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©2004
The Regents of the University of California
 

January 30, 2001 (Vol. 21, No. 10)

NEWS

BUREAU – Former Vice President Al Gore announced plans Jan. 25 to teach and work at UCLA and three other universities. … School of Medicine – A new molecular imaging center that will develop innovative ways to see gene-based therapies at work in the human body was launched recently at UCLA. … AIDS INSTITUTE – The UCLA AIDS Institute received a $1.17-million donation on Jan. 26 that will enable its researchers to substantially accelerate their efforts to pursue an effective HIV vaccine.

CNSI: SHARING IDEAS ACROSS DISCIPLINES
As administrators and faculty from fields as varied as molecular biology and engineering start coming together to develop a multidisciplinary curriculum for the new California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), one of the key challenges will be making sure that researchers and students from vastly different scientific realms can speak the same language...

ONLINE FILM SCHOOL TO LAUNCH
Following approval by the University of California Board of Regents earlier this month, the School of Theater, Film and Television is poised to create a groundbreaking online school that will provide opportunities for students around the globe to pursue education in film, television and new media...

FRESHMAN WOMEN LESS TECH-CONFIDENT THAN MEN
The great Digital Divide, it turns out, is not just a chasm between the haves and have-nots.

DATELINE UC SYSTEMWIDE – Better Odds – African Americans hospitalized at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers have a 25% lower mortality than white patients, according to researchers from the San Francisco VA Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco. … Global Data Storage – To guard against a wipeout of computer data by rolling blackouts, fire or hacker attack, a computer scientist is designing a data storage system so vast and powerful it will encompass the entire Earth. … Alternative Energy – As California continues to struggle with its energy crisis, UC scientists are pursuing energy research that includes creating fusion energy in a cylinder the size of a soft drink can and turning algae into an energy source.

DID YOU KNOW? – The percentage of students who use tobacco at UCLA is below the national average, according to a study released by the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center. Only 32% of UCLA students reported using tobacco one or more times in 1999, compared with 46% of college students nation wide, according to the center.

RETIREMENT BENEFITS INCREASED
The UC Regents recently improved the age factors in the University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP), a move that increases retirement benefits for faculty and staff.

SPAIN VISIT BUILDS BRIDGES FOR LATINO FACULTY
Faculty and students in Chicano studies can look forward to participating in collaborative projects with Spanish universities...

YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW – Telling it like it is – A new online journal, Teaching to Change LA, has been launched to explore the challenges and possibilities of learning and teaching in greater Los Angeles. … Right to Vote – Law Professor Cruz Reynoso has been serving as vice chair on the United States Commission on Civil Rights, investigating voting irregularities in Florida. … Tech-Based Learning – Microsoft Corporation has donated $1 million to the UCLA School Management Program in the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies to transform an elementary school into a model for a technology-based community of learners.

PEOPLE

15 SECONDS – Allen F. Roberts.

LEGAL BRIEFS – Research Aid – A new unit at the School of Law is helping faculty researchers throughout the university to access, interpret and conduct quantitative social science research. … Tribal Assistance – How often is a law student given the chance to draft a constitution for a nation? Or to write a statute that becomes law? … Symposium Celebration – The School of Law is planning a symposium that will bring together nationally known authorities from both the legal profession and the law school to discuss the three most significant changes in law practice over recent years.

NEW FOCUS MAY BOOST MINORITY NUMBERS
The School of Law's newly created Critical Race Studies specialization - the first of its kind in the nation - will offer students the chance to focus on the interconnections between race and the law...   

ROLE-PLAYING SHARPENS STUDENTS' LEGAL SKILLS
Trial Advocacy class practicing interviewing and client-counseling skills vital to their chosen profession...

COMMUNITY BULLETINS – Dinner, Anyone? – Each year, the UCLA Alumni Association sponsors Dinners for 12 Strangers as a way to help personalize the UCLA experience. … Library Amnesty – The UCLA Library is urging individuals to start the year with a clear conscience by renewing or returning overdue library materials before Feb. 8 without penalty. … Financial Adviser – A Fidelity retirement counselor is available for one-on-one consultations with employees every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. These consultations last 30 minutes and take place in Campus Human Resources, Suite 200 in the Wilshire Center. … Workshops Available – The Center for Women & Men is offering child-care workshops and self-defense classes for women free to faculty and staff.

WEB WATCH – Want to take advantage of Summer Sessions discounts for UC students? Thinking of studying abroad this summer? Check out the new UCLA Summer Sessions Web site, where you'll find everything you need to know under the sun about summer sessions. Registration is now open. ( www.summer.ucla.edu )

VOICES

OUR WORLD CARTOON  – by Matt Hall

WHAT'S ON MY MIND:
WOMEN'S CANCERS IGNORED IN MEDICARE/MEDICAID DECISION
The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), the federal agency that oversees both Medicare and Medicaid, completely ignored coverage for gynecological and breast cancers...

CLOSEUP:
HELPING SENIORS LIVE BETTER LONGER
Over the next decade, 75 million baby boomers will swell to a mighty force, forming the largest group of older Americans in U.S. history...