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NEWS SUMMARY
More stories at Dateline UC Davis and UC Davis News and Information
UC proposes Phased Retirement Program, with cash incentive
UC employees near the end of their careers could gradually transition into retirement through a proposed program that offers a cash incentive. Under the Phased Retirement Program, staff members who are 55 or older could reduce their work hours by at least 10 percent a year for up to three years before retiring. Employees would receive a lump sum payment upon retirement equal to half the amount they would have otherwise earned. [ More… ]
UC Davis scientist to head NSF Directorate of Biological Sciences
Professor John Wingfield of the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior in the College of Biological Sciences has been selected to head the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Biological Sciences. "Dr. Wingfield is a distinguished scientist whose research has covered a wide spectrum of topics and fields in biology," said NSF Director Subra Suresh. [ More… ]
In The New York Times: Professor Turner comments on The Help
Pat Turner's op-ed appeared Aug. 28 and was among The Times' Top-10 e-mailed articles for three days running. The professor of African American and African studies, and vice provost of Undergraduate Studies, said the movie "tells a compelling and gripping story," but fails to note how whites rich and poor of the Jim Crow South held the pervasive notion ("as unquestioned as the sanctity of the church on Sunday") that blacks were unworthy of full citizenship, Turner wrote. [ More… ]
Bedrock nitrogen may help forests buffer climate change, study finds
For the first time, researchers at UC Davis have demonstrated that forest trees have the ability to tap into nitrogen found in rocks, boosting the trees' growth and their ability to pull more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Given that carbon dioxide is the most important climate-change gas, the nitrogen in rocks could significantly affect how rapidly the Earth will warm in the future, the researchers say. [ More… ]
Warming streams could be the end for salmon
Warming streams could spell the end of spring-run Chinook salmon in California by the end of the century, according to a study by scientists at UC Davis, the Stockholm Environment Institute and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. There are options for managing water resources to protect the salmon runs, the researchers say, but these would impact hydroelectric power generation. [ More… ]
Air-quality researchers tackle health implications of ultra-fine particles
Three studies by a UC Davis air-quality research group are adding to the growing body of data suggesting that very fine and ultra-fine airborne metal particles are closely linked to serious human-health problems, including heart disease. [ More… ]
Lower socioeconomic status a risk all its own in heart disease
"Being poor or having less than a high school education can be regarded as an extra risk when assessing a patient's chances of developing cardiovascular disease," says Peter Franks, a professor of family and community medicine, commenting on a study for which he served as the lead author. [ More… ]
Researchers find disease-causing fat cells in people with metabolic syndrome
UC Davis Health System researchers have discovered biological indicators that help explain why some obese people develop chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and others do not. The researchers took a novel approach of looking specifically at the body fat of people with metabolic syndrome, and they found the fat cells released biomarkers associated with insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, conditions often leading to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. [ More… ]
News briefs: Moobilenetx, 1,000 visitors, mail collection, poster calendars
IET is upgrading Moobilenetx security, and you may need to adjust your computer's setting. … UC Davis will host more than 1,000 high school and community college counselors next Friday (Sept. 9). … Daily mail collection is now available at seven sites across the campus. … The 2011-12 campus poster calendar is here! [ More… ]
DIRECTIVES and ANNOUNCEMENTS
No directives or announcements were issued this week.
EVENTS
Occupational Health Services has a new home, effective Sept. 6
Starting Tuesday, Sept. 6
Occupational Health Services will be at 501 Oak Ave. through 5 p.m. today, and that's it. Come Tuesday (Sept. 6), after the Labor Day weekend, the Davis campus's employee medical clinic will open in its new location in the Cowell Building (the former Cowell Student Health Center). Also note that the clinic has a new phone number, (530) 752-6051, contrary to a previous announcement that the clinic would keep its Oak Avenue number. [ More… ]
Shared service center town hall
Thursday, Sept. 8, 10 a.m., 123 Sciences Lecture Hall
The Davis campus's shared service center project will take a huge step forward with the announcement of major decisions in regard to the finance, human resources and payroll units. The town hall has room for 500 people, and, as of this morning (Sept. 2), about 300 seats had been reserved. If you prefer, you can watch the live webcast; look for the link on the UC Davis home page the morning of the town hall. [ More… ]
Lecture: "Rethinking the Ethics of Organ Transplantation"
Thursday, Sept. 8, 6:30 p.m., MIND Institute, Sacramento
This talk by Harvard professor Robert Truog is part of the Bioethics Program's 2011 Bioethics Distinguished Lecture Series. Those interested in attending should RSVP. A reception is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. [ More… ]