UCLA Today: archive November 20, 2001

BUREAU BRIEFS – University of California – The University of California Regents approved a modified deferred compensation program Nov. 15 that will give all eligible employees additional financial reward by way of a special retirement account. … The Anderson School – Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of General Electric and one of the world's most admired business leaders, offered insights and inspiration Nov. 14 to about 1,200 Anderson students, faculty alumni and guests at Royce Hall. … Engineering/Applied Science – Unmanned military vehicles could distinguish cave entrances from shadows and locate other hazards if they had a sense of vision similar to humans, say researchers at the Vision Lab in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. … School of Medicine – In the largest such study of Alzheimer's diagnosis to date, UCLA researchers found that positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brain can accurately detect early Alzheimer?s disease up to 95% of the time -- leading to prompt medical treatment for the debilitating disease.

REGENTS REVISE REVIEW SYSTEM
The UC Board of Regents voted 15 to 4 for a proposal to admit undergraduates through a comprehensive review process, beginning with high school seniors applying this month for admission next fall. They met Nov. 15 in San Francisco...

GOV. PROPOSES $8M IN CUTS TO UC SYSTEM
Gov. Gray Davis last week announced $86 million in immediate cuts to this year's University of California budget in an effort to reduce overall state spending by $2.25 billion...

STUDENTS FACE FEARS, TEST LIMITS ON ROPES COURSE
330 full-time M.B.A. students tackled the Ropes Challenge Course as part of The Anderson School's orientation program. First-year M.B.A.s are required to attend the course, although participating in every challenge is optional, said Eric Mokover, assistant dean and director of the M.B.A. program. This year's incoming class achieved 100% participation in all the exercises...

DATELINE UC SYSTEMWIDE – Outreach in New Mexico – Rae Lee Siporin, for more tan 20 years the director of Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools at UCLA, has been retained by UC as special assistant for education relations in New Mexico. Upon her retirement this ear, UCLA bestowed on her the designation of "emerita," a rare distinction for UC administrators. … Ed. D Partnership –The University of California and the California State University have agreed to be equal partners in developing and implementing new joint Doctorates in Education (Ed.D.s) programs. … Salary Increases – The UC regents held to 2% system wide merit increases for all top officials, including President Richard C. Atkinson and the 10 campus chancellors.

DID YOU KNOW? – Under the guidance of UC Mexus, the University of California has an Agreement of Cooperation in Higher Education and Research with Mexico's National Council for Sci ence and Technology. Currently, 91 Mexican Ph.D. students are enrolled on UC campuses, and a faculty exchange program is in place.

ATKINSON: UC A SURVIVOR OF HARD TIMES
Until Nov. 30, UC employees can shop around for benefits during Open Enrollment, the annual period when employees can switch to a different medical or dental plan or add eligible dependents to current plans...

YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW – Post 911 – As a key element in the campus' continuing commitment to help students comprehend the events of Sept. 11, the College of Letters & Science will offer a second series of courses, "Perspectives Post 911," during the winter quarter that will explore issues emerging from the terrorist attacks. … Roll and Rest – Children playing at Mar Vista Park are enjoying a new roller hockey rink built by the City of Los Angeles and a new picnic table and bench donated by UCLA for the facility. … Breast Cancer Fear – Women who are afraid of what they might find during a self-examination for breast lumps are less likely to perform the exams, possibly due to a fear of being alone when they find a lump, according to a new study by researchers at UCLA.

STUDYING AMERICA'S 'WOUND CULTURE'
Mark Seltzer isn't a likely suspect as an authority on serial killers and America's culture of violence. Yet, that's the reputation he earned with his widely acclaimed 1998 book, "Serial Killers: Death and Life in America's Wound Culture."

HE PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGES
If you're a community college student interested in transferring to UCLA or a UC campus, chances are you've heard of Alfred Herrera.

15 SECONDS
Ruth Sabean, Assistant Provost, Educational Technology, Office of Instructional Development

NAMES AND FACES
Kudos: Itzhak Fried
In Memoriam: Walter J. Karplus, Mitzi Myers, David Stephen Sigman

BRUIN WALK AND BEYOND – In Jest – Political cartoonist Paul Conrad, winner of three Pulitzer Prizes and numerous other awards, visited the School of Public Policy and Social Research on Nov. 8. … Pauley Security – New security measures are in place to ensure safety at Pauley Pavilion during large-scale events. … Sleep or Study – Contrary to popular advice given to students to get plenty of sleep rather than study late to ace the big exam, sleep plays a minor role in memory formation, according to neuroscientist Jerome Siegel, who published a review of human and animal studies in the Science Journal. … Yellowthunder Salute – UCLA's American Indian Studies Center honored Sen. Danial K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, and several California Indian tribal chairs at its annual Yellowthunder gala scholarship dinner...

STUDENTS NEGOTIATE ANTHRAX CLEANUP
It's not every day you get to negotiate a treaty that may safeguard the free world. But that's exactly what three UCLA law school students did.

NEW HUB OPENS FOR ARTISTS, DESIGNERS IN VILLAGE
For the first time, UCLA Extension's arts and design programs have a home of their own, a space for emerging artists and working professionals to innovate and collaborate.

COMMUNITY BULLETINS – Special Offer – For the first time, all UC employees can subscribe to UC Berkeley's Wellness Letter at a special rate of $15 a year. www.wellness.letter.com … Responsicle Invertments – Participants in the Tax-Deferred 403(b) Plan may now invest in a wider array of socially responsible mutual funds managed by the Calvert Group. … Resources for Seniors – An extensive directory of Westside services for seniors and their caregivers is now available from the UCLA Center on Aging and the City of Santa Monica Commission on Older Americans. … Only 10 more days – A reminder to employees: Open Enrollment ends Nov. 30.

WEB WATCH – Nanotubes, self-assembly, spintronics, molecular computing – these are all part of the lexicon of nanosystems, the multidisciplinary field that seeks to understand the world of the very, very small. The California NanoSystem Institute, a joint effort of UCLA and UC Santa Barbara, now has a new Web site that lets you enter this intriguing world, highlighting the work of its faculty. www.cnsi-uc.org

HEAD START LEADERS UPDATE THEIR MANAGEMENT SKILLS
It only took a couple of class meetings for Linda Anderson, a supervisor of 86 employees at a child development center in Inglewood, to get hooked on the approach Anderson School faculty are taking to help her become a better manager.

CALIFORNIA IN COMPLETE STATE OF DENIAL
As late as last winter, officials at the California Department of Finance were denying that the state was running a deficit in fiscal year 2000-2001. Yet data clearly showing a deficit were available on the department's own Web site...

ED.D. PACT PRESERVES UC'S MISSION
Since its adoption in 1960, California's Master Plan for Higher Education has served as an anchoring force for public higher education in our state.

OUR WORLD
By Matt Hall

WHAT'S ON MY MIND:
HOLLYWOOD SHOULD NOT BE WASHINGTON'S SHILL
The relationship between Washington and Hollywood resembles the Three Stooges. What keeps Our Side (the comic team) together? The answer: Their Side. As long as they have an external enemy, the members of the team get along great. But as soon as Their Side disappears, they begin slapping each other around again....

CLOSEUP:
MAINTAINING EXCELLENCE IN TOUGH TIMES
Donna Vredevoe, an immunologist, former chair of the Academic Senate and acting dean of nursing who became vice chancellor of academic personnel in July, has the critical responsibility of recruiting top-notch faculty during this time of economic uncertainty...