News in Brief

Karl Dorrell released

UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero announced today that Karl Dorrell has been released from the position of head football coach. "This was a very difficult decision for me," said Guerrero. "Karl has represented this program with dignity and class. He is a true Bruin and I respect what he has accomplished in his five years as our head coach, particularly off the field. But, at the end of the day, the focus has to be on results and I felt that a change was in the best interest for the future of our program." A national search for a new head coach will begin immediately. Dorrell, 43, has compiled a record of 35-27 in his five years as head coach, including a 6-6 record this season. Find more information.

Lake Arrowhead luxury at faculty and staff discount rates

Enjoy a getaway at UCLA's Lake Arrowhead Conference Center and Resort at a discount rate for faculty, staff and alumni. The "Family & Friends" all-inclusive getaway package includes accommodations in cozy condolets with two bedrooms, two baths, living room with wood-burning fireplace and free wireless Internet access; three gourmet meals daily in the resort's beautifully appointed dining rooms; access to brand-new work-out facilities and heated jacuzzi; and 30% discount on UCLA Lake Arrowhead retail merchandise. Discount rates, through March 31, are $76 per person, per night, based on double occupancy; $42 per night for each additional guest; children 2 & under stay free. To reserve, call (909) 337-2478. Reservations are subject to availability on a first-come, first-served basis and must be booked within 30 days of arrival.

Faculty and staff appreciation sale at UCLA stores benefits Mattel Children's Hospital

Dec. 5 and 6, faculty and staff save 20% off all purchases at the UCLA stores in Ackerman Union, Lu Valle Commons and Health Sciences. Simply present your academic or staff ID card at the time of purchase. Free 2007 UCLA holiday bear with $75 minimum purchase from Bear Wear or Fast Track. Complimentary gift wrapping from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Ackerman. The store will donate 2% of sales to Mattel Children's Hospital; last year's event raised nearly $3,500.

UC regents vote to oppose Proposition 92

The UC regents voted Nov. 15 to oppose Proposition 92, an initiative, a measure that would guarantee state funding — from Proposition 98 — California Community Colleges. The initiative is headed for the Feb. 5 ballot in California. Meeting at UCLA, regents expressed strong support for the university's vital partnership with the community colleges and for the continued importance of effective collaboration. However, the Proposition 98 guarantee could leave less state General Fund money available for discretionary purposes. UC and the California State University, which are not protected by state guarantees or mandates, depend on those resources. UC's share of the state General Fund has fallen from 7% in 1970 to just over 3% today. Since 1990, the state's contribution to the cost of education for each UC student has fallen 34%, from $15,830 to $10,370 in constant inflation-adjusted dollars.

Seniors' second chance for higher ed

Senior Scholars, a unique education program offered by the UCLA Center on Aging, gives people age 50 and over the opportunity to expand their learning by attending undergraduate classes at UCLA. The program provides a catalog of more than 125 courses and handles registration logistics. No prerequisites or classwork are required, and full or partial fee waivers are available based on financial need. The deadline to register for the new quarter is Jan. 2, 2008. Classes begin Jan. 7. For information call the center at (310)794-0676.

Show what you can do

UCLA Transportation has partnered with the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank® to join the fight against hunger this holiday season with a food drive that runs through December 17. Transportation is facilitating the collection of canned and other non-perishable food items at the Information & Parking kiosks located throughout campus and in the Wilshire Center building. Individuals can simply drive up to a staffed kiosk and drop off their food donation. Details are available at www.transportation.ucla.edu, or e-mail fooddrive@ts.ucla.edu.

A record-breaking year for UC giving

Private support to UC for 2006-07 totaled $1.3 billion and set a new all-time record for systemwide giving. At the top of the list of 10 campuses, UCLA received nearly $365 million in outright gifts, grants and pledge payments. This marks the eighth consecutive year in which UCLA's gift total has surpassed $250 million. UCLA's Ensuring Academic Excellence Initiative generated nearly $73 million during 2006-07, bringing the initiative's total to $241 million. Launched in June 2004, Ensuring Academic Excellence is designed to generate $250 million in private commitments through 2009 specifically to help attract and retain top students and faculty, a campuswide priority. See the complete UC report.

Investigation finds no basis for claims

An independent investigation into allegations of preferential admissions associated with the School of Dentistry's orthodontics residency program found no credible or convincing evidence to support claims of a donor legacy program. The investigation was requested by former Acting Chancellor Norman Abrams. "The UCLA School of Dentistry has been committed to education, research, patient care and public service for more than four decades," said Dean No-Hee Park in a statement. "I am confident that the school will emerge from current challenges stronger and even more purposeful in its mission." The investigation did offer the school the opportunity to review its admission policies and procedures. Consistent with recommendations from an independent auditor, the Faculty Executive Committee and the dental school faculty have revised some standards and policies to improve the oversight and clarity of admissions processes for the school's 13 postdoctoral/residency programs. These guidelines, as well as guidelines for fundraising, are now posted at www.dentistry.ucla.edu.

Funding for graduate education and training

The National Science Foundation-Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) has approved funding for the second term of the UCLA IGERT-Materials Creation Training Program (MCTP). The award, totaling $1.2 million for two years with an additional three years of funding contingent on availability of funds and scientific merit, will fund 12 fellowships this year. The program enables graduate students to master a specific discipline while being immersed in collaborative scientific cultures characteristic of careers in nanosystems and nanotechnology. Students are trained in all aspects of the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel molecules and assemblies, and in the fabrication, characterization and marketing of devices based on these materials, including biosensors and biomaterials. The program is under the directorship of Robin L. Garrell, UCLA professor of chemistry and biochemistry. characterization and fabrication, MCTP students also participate in interdisciplinary research.

Preventing Parkinson's

Over-the-counter pain medications known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs — including aspirin and ibuprofen — may sharply reduce a person's risk of Parkinson's disease, according to a new UCLA study. Reporting in the Nov. 6 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Neurology, Beate Ritz, professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, and Angelika D. Wahner, an assistant researcher in epidemiology, found that regular users of non-aspirin NSAID drugs reduced their risk of Parkinson's by as much as 60% compared with non-regular users and nonusers. Women who were regular users of aspirin reduced their risk by 40%.

Diagnosis: trauma

Every day, trauma centers throughout the country race against time to provide acute care to patients with intentional injuries. There is precious little time for attending to the underlying risky behaviors that give rise to the injury or to what its psychosocial aftereffects may be. With a four-year, $1.9 million award from the National Institutes of Health to Vivek Shetty, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at the School of Dentistry, that could all change that by introducing a new tool that will provide rapid and reliable assessments of the stress response to trauma as evidenced in saliva. "A handheld salivary biosensor of stress could help health care providers treat not merely the physical injury but the whole person," said Shetty. This new technology could lead to a better way to screen for and detect the psychological impact of injuries, he said.

Adopt a family for the holidays

Each year, the UCLA Medical Center Auxiliary, with help from UCLA's Department of Clinical Social Work, spearheads the Adopt-A-Family Program. This UCLA Hospital System tradition helps families of UCLA patients experiencing extraordinary challenges by providing at least the basic essentials — and sometimes a few unexpected extras — to make the holidays at little brighter. For an opportunity to participate in the Adopt-A-Family Program, either through a donation of cash and/or gift cards, or by "adopting" a needy family, please e-mail Murphy Litvack or call (310) 476-1617. In your e-mail, include the nature of the donation that you would like to make or specifics about the type of family that you and/or your department colleagues would like to adopt. Deadline for adopting the family is Nov. 30, and delivery to patients is anytime before Dec. 25.

The door's wide open

In a new nationwide report, UCLA ranked eighth in the number of foreign students it hosted during 2006–07 and was seventh in the number of students who traveled abroad to study in 2005–06. UCLA was the only UC campus listed in the top 10 in both categories. UCLA had 4,704 international students last year, with Korea, China and Japan sending the most students to the campus. UCLA sent 1,966 students abroad in 2005–06, with the largest numbers studying in China, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. The annual Open Doors report, published by the Institute of International Education, with support from the U.S. State Department, showed that the number of international students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities last year reached 582,984, a 3% increase over the previous year. There was an 8.5% increase in the number of American students studying abroad. See the Open Doors report.

New UC head of agricultural/natural resources program

The UC regents recently appointed Daniel M. Dooley, an agricultural and environmental attorney with extensive experience in California agriculture, to head UC's statewide agricultural and natural resources programs, effective Jan. 2, 2008. As systemwide vice president for the University's division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR), Dooley will lead a statewide research and public service organization responsible for activities in agriculture, natural resources, environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences, forestry, human and community development, 4-H/youth development and related areas.

Holiday cards for a good cause

The volunteers and staff of Child Life/Child Development Services at Mattel Children's Hospital work to lessen a child's fear of hospitalization. Program volunteers brighten the long hours of hospitalization by engaging children in art projects. And the Holiday Card Art Program offers pediatric patients an outlet to express their interpretation of the holidays as well as a way the campus community can support this program. This year, a box of 12 holiday cards, featuring patient drawings is available for sale at a special price of $15 for staff, faculty and students; price includes shipping and handling. Personalized messages are available for large orders. To place an order, visit www.uclahealth.org/mattel or call (310) 825-2631.