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The Regents of the University of California
 

names and faces

GOOD SHOW

Ollie Van Nostrand joined the School of Theater, Film and Television as assistant dean for administration. She will provide key leadership to the school in strategic, budgetary and fiscal resource planning; human resource administration and development; information technology; and other administrative areas. Van Nostrand has 23 years of UC experience and most recently served as assistant dean for the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UC Irvine.... More than 350 gathered at the Division of Digestive Diseases’ 50th anniversary celebration to honor the leadership of Sherman M. Mellinkoff, professor emeritus of medicine and founder of the division, and Gary Gitnick, professor of medicine and division chief for the past 10 years. The division, which is the largest in the world and ranked best in the West in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” survey, raised more than $6.7 million for research, education and clinical care.

APPLAUSE

Ten leading medical research institutions, including UCLA, were awarded $4.6 million in “Freedom to Discover” grants from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. Grants were awarded to the Geffen School of Medicine to support the work of two researchers: Charles L. Sawyers, professor of medicine, director of the Prostate Cancer Program Area at the Jonsson Cancer Center and an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, who will focus on molecular abnormalities in leukemia and prostate cancer; and Peter Tontonoz, associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and assistant investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, who will design novel therapies for atherosclerosis and metabolic diseases.... Journalist and author Patt Morrison will be a guest judge for the 2004 Robert B. and Blanche Campbell Student Book Collection Competition, sponsored by the UCLA Library. The competition recognizes students who have organized outstanding book collections. All entries are due by 5 p.m. on April 14.

IN MEMORIAM

Mirella Cheeseman, emerita lecturer in the department of Italian, died Feb. 22 of leukemia in Naples, Italy. She was 69.

Cheeseman was a language coordinator and teaching assistant supervisor of the UCLA department of Italian for 27 years. She started working at UCLA in 1967 and retired in 1994, but Cheeseman was recalled for two more years of service from 1994-1996.

She is survived her three children: Andrew Cheeseman, Emilio Cheeseman, and Mirella Cheeseman.

For the time being, the children of Mirella Cheeseman do not have a memorial fund set up. As an interim solution, if donations are made, perhaps they should be sent directly to the eldest child: Andrew Cheeseman, 300 South Thurston Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90049.

Genevieve S. May, a Los Angeles psychiatrist whose cliff-top home in Malibu was used for many meetings and retreats by students, faculty and staff, died in her sleep Feb. 28. She was 94.

May was born in 1909 in India, while her parents served as American Presbyterian missionaries. She continued her education in the United States, where she made the unusual decision for a woman of that era to pursue a career in medicine.

She graduated from Women’s Medical College in Philadelphia in 1933, and embarked upon her studies in the developing field of psychiatry and psychoanalysis. She conducted her analytic training in Los Angeles with Dr. Ralph Greenson, and established a thriving practice. She was highly sought after as a physician because of her compassion and insight, and her unfailing dedication to her patients. Many patients continued to contact her years after she retired, even into the final months of her life.

May and her late husband, Philip R. A. May, a former professor of psychiatry at UCLA, lived in Malibu on Point Dume in a home they named “May’s Landing.” Philip May was an international expert in the treatment of schizophrenia and led research teams at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Camarillo State Hospital. His research group held weekly meetings at May’s Landing, attended by researchers and clinicians from UCLA and beyond, which enabled the couple to help nurture the careers of the current leaders of schizophrenia research around the globe.

Following her husband’s death in 1986, Genevieve May continued to support schizophrenia research, establishing an annual lecture in her husband’s memory. In addition to remaining involved with her and her late husband’s colleagues, she announced her intent to bequeath May’s Landing to the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute for use as a study center. Since then, she has opened her doors to UCLA faculty, staff, and students for meetings, retreats, and study sessions. The Philip and Genevieve May Psychiatric Endowment Fund was established at UCLA for the financial support and maintenance of May’s Landing.

May is survived by her brother, Paul Stewart; her children, Margaret R. Park and Peter Rheuby; and her grandchildren, Laura Jane Milanette, Daniel vom Saal, Adele Rheuby, Amy Tibbets, Kevin Rheuby, and Troy Yardley.

The family suggests memorial gifts may be made to the Drs. Phil and Genevieve May Memorial Fund. Checks should be made out to the UCLA Foundation and mailed to the attention of Ken Hurd, UCLA Medical Science Development/NPI, 10945 Le Conte Avenue, Suite 3132, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

Tom L. McKnight, professor emeritus of geography, died Feb. 16 at Brotman Medical Center following complications from surgery. He was 75.

McKnight was born in Dallas, Texas, on October 8, 1928, and received his B.A. in geology from Southern Methodist University in 1949, his M.A. in geography from the University of Colorado in 1951, and his Ph.D. in geography/meteorology from the University of Wisconsin in 1955.

McKnight came to UCLA’s geography department in 1956 and remained until 1993. In that same year, he was named professor emeritus. He held the position of department chair from 1978 to 1983. He created the Community College/UCLA Geographic Alliance that was to be the model for the K-12 National Geographic Society Geographic Alliances that spread to all states and Canada.

He also created and was first director of the University of California, Education Abroad Program in Australia in 1984-1985. In 1987, McKnight was the associate director of the UCLA Summer Geography Institute.

His awards and honors ranged from Los Angeles Geographical Society Honorary Life member to California Geographical Society Outstanding Educator Award. He was also vice president of the Golden State Humane Society and a volunteer for the West Los Angeles chapter of Meals-on-Wheels.

McKnight was a great world traveler on every continent except Antarctica. He frequently visited Australia, every Pacific Island, and Africa several times. He loved the Rocky Mountain National Park and climbed every peak, many two to three times.

Waldo W. Phelps, professor of rhetoric, died Jan. 31 in Santa Barbara, Calif. He was 85.

He was born on June 15, 1918 at Stanford University Hospital in San Francisco to Margaret Ann Livengood Phelps and Clarence Lucien Phelps. Soon after his birth the family moved to Santa Barbara when his father became president of The State Normal School of Home Economics and Industrial Arts, later to become Santa Barbara State College, the predecessor to UCSB. Later in life, Waldo often wrote about his father’s accomplishments, and enjoyed spending time at the former site of the College on Santa Barbara’s Riviera hillside, reminiscing about the years of his father’s tenure there.

Waldo attended the State College Elementary School, La Cumbre Junior High School and graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1936. In 1940, he took an A.B. degree in education and a secondary school teaching credential from Santa Barbara State College, where he had been the first president of Blue Key, a national men’s service fraternity. Waldo received a M.A. degree with a major in speech communication from the University of Denver in 1941, and enlisted in the Navy in 1942. After his discharge, he married Dorothy Ann Depweg, whom he had met at Santa Barbara State College.

Phelps received his Ph.D. in rhetoric and public address from USC in 1949. His career at UCLA started in 1949, and spanned that university’s formative decades of growth and rise to prominence. He was a familiar figure at UCLA’s most important public ceremonies, often serving as master of ceremonies as the University hosted world leaders. In 1979, he was honored by the UCLA Alumni Association with a University Service Award.

His retirement to Santa Barbara saw him take a more active role in the Riviera Chapter of the UCSB Alumni Association, and he became a strong and enthusiastic supporter of Santa Barbara City College as well. Phelps was pre-deceased by his first wife of 54 years, Dorothy Ann Depweg Phelps, and his second wife, Nancy Kern Phelps.

He is survived by his daughter, Margaret Ann Phelps of Los Angeles; daughter, Marilynn Phelps McNamara and son-in-law, Jim McNamara of Cape Town, South Africa. At his request, there will be no memorial service but well-wishers are requested to recall Phelps’ life-long dedication to higher education, and to honor his memory by supporting California’s colleges in whatever ways they can.

Jayne Spencer, history lecturer and Tarjan Center for Developmental Disabilities community outreach and education coordinator, died in a coma Jan. 17. She was 54.

At San Diego State University, Spencer received her B.A. in sociology in 1974, her M.S. in rehabilitation counseling in 1978, and her M.A. in history in 1988. And in 1966, she received her Ph.D. in modern Latin American history from UCLA.

Before her career at UCLA, she was an academic tutor and family consultant in San Diego and also worked as an english tutor.

Spencer was actively engaged in a range of activities at UCLA that encompassed her many passions and value of disability rights, human dignity and compassion for others. Professionally she served as the Community Outreach and Information Dissemination Coordinator for the Tarjan Center, instructor in the History Department in the area of Latin American History and Fiat Lux seminar, and Chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Disability (CACD). She was also spearheading efforts for the establishment of an undergraduate minor in disability studies. All will miss Jayne's fiery spirit, dogged determination, commitment to her work and friendship.

Jayne is survived by her parents, as well as a sister and brother.

A memorial in recognition of her many contributions, sponsored by The UCLA Tarjan Center for Developmental Disabilities and other campus entities, was held on March 1, 2004 in the Charles E. Young Grand Salon at UCLA’s Kerckhoff Hall.

Morton Gaither Wurtele, professor emeritus of atmospheric sciences, died Feb. 14 of leukemia. He was 84.

Born in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, in 1919, he was at home in Chicago, Cambridge, Los Angeles,
Jerusalem, and, finally, Berkeley. He was educated at University of Chicago Laboratory High School. He received his A.B. from Harvard in mathematics and philosophy, and his Ph.D. from UCLA in meteorology. Wurtele began his career at M.I.T. and then moved to UCLA., where he was a professor in the department of atmospheric sciences for 42 years.

He is survived by his wife Zivia Syrkin Wurtele, his children Jonathan and Eve Syrkin Wurtele, and his grandchildren Dimitri, Mashette and Judy Syrkin-Nikolau, and Abby and David Wurtele, daughter-in-law Lisa Karp Wurtele and son-in-law Basil Nikolau.