction, starting Monday (Aug. 11) and continuing until Aug. 24. Drivers will still be able to get to the north entry parking garage, by using California Avenue and Tennis Court Lane. Click here to see a map. [ More… ]

EVENTS

Information sessions on UC Davis Extension professional programs

Today (Aug. 5)-Sept. 10

The sessions will cover 15 programs, from Accounting, Conflict Resolution and Construction Management, to Supervisory Skills and Management Development, Web Development, and Workplace Health and Safety. The information sessions are free; UC Davis faculty and staff, as always at UC Davis Extension, are eligible for discounts of 20 percent to 50 percent on program fees. [ More… ]

ARBORETUM: What's Up with Plants Down Under?

Saturday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m., meet on the Wyatt Deck

What a difference a hemisphere makes! Explore the unusual and interesting plants in the Australian and New Zealand Collection at the east end of the arboretum. Many of these plants grow well in our climate. Free. [ More… ]

Summer Jam-uh! with the Aggie Band-uh!

Monday, Aug. 18, 7:10-9 p.m., lawn outside the Rec Pool

Take a swim, if you like, then stay for the free music at this last Summer Jam-uh! of the season. Band members (including alumni) play throwback and modern-day hits — and take requests via the Summer Jam-uh! Facebook page. [ More… ]

WORKLIFE AND WELLNESS: Developing a Healthy Relationship with Food

Thursday, Aug. 21, noon-1 p.m., multipurpose room, Student Community Center

Wondering how to respect your goals to eat healthier? "Join us to discover what food means to us, explore the pitfalls of dieting, and learn the benefits of mindful eating. Together we'll discuss ways to overcome obstacles and take action!" No preregistration. [ More… ]

EXHIBITION: Screen Prints 1970

Through Sept. 12, C.N. Gorman Museum

Works by 74 artists who were affiliated with the Printmaking Department of the School of the Art Institute, later known as The Art Institute of Chicago. Organized in 1970 by Sonia Landy Sheridan, the portfolio was created by faculty, graduate students and alumni "in an attempt to establish a working relationship between the artist, education and industry." [ More… ]

More calendar listings…