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The Regents of the University of California
 

bureau briefs

THE COLLEGE

Gabrielle Spiegel, an internationally renowned historian, has been named dean of humanities in the College of Letters and Science, effective July 1, pending approval by the Board of Regents. She succeeds English Professor Eric Sundquist, who temporarily replaced Dean Pauline Yu after she was named president of the American Council of Learned Societies. “Dr. Spiegel is a superb scholar and academic leader who comes to her new post with an abiding commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship,” said Chancellor Albert Carnesale. Currently the Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University, Spiegel is a medieval scholar whose work focuses on French literature, literary and cultural theory, and historiography. She has earned numerous awards and honors, including a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, election as a fellow of the Medieval Academy and a fellowship at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. Her leadership roles include chair of the history department at Johns Hopkins and vice president of the Research Division of the American Historical Association.

Andrea M. Ghez, professor of physics and astronomy, was recently selected as one of 72 new members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of her achievements in original research. Election to NAS membership is considered one of the highest honors given to a U.S. scientist or engineer. Ghez’s research focuses on the origin and early life of stars and planets, and the distribution and nature of matter at the center of our galaxy. She also has demonstrated that a monstrous black hole exists there. Among her many honors, Discover magazine in 2000 named Ghez one of the top 20 scientists in the country under 40.

ENERGY CONSERVATION

Based on the success of the 2003 holiday closure that saved $180,000 in energy costs, the Energy Conservation Task Group, comprised of faculty and staff, is proposing a similar winter holiday closure for the next three fiscal years. The closure would cover 10 consecutive days, consisting of two workdays, bookended by two four-day holiday weekends. For this fiscal year, the closure would begin Dec. 24 (a holiday) and end Sunday, Jan. 2, 2005. For Dec. 28-29, the two workdays between the holidays, employees may use vacation time, apply for compensatory time off or take a leave of absence without pay. Employees may comment by e-mailing lazetta@chr.ucla.edu or hbloch@be.ucla.edu by May 12.