News in Brief

Rare, endangered flower discovered at UCLA's Stunt Ranch Reserve

A tiny endangered wildflower that had not been seen at UCLA's 67-acre nature preserve near Calabasas for the last 20 years was recently found at the Stunt Ranch Reserve by UCLA graduate student Jolene Moroney. "The Pentachaeta lyonii is a small annual known only to grow in a handful of localities in Southern California," said Phil Rundel, faculty director for the reserve. An annual herb that is native to California and limited to California alone, the plant is on the state and federal list of endangered species. Stunt Ranch staff had thought the flower, which measures only a quarter-inch across, had disappeared for good until Moroney discovered a population of about 600 plants at the reserve. Biologists, Rundel explained, "are thinking that last year's drought may have reduced some of the alien grass densities from its meadow habitat, allowing the Pentachaeta to appear. "This is quite a nice discovery," said Carol Felixson, director of education and outreach for the reserve.

UCLA and the NCAA Academic Progress Rate

UCLA continued to perform well in the latest edition of the NCAA's Academic Progress Rates report, which is based on the eligibility, retention and graduation of scholarship student-athletes. The APR report is now based on four years of data (2003-04 through 2006-07). A sport with an APR rating of 925 is projected to have an NCAA graduation success rate of approximately 60%. Schools that fall below the 925 mark in a sport are subject to immediate and/or historical penalties, including loss of scholarships. All of UCLA's 24 sports had a four-year APR above the 925 cutoff. Twenty-one of the programs had APRs over 950. Eighteen of UCLA's 24 programs ranked in the top 50% of their respective sports. Softball ranked in the top 10%. Twenty of UCLA's 24 programs had a higher APR than the average of all Division I public institutions (a 21st was tied) in their respective sports.

Kudos to seven

Seven faculty members were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies and independent policy-research centers. The academy's 191 new fellows and 22 new foreign honorary members are leaders in their many diverse fields. The new UCLA members are: Utpal Banerjee, professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology, and professor of biological chemistry; Alessandro Duranti, professor of anthropology; Thom Mayne, professor of architecture; Calvin Normore, professor of philosophy; Theodore Porter, professor of history; Charles Ray, professor of sculpture; and Debora Silverman, professor of history and art history.

High honors

Fields Medal winner Terence Tao is one of three UCLA professors who were elected recently to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for their excellence in original scientific research. Michael Grunstein, professor of biological chemistry at the Geffen School of Medicine, and Thomas M. Liggett, a mathematics professor, will join Tao in being formally inducted into the academy next year. Membership in the NAS is one of the highest honors given to a scientist or engineer in the United States.

Too hot for tropical species

Global warming is likely to reduce the health of tropical species, scientists from UCLA and the University of Washington report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "The biodiversity of the planet is concentrated in tropical climates, where there is a tremendous variety of species," said Curtis Deutsch, UCLA assistant professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, and co-author of the study. Among the organisms the scientists studied in the tropics were insects, amphibians and reptiles. "This makes our finding that the impacts of global warming are going to be most detrimental to species in tropical climates all the more disturbing. In addition, what hurts the insects hurts the ecosystem. Insects carry out essential functions for humans and ecosystems."

Distinguished scholars

An Academic Senate committee has selected Professor Gregory Schopen in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and Professor Edward Wright in the Department of Physics and Astronomy as Faculty Research Lecturers for 2008-09, one of the highest honors given by the Senate. The public lectures, given each fall and spring, offer the UCLA community an opportunity to understand the scholarly achievements and points of view of those honored.

Progress with stem cells

Stem cell researchers at UCLA have grown functioning cardiac cells using mouse skin cells that had been reprogrammed into cells with the same unlimited properties as embryonic stem cells. The finding is the first to show that induced pluripotent stem cells — which don't involve the use of embryos or eggs — can be differentiated into the three types of cardiovascular cells needed to repair the heart and blood vessels. The discovery could one day lead to clinical trials of new treatments for people who suffer heart attacks, have atherosclerosis or are in heart failure.

From the lectern

Former President Bill Clinton, U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, and a host of other distinguished speakers will deliver keynote remarks at UCLA's commencement ceremonies, which begin May 9 and run through June 14. This year, UCLA will award approximately 10,400 bachelor's, master's, doctoral and professional degrees. Nearly 8,500 students are expected to participate in commencement ceremonies, and an estimated 90,000 guests are expected to attend commencement-related activities. Clinton will deliver the keynote address at the College of Letters and Science ceremony on June 13, at 5 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion. Waxman will deliver remarks at the School of Public Health ceremony June 13 at 5:30 p.m. in Royce Hall. For information and updates, visit www.commencement.ucla.edu.