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VOL. 26. NO.16 JUNE 27, 2006

BRIEFS ONLINE

An eight-clap for our athletes

The UCLA athletic program enjoyed another stellar year in 2005-2006 and, with 99 NCAA team championships to its credit, is poised to become the first school in history to win 100 NCAA team titles. Among the highest achievements scored this year, UCLA placed second in competition for the Directors’ Cup, which is presented annually to the best overall athletic program by the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors, USA Today and the U.S. Sports Academy. Only Stanford University did better. The Bruins won two NCAA team championships in 2005-06 — men’s volleyball and women’s water polo — and reached the championship game in men’s basketball and women’s soccer, finishing second nationally in both sports. They also earned a third-place (tied) finish in softball and a fifth-place (tied) finish in men’s tennis. The Bruins have won 13 team titles in the last four years, the most of any school in the country.

Staving off recession

In its second quarterly report of 2006, the UCLA Anderson Forecast anticipates a slowdown in real estate across the United States and in California. But absent other factors that historically precede recessionary conditions nationally and in the state, no recession is foreseen. In California, particularly, the real estate slowdown will lead to a flat housing market and a slower economy, but according to Anderson economist Ryan Ratcliff, “We do not predict a recession, nor do we predict a substantial decline in average nominal home prices.… There is not enough vulnerability in the usual sources of employment loss (in manufacturing) to create a recession, and the historical record suggests that average home prices do not usually fall without this kind of job loss.”

Special honors for staff

Twenty-three UCLA staff members and one faculty member were honored at the UCLA Staff Assembly’s ninth annual Scholarships and Awards Reception this month. The Excellence in Service Award, which comes with a $5,000 cash prize, went to Eddie Murphy, director of the Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center. Gloria Jurisic, principal administrative analyst in the Jules Stein Eye Institute, received the President’s Award for her volunteer work in advancing the goals of the organization. The Faculty/Staff Partnership Award went to H. Thomas Hahn, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, who was honored for his efforts in developing and encouraging partnerships between faculty and staff. Finally, 21 staff members received scholarships of up to $350 for career enhancement and professional growth. They are: Maria Blandizzi, Lili Bulhoes, Dawn Canfield, Felecia Chriss, Yasmine Diaz, Candi Dixon, Juliana Estay, Rochelle Garcia, Patricia Jardack, Heather Kira-Hoeke, Natasha Levy, Armi Ann Manas, Cameron Neece, Eric Newlove, Liladhar Pendse, Katalin Radics, Silviya Saad, Michael Sattin, Alva Moore Stevenson, Donna Wilson and Paul Yuergens.

They’re finally going home

Nick and Nate Draper, the identical twin babies who came to UCLA’s Mattel Children’s Hospital 11 months ago for heart transplants, have been cleared by doctors to return home to Arizona. “After almost a year away, we can’t believe that we finally get to go home,” said an elated Nicole Draper, the twins’ mother. “I’m not sure that it will feel real for awhile.” “Both boys are at the point where their care can be handled by the pediatric experts in Phoenix,” said Juan Alejos, physician and medical director of the pediatric heart transplant program at UCLA’s Mattel Children’s Hospital. “We are happy for the twins and the family, and we know that they will continue to thrive at home.” While both twins were awaiting heart transplants, only Nick is going home with a new heart that he received Feb. 16. Nate is going home with his own heart. In what doctors called “close to a miracle,” Nate’s heart started showing signs of improvement, and he was removed from the active heart transplant list in May. Questions still remain about the cause of Nate’s potential blindness and whether it is a long-term prognosis, or if he will recover.

Eliminating non-resident tuition

UCLA Senate faculty members voted 289 for and 107 against a proposal to eliminate non-resident tuition for academic graduate students. Elections on the same issue have also been held at other UC campuses. Of the 4,167 faculty who voted systemwide, 83% (3, 447) voted for the measure; 720 were opposed. UC President Robert C. Dynes will present the proposal to the Board of Regents. Supporters of the measure note that non-resident tuition is a serious impediment to the recruitment of top graduate students from outside California, especially those from outside the United States. In many cases, non-resident tuition is typically not paid by the student, but charged to faculty grants and other university resources. Doing this depletes resources that should be used for other purposes, supporters said.

Under new leadership

UCLA’s Staff Assembly announced the members of its new board for 2006-2007. Serving as president is Shelley Brown, administrative analyst for Corporate Financial Services; president-elect, Sabrina Lux, administrative director in the Department of Psychology; vice president–outreach, Mike Lee, manager of user services in Social Sciences Computing; historian/secretary, Dinora Duarte, administrative analyst for Medical and Professional Staff Services; vice president–information systems, Linda Lee, systems administrator for Corporate Financial Services; treasurer, Gayelea Allison, payroll manager for Corporate Financial Services; vice president–programs, Elizabeth Monaco, career development/training professional in Campus Human Resources; and vice president–events, Jennifer Stripe, student affairs officer in the Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center.

Best in the classroom

The Committee on Teaching of the Academic Senate has selected this year’s non-Senate faculty recipients of the Distinguished Lecturer Award. Only three such awards are made each year, and each award carries a $3,000 honorarium. This year’s winners are Roger Bohman of molecular, cell and development biology; Joann Damron-Rodgriguez of social welfare and Gerald Wilson of ethnomusicology.

What’s new this fall

The Institute of the Environment, together with the departments of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Earth and Space Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Health Sciences and Geography, is launching an innovative dual-component undergraduate degree program in environmental science in the fall. Environmental science is inherently an interdisciplinary endeavor that applies knowledge from multiple natural and social scientific disciplines. The new major will be grounded in the natural sciences with a heavy focus on scientific inquiry and interactions among physical, chemical, biological and social processes. Graduates with this new degree will be fully-trained environmental scientists prepared to enter a career in environmental science or continue their education in a graduate degree program. For more information go to: www.ioe.ucla.edu/envsci.

New head of student diversity

Charles J. Alexander has been named associate vice provost for student diversity in the Division of Undergraduate Education, effective Sept. 1. Reporting to Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Judith L. Smith, Alexander will be responsible for UCLA’s Academic Advancement Program (AAP) and the Center for Community College Partnerships, and will serve as Smith’s representative on the Chancellor’s Committee on Diversity and on the Committee on Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools. He is currently the associate dean for student affairs in the School of Dentistry at UC San Francisco, a position he has held since 2000. Before that, he was director of student academic affairs and the assistant dean of student academic affairs at UCSF.

High times under the summer sun

UCLA’s third annual All-Staff Picnic, the highlight of the summer for staff, will take place 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. July 13 in Dickson Court. Once again, it will be hosted jointly by the Chancellor's Office and the UCLA Staff Assembly. Complimentary tickets will be available with your own BruinCard from June 29 to July 6 at the following locations between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.: Central Ticket Office, James West Alumni Center; Registrar’s Office, 1113 Murphy Hall; Reception Area, North Campus Student Center; BruinCard Center, Sproul Hall; Remittance Center, 1st Floor, Wilshire Center Building; and Café Med, UCLA Medical Center. Staff needs volunteers to help with decorations, food lines, tickets, assist with trouble shooting and more. If you are interested in volunteering, e-mail slux@mednet.ucla.edu with your name and blocks (every half hour during the event) of time that you are available between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Their stock is rising

A team of four M.B.A. students from the Anderson School of Management has been awarded a $250,000 venture capital investment as the winner of this year’s annual Draper Fisher Jurvetson Venture Challenge business plan competition. The UCLA team bested 15 teams from Stanford, UC Berkeley, the California Institute of Technology, USC and others. The winning UCLA Anderson team, Precision Reproduction LLC, will commercialize a patented medical device and procedure for in-vitro fertilization. Greg Samson, Jeff Kendig, Ben Koff and Sanjaya Mohottala created a business plan for Precision Reproduction, which developed and patented a device and procedure for in-vitro fertilization that improves success rates and reduces health risks for both the mother and the child.

Google Video launches UCTV page

UCTV shows are now only a click away. You can find a listing of all UCTV programs organized by subject matter via Google Video at http://video.google.com/uctv. Google Video will continually update UCTV’s page each month. More than 1,200 programs are available. Last month, the UCTV program, “Economics Roundtable: The California Economy — Housing Boom or Bubble?,” featuring UCLA senior economist Christopher Thornburg of the Anderson Forecast, was recognized as one of the most popular videos on the Web site and was featured on the Google Video homepage.

Bond Measure in November

UC President Robert C. Dynes took part last month in ceremonies when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed documents placing a new education bond on the November ballot. “At the University of California, this funding would be used to accommodate growing numbers of students, to renew aging infrastructure and to keep up with the changing technology that is so critical to instruction and research in so many fields,” Dynes said. “It also would help us further protect our people and buildings against the threat of a major earthquake and allow us to continue building out our new campus in Merced, which is central to keeping our promise of access to the youth of the San Joaquin Valley and throughout California.” The bond package also includes proposed funding for UC medical education programs to improve health care for underserved Californians.

Advice on staying mentally sharp

A UCLA research study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry found that people may be able to improve their cognitive function and brain efficiency by making simple lifestyle changes such as incorporating memory exercises, healthy eating, physical fitness and stress reduction into their daily lives. “We’ve known for several years that diet and exercise can help people maintain their physical health and live longer, but maintaining mental health is just as important,” said lead investigator Gary Small, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. “The UCLA study is the first to show the impact of memory exercises and stress reduction used together with a healthy diet and physical exercise to improve brain and cognitive function.” Details of the healthy strategies employed in the study also are highlighted in Small’s new book, “The Longevity Bible: 8 Essential Strategies for Keeping Your Mind Sharp and Your Body Young” (Hyperion, New York, 2006).

A makeover for your money

The University Credit Union branch in Ackerman Union will close June 30 so that the space can be renovated for a full-service branch that will open in the fall. When it opens, tellers will be on hand so that customers can make deposits, payments, transfers and check withdrawals, open new accounts and sign loan documents.

START to stop

The Staff and Academic Reduction in Time (START) Program will officially end on June 30 at the close of this fiscal year. START, which was first offered in 2005 by UC, was implemented during the state budget crisis to achieve temporary salary savings and to give academic and staff employees the opportunity to voluntarily reduce their work time and corresponding pay in exchange for a number of benefits. Staff members who are currently participating in START must end their contracts by June 30. No forms need to be completed; UCLA's personnel payroll system will automatically discontinue participation as of June 30. Questions? Contact Policy & Personnel Services at (310) 794-3147.

Tops in the West

UCLA Medical Center ranks as one of the top five American hospitals — and as the best hospital in the western United States for the 17th consecutive year — according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2006 “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. UCLA Medical Center was also one of just 14 hospitals to qualify for the magazine’s Honor Roll by ranking at or near the top in at least six specialties — a demonstration of broad expertise. UCLA ranked highly in 14 categories: urology (No. 4); digestive disorders (No. 5); ophthalmology (No. 5); neurology and neurosurgery (No. 7); rheumatology (No. 7); kidney disease (No. 8); orthopedics (No. 8); cancer (No. 9); heart and heart surgery (No. 9); endocrinology (No. 10); ear, nose and throat (No. 11); gynecology (No. 12); respiratory disorders (No. 13); and pediatrics (No. 15).

Cancer center gets high marks

UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center ranks as the best cancer center in California for the seventh consecutive year, according to a U.S. News & World Report survey of board-certified physicians from across the country. The survey reviewed patient outcomes, the cancer center’s reputation among physicians, mortality rates and other care-related factors. The ranking is included in the magazine’s 17th annual guide to America’s best hospitals. The centers ranking highest in the survey often are those where the sickest patients are sent for advanced care, according to a U.S. News statement. The statement adds that high-ranked centers “follow — and often pioneer — new treatment guidelines. They conduct bench-to-bedside research.” The Jonsson Cancer Center is one of five California cancer centers named among the top 50 nationwide this year, and one of only two to make the top 10.

Feeling good about our health

A large majority of Californians rate their own health as “good,” “very good” or “excellent,” according to a new report from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the country’s largest population-based state health survey. The report, titled “Health of California’s Adults, Adolescents and Children: Findings from CHIS 2003 and CHIS 2001,” details that nearly 80% of adults, nearly 90% of adolescents and nearly 93% of children rate their own health favorably. However, a number of issues — such as lack of health insurance, asthma and obesity — continue to challenge the health-care system. The survey is a collaborative project of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, the California Department of Health Services and the Public Health Institute. The complete CHIS report can be viewed at www.chis.ucla.edu.

UCSC names interim chancellor

On July 14, University of California President Robert C. Dynes announced the appointment of George Blumenthal as acting chancellor of UC Santa Cruz, effective immediately. Blumenthal, a UCSC professor of astronomy and astrophysics, will assume on an interim basis the responsibilities of Chancellor Denice Denton, who died tragically on June 24. A member of the UC Santa Cruz faculty since 1972, Blumenthal, 60, has chaired the UCSC Astronomy and Astrophysics Department and the Santa Cruz Division of the Academic Senate. In 2004-05, he served as chair of the UC systemwide Academic Senate and was faculty representative to the Board of Regents for the years 2003-05. To ensure a period of continuity for the Santa Cruz campus, Blumenthal is expected to serve as acting chancellor for much or all of the 2006-07 academic year. A national search for Chancellor Denton’s permanent successor will be conducted over the course of that period and is expected to begin this fall.

New dean of humanities

On July 13, Patricia O’Brien, executive dean of the College of Letters and Science, announced that Timothy Stowell, chair of the Department of Linguistics and a member of the UCLA faculty for 25 years, had been named dean of the Division of Humanities. Stowell’s appointment was approved July 12 by the Board of Regents and is effective immediately. He received his Ph.D. from MIT in 1981 and joined the UCLA Department of Linguistics that year. He was promoted to associate professor in 1988 and has twice served as department chair, from 1994-1998 and from 2004 to the present. Stowell, whose research explores the relation between the structure of syntactic phrases and semantic interpretation, is the current co-editor of Syntax and has been a longtime participant on the editorial boards of five other publications in his field. As dean, he will oversee a large, complex and diverse academic division with 17 departments, five interdepartmental programs, six research units, 239 faculty, 2,556 undergraduates and 635 graduate students.

Calling all candidates

The UCLA Alumni Association is now accepting 2007 UCLA Awards nominations in the categories of Alumnus of the Year, professional achievement, community service, public service and university service. Recipients will be honored at the annual awards reception and ceremony in May. For a list of previous winners and to find out more about UCLA Awards, visit www.uclalumni.net/AlumniStories/awards/NewRecipients.cfm. To download a nomination form and to find out how you can nominate a deserving candidate, visit www.uclalumni.net/AlumniStories/awards/NominateApply.cfm. The deadline for nominations is July 31. Nominators will be notified about finalists in February 2007. For information, contact Christine Cahill at (310) 206-1995 or CCahill@UCLAlumni.net.