Spotlight on…

Dear Mr. Darwin…Charles Darwin

Five UC Davis faculty write to the 19th-century naturalist, born 200 years ago this week. They update him on the latest in evolutionary science, and what is on their minds as they continue the work he began. [ More… ]

NEWS

$5 million in midyear budget cuts ordered

Anticipating more bad budget news from the state, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Enrique Lavernia is ordering a midyear cut of $5 million. Deans and vice chancellors are authorized to make cuts as they see fit, to meet targets set by the campus budget office. [ More… ]

Transit talk: People get a say on proposed projects for greater bicycle accessibility, safety on campus

More roundabouts, more dedicated bike paths, new intersections at freeway exits. Those are some of the proposals in the Davis campus's Bicycle and Transit Network Study, presented in draft form during a pair of public workshops last week. [ More… ]

Bugs and biosafety

UC scientists can study the most serious plant diseases and pests at the Contained Research Facility, the only biosafety level 3 plant research lab of its kind in the western United States. The facility, which opened last October, held an open house Feb. 3. [ More… ]

In brief: Error on W-2s; Community awards; Repro Graphics celebrates; Fire training postponed

Accounting and Financial Services notified employees last week of a negligible print error on paper W-2 forms (the error should not affect tax returns, but affected employees can obtain a new version electronically); the Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity and Community were announced on Jan. 29; Repro Graphics is celebrating its grand reopening in 176 Hoagland Hall; and the UC Davis Fire Department has postponed a training exercise yet again due to wet conditions. [ More… ]

White House Farmer in our midst?

Graduate student Margaret Lloyd is one of three nominees selected by online vote for White House Farmer — a job that does not exist, but one that she and others are hoping to see established. It would build awareness and understanding of the food system, supporters say, while at the same time supplying the first family with fresh produce. [ More… ]

UC Davis leads research consortium on pharmaceuticals

UC Davis is leading a consortium that will help scientists learn about drugs that are no longer under active development by pharmaceutical companies, but which could be repurposed for conditions other than those they were initially developed to treat. [ More… ]

Chocolate: Emeritus co-edits 'a story of human nature, replete with joy, heartache and even treachery'

Nothing says Valentine's Day quite like chocolate, but long before it was paired with hearts and flowers, chocolate played important roles in cultures around the world, according to a new book for which UC Davis nutritional geographer Louis Grivetti served as co-editor. [ More… ]

In research: Nanomagnetic 'fingerprints' give boost to media storage

In the race to develop the next generation of storage and recording media, a major hurdle has been the difficulty of studying the tiny magnetic structures that will serve as their building blocks. Now a team of UC Davis physicists has developed a technique to capture the magnetic "fingerprints" of certain nanostructures — even when they are buried within the boards and junctions of an electronic device. [ More… ]

DIRECTIVES

UC Davis Foundation — Charles J. Soderquist Award

Nominations are due by Feb. 27 for the Charles J. Soderquist Award, which recognizes an individual or couple who have demonstrated exceptional volunteerism and leadership by advancing the mission and vision of UC Davis through the identification, cultivation and stewardship of major donors; the establishment of a major fundraising program; personal giving; or a combination of these contributions. [ More… ]

EVENTS

Learn the science, then see the cycling tour in Davis

Friday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., John Natsoulas Center for the Arts, 521 First St., Davis

Start your Amgen weekend by attending tonight's symposium where several UC Davis experts will offer "A Smattering from the Science of Cycling." Then, for Sunday's cycling event, look here for all the logistical information that you will need: I-80 ramp closures, campus parking, Unitrans shuttles, maps, motorist assistance, downtown festivities and lots more. [ More… ]

The Winter's Tale: Shakespeare flipped!

Feb. 13-15 and 19-22, Studio Theatre, Mondavi Center

Director Patricia Miller describes this Department of Theatre and Dance production as contemporary European "physical theater," making Shakespeare's poetry vital, passionate and direct. [ More… ]

Philip Glass: A Master of Our Time

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center

The composer will participate in a free public forum with music writer-collaborator Tim Page and Jeffrey Callison of Sacramento radio station KXJZ. He will also perform his own works in an evening concert, which follows an introductory lecture by UC Davis music professor Pablo Ortiz. [ More… ]

More calendar listings…