Spotlight on…

Fighting viruses around the world

Photo: Mosquito

UC Davis researchers are reporting breakthroughs against two mosquito-borne viruses: dengue fever and Rift Valley fever. In the former, scientists infected mosquitoes with a bacterium that suppressed the dengue fever virus in northern Australia. To fight Rift Valley fever, so far confined to Africa and the Middle East, scientists developed two genetically engineered vaccines to target the virus in livestock, with a goal of further developing the vaccines for people. [ More… ]

NEWS SUMMARY

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

Chancellor addresses higher education economics on PBS Newshour

PBS NewsHour interviews Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi about how she is trying to preserve UC Davis’ high reputation, in the face of budget cuts that jeopardize the quality of higher education. Katehi says: “The time when the state was the main contributor to the cost of higher education is gone, and I don’t necessarily see us going back to that.” [ More… ]

UCOP releases annual report on employee compensation

The online report for calendar year 2010 notes that the state contributed $174 million less to UC pay while the teaching hospitals put in $76 million more, compared with the year before. Federal government sources contributed an additional $80 million, primarily for research. [ More… ]

Occupational Health Services moving to the Cowell Building

Occupational Health Services, the Davis campus employee medical clinic, is moving into the Cowell Building (the former Cowell Student Health Center). The move starts next week, but there will be no interruption of service. The clinic will continue to see patients at 501 Oak Ave. (at Russell Boulevard) through Friday, Sept. 2, then reopen in the Cowell Building on Tuesday, Sept. 6, after the Labor Day weekend. [ More… ]

Bienvenu: New scholarly exchange with French veterinary school

Faculty of the School of Veterinary Medicine and counterparts from Nantes, France, have signed a working agreement to develop collaborative research programs and to facilitate student and faculty exchanges for the enrichment of veterinary training at both schools. [ More… ]

Du Bee the cat: His name will never be forgotten at vet school

The Sacramento Bee presents a front-page story about Maxine Adler, who cared for many cats in her lifetime and brought one of them, Du Bee, to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for cancer treatment. Now comes word, two years after Adler’s death at the age of 70 and with her estate finally settled, that she willed more than $7.6 million in Du Bee’s memory to the School of Veterinary Medicine. [ More… ]

Brain cell mystery solved in multiple sclerosis

Researchers have pinpointed the source of a phenomenon called astrogliosis, characterized by a large number of enlarged star-shaped cells in the brains and spinal cords of people with multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple episodes of minor head trauma. For MS at least, the finding offers a path to finding a cure. [ More… ]

Happy adolescents less prone to crime, drug use

“Get Happy!” reads the title of a new paper by sociology professor Bill McCarthy and postdoc Teresa Casey, who found happy adolescents less likely to report involvement in crime or drug use. [ More… ]

Ag economist joins NY Times’ online debate on illegal farm labor

If the influx of immigrant workers were slowed or stopped, and farm wages rose, how much more would the typical household spend on food? Professor Philip Martin has the surprise answer, based on a 1966 case study involving a 40 percent wage increase for some of the people who harvested table grapes in the Central Valley. [ More… ]

News briefs: Town hall, blood drive, campus calendar, Visual Solutions Expo, Rosen service

Registration is under way for the Sept. 8 town hall meeting on the shared service center. ... The next ASUCD Blood and Marrow drive is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday (Aug. 30 and 31). ... UC Davis’ new poster calendar should be available around Aug. 31. ... Repro Graphics is taking sign-ups for its Visual Solutions Expo, Sept. 14. ... Virginia Hinshaw to step down as Hawaii chancellor. ... A memorial service for Professor Emeritus Jerome Rosen is scheduled for Saturday (Aug. 27) in Main Theatre. [ More… ]

DIRECTIVES and ANNOUNCEMENTS

No directives or announcements were issued this week.

EVENTS

Kids Bicycling Safety Event

Saturday, Aug. 27, 4-6 p.m., U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame, Third and B streets, Davis

The UC Davis Bike Barn and its manager, Robert St. Cyr, are assisting with this free event. The program includes a video and discussion on bike safety, followed by bicycle inspections. [ More… ]

TANA presents El Teatro Campesino

Saturday, Aug. 27, 7 p.m., Woodland Opera House, 340 Second St.

UC Davis’ TANA community art center is sponsoring a free performance by El Teatro Campesino, presenting its play “Aventuras con Verduras,” Spanish for Adventures with Vegetables. Free (RSVPs requested). [ More… ]

Selections from the Fine Arts Collection

Through Sept. 29, Nelson Gallery, Nelson Hall (formerly the University Club)

The gallery’s featured summer exhibition closed last weekend, but the gallery is holding over paintings and prints from the university’s Fine Arts Collection — and keeping them up until the opening of the fall exhibition. [ More… ]

More calendar listings…