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UC
Berkeley going on winter break
Exams are over, the holidays are upon us, and the University of California,
Berkeley, is heading into its annual winter break. Most campus units will be
closed from Tuesday, Dec. 24, through New Year's Day.
(20
December)
Veteran
journalist joins UC Berkeley as new head of Public Affairs
Award-winning journalist George A. Strait, Jr., will be the new assistant vice
chancellor for public affairs at the University of California, Berkeley, Chancellor
Robert M. Berdahl announced. Strait's appointment begins Jan. 6.
(19
December)
Flawed
FBI reporting system undercounts disability hate crimes
Although disabled people comprise one-fifth of the population in the United
States, according to FBI statistics they have "just one chance in a million" of
being the target of a hate crime, according to Mark Sherry, a University of
California, Berkeley, researcher. The author of a new report, "Don't Ask,
Tell or Respond: Silent Acceptance of Disability Hate Crimes," Sherry
says those numbers are ludicrously low.
(18
December)
Methane
clouds discovered at south pole of Saturn's moon Titan
Teams of astronomers at the California Institute
of Technology and the University of California, Berkeley,
have discovered methane clouds near the south pole of Saturn's
largest moon, Titan, resolving a fierce debate about whether
clouds exist amid the haze of the moon's atmosphere.
(18
December)
Wannabe
stars shine at Apollo Amateur Night auditions at UC Berkeley
The rain was pouring down in sheets, but it couldn't dampen the hopes of
the rappers, R&B singers, mind-readers, comedians and guitar players
lined up for their shot at stardom in Zellerbach Hall. Dozens of acts of
all ages
and talents took the stage to audition for the Apollo Theater Amateur Night
on Tour, which will be hosted by Cal Performances on January 31, 2003. From
that group, one lucky act will win $1,000, two plane tickets to New York, and
the chance to strut their stuff live at the famous Apollo Theater stage in
Harlem.
(16
December)
Dec.
19 launch will boost UC Berkeley-built satellite to orbit
The first and possibly last of the cheaper-faster-better university-class satellites
funded by NASA in the 1990s is scheduled for launch from Vandenberg Air Force
Base in California on Dec. 19, and will carry a single instrument built at
UC Berkeley.
(16
December)
Scientists
use South Pole telescope to produce the most detailed images of the early
universe
Using a powerful new instrument at the South Pole, a team of cosmologists has
produced the most detailed images of the early universe ever recorded.
(13
December)
Sequencing
of lowly sea squirt's genome provides insights into vertebrate evolution
Sea squirts may be ugly, spineless pests, but a
newly completed draft of the creature's genome is providing
scientists with important insights into the evolution of
their distant relatives, the backboned animals that include
humans.
(12
December)
Robert
Berring named interim dean of UC Berkeley School of Law
Robert Berring, a University of California, Berkeley, law professor with more
than 20 years of teaching and administrative experience, has been named interim
dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl
announced.
(11
December)
Breaking
Gimpy: Researchers crack security system designed to block Internet robots
A clever
security system designed to stop the legions of automated Internet robots,
or "bots" — which contribute to the Internet equivalent of
computer-generated telemarketing calls — has now been cracked by a pair
of computer scientists from the University of California, Berkeley.
(10
December)
UC
Berkeley student wins prestigious Rhodes Scholarship
Ankur Luthra, a University of California, Berkeley, senior who is double majoring
in electrical engineering and computer sciences (EECS) and business administration,
has won a 2003 Rhodes Scholarship.
(9
December)
Noted
science writer Michael Pollan appointed to UC Berkeley journalism school
Noted journalist and best-selling author Michael Pollan has been appointed
to the John S. and James L. Knight Chair in Journalism at the University of
California, Berkeley, starting next semester.
(6
December)
For
the campus community: a guide to UC Berkeley's sexual harassment policies
Recent events have raised questions about sexual harassment policies and
procedures at the University of California, Berkeley. This page consolidates
information
about the campus’s existing policies and mechanisms for responding to
allegations of sexual harassment.
(5
December)
Geophysicists
report experimental evidence supporting theory of mantle plume and hot
spot stability
Add a dollop of salad oil to a vat of motor oil, then heat. That's the recipe
used by two UC Berkeley geophysicists to produce the first laboratory evidence
in support of a theory that explains the formation and persistence of the Earth's
hot spots, such as the one underlying the Hawaiian Island chain.
(5
December)
Researchers
say fossil fuels for cooking and heating may be best for world's 2 billion
poor
Contrary to conventional wisdom, the use of fossil fuels for household cooking
and heating may make more environmental sense for the estimated 2 billion rural
poor in the world, according to a researcher from the University of California,
Berkeley.
(5
December)
Richard
Lazarus, UC Berkeley psychology faculty member and influential researcher,
dies at 80
Richard S. Lazarus, recently named by the journal "American Psychologist" as
one of the most influential psychologists in the history of the field and a
professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley,
died on Nov. 24 in Walnut Creek, Calif. He was 80 years old and had served
on the UC Berkeley faculty since 1957.
(4
December)
Law
school dean resigns after harassment allegation: a Q&A
John Dwyer, dean of UC Berkeley's School of Law (Boalt Hall), has announced
his plans to resign as dean and from the faculty in the wake of an allegation
of sexual harassment against Dwyer that allegedly occurred in December 2000
involving a law student. The following are answers to questions that have arisen
about the allegation and university's investigation into the complaint.
(2
December)
John
A. Zivnuska, pioneer in forest economics and UC Berkeley professor emeritus,
dies at 86
John A. Zivnuska, an internationally recognized expert in forest economics
and policy, professor emeritus and former dean of forestry at the University
of California, Berkeley, died on Nov. 18. He was 86.
(2
December)
UC
Berkeley Extension announces program consolidation, layoffs
In response to the continuing weakness of the local economy and a projected
budget deficit of $7.9 million, UC Berkeley Extension, the continuing education
arm of the University of California, Berkeley, is consolidating course offerings
and cutting staff by the equivalent of 34 full-time positions, Dean James E.
Sherwood announced.
(2
December)
UC
Berkeley literacy program attracts Oakland youths, seniors with digital
storytelling
The Parkway Theater near Oakland's Lake Merritt will host a digital video film
festival on Dec. 8, when artists ranging in age from 7 to 72 assemble to present
their personal multimedia stories and poetry. The semi-annual festival are
part of Digital Underground Storytelling for Youth (DUSTY), a collaboration
between the University of California, Berkeley's Graduate School of Education
and West Oakland's Prescott-Joseph Center for Community Enhancement.
(2
December)
UC
Berkeley scientists detail neural circuit that lets eye detect directional
motion
One specialized cell type in the retina responds only to objects moving
in a particular direction—left to right, for example. Scientists
thought they understood how these directionally selective ganglion cells
work, but
a new study by UC Berkeley biologists shows the neural circuit involved in
this simple calculation is more elaborate and redundant than assumed.
(27
November)
John
Dwyer, dean of Boalt Hall, announces plans to resign from deanship, faculty
Professor John Dwyer announced his resignation as dean of the University of
California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall), as well as his resignation
from the faculty.
(27
November)
The
Axe is back, and it's cruising campus
Celebrating Cal's first Big Game victory of the millennium, hundreds of
Cal students and boosters paraded across campus Monday with the spoils
of victory – the
coveted Stanford Axe.
(25
November)
Robert
Brentano, esteemed UC Berkeley history professor, dies at age 76
Robert Brentano, a brilliant University of California, Berkeley, history professor
whose 50 years of teaching and leadership on campus drew profound admiration
and respect from students and professional colleagues alike, died on Thursday.
Nov. 21. He was 76.
(25
November)
UC
Berkeley-led research team finds brain's perception depends upon the source
of cues it receives
When the human brain is presented with conflicting information about an object
from different senses, it finds a remarkably efficient way to sort out the
discrepancies, according to new research conducted at the University of California,
Berkeley.
(21
November)
UC
Berkeley, Joint Genome Institute target chloroplasts for clues to green
plant evolution
As biologists try to tease out the finer details of the green plant family
tree, one key may lie in the cellular organelle - the chloroplast - that makes
green plants green.
(21
November)
Joseph "Perry" Danton,
former dean of library science, dies at age 94
Joseph Periam "Perry" Danton, professor emeritus and former dean
of the University of California, Berkeley's School of Librarianship, died at
an Oakland hospital on Nov. 12 following a brief illness. He was 94.
(20
November)
UC
Berkeley psychologist discusses strategies to reduce effects of classroom
stereotypes
Clark McKown, faculty fellow in psychology at the University of California,
Berkeley, has been studying the effects of stereotypes on children, and he
believes it is a significant issue that must be addressed both at home and
in school. To that end, he recently addressed a conference of educators, school
counselors and administrators to bring to light the subject, as well as to
discuss strategies for preventing stereotyping.
(19
November)
UC
Berkeley Professor Ronald Takaki wins Fred Cody Award for lifetime literary
achievement, service to community
Ronald
Takaki, professor of Asian American Studies at the University of California
Berkeley, will receive the 2002 Fred Cody Award for lifetime literary achievement
and service to the community. The award is given annually by the Bay Area Book
Reviewers Association.
(18
November)
The National Collegiate Athletic Association restored nine scholarships to the UC Berkeley football program in response to the school's appeal of a rules violation charge, but did not lift the one-year postseason bowl ban or lessen the length of California's probation. Chancellor Berdahl, in a statement issued after the NCAA decision, expressed his appreciation for the Appeals Committee's work, but also his disappointment that post-season play is no longer a possibility for this year's football team.
(18 November)
Berkeley
student Sergio Rapu grapples with taking Easter Island into the 21st century
Rotary World Peace Scholar Sergio Rapu is a little different from your typical
UC Berkeley student -- he's 53, the father of two college-age children, and
a native (and former governor) of Easter Island, the exotic and isolated home
of those monolithic stone heads. His academic goal is probably also unique:
to find a way that Easter Islanders can protect their heritage while finding
their place in the 21st century.
(15
November)
Campus
memorial service: Even in death, Chang-Lin Tien illuminates and inspires
Friends, family and colleagues of Chang-Lin Tien packed Zellerbach Hall on
November 14 for a memorial service honoring the beloved former chancellor.
Listening to the many heartfelt tributes, even those who never met him knew
that this perpetual motion machine not only advanced UC Berkeley's spirit and
opportunity, but was the finest example of them. Webcast of
memorial service available.
(15
November)
Six
UC Berkeley professors among 50 top women in science, 50 scientific visionaries
chosen by national science magazines
Two national
science magazines recently picked six University of California, Berkeley, faculty
for their top-50 lists of leaders in science and technology.
(15
November)
UC
Berkeley professor emeritus Richard Brinkmann dies at 81
Richard
Brinkmann, a professor emeritus of German at the University of California,
Berkeley, and a proponent of an international approach to the study of German,
died on Nov. 2. Brinkmann belonged to a generation of Germanists who helped
reshape the discipline of literary studies and intellectual history in Germany
and the United States.
(14
November)
Henry
May, legendary set designer, art director and UC Berkeley professor, dies
at 81
Henry May,
an award-winning scenic designer for stage and television as well as a professor
emeritus of dramatic art at the University of California, Berkeley, has died
at the age of 81.
(13
November)
UC
Berkeley researchers report exceptionally bright eruption on Io
Routine
monitoring of volcanic activity on Jupiter's moon Io, now possible through
advanced adaptive optics on the Keck II telescope in Hawaii, has turned up
the largest eruption to date on Io's surface or in the solar system.
(13
November)
Middle
East film series at UC Berkeley to focus on education and understanding
The University
of California, Berkeley, this week is launching a Middle East film series, "Between
Forgetting & Remembering: Palestinian and Israeli Cinemas," to help
promote education, discussion and understanding about the people and issues
of the region.
(12
November)
New
California AIDS survey shows need for more HIV education, prevention programs
Many Californians support access to clean needles for injection drug users
and giving condoms to prisoners to prevent the spread of HIV, according to
a statewide survey by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley,
and the California Department of Health Services.
(12
November)
Magnetic
processes in space can accelerate electrons to near light speed
A chance observation of high-energy electrons emanating from a tiny region
of space where the sun and Earth's magnetic fields intertwine provides the
first solid evidence that a process called magnetic reconnection accelerates
electrons to near the speed of light in the Earth's magnetosphere and perhaps
throughout the universe where magnetic fields entangle.
(7
November)
Phillip
Damon, professor emeritus of comparative literature, dies at age 80
Phillip Damon, a University of California, Berkeley, professor emeritus of
comparative literature who was considered an expert on the influence and heritage
of the classics in the medieval period, has died at the age of 80. Damon, who
suffered from Alzheimer's disease for more than a decade, died at his Berkeley
home on Oct. 22.
(7
November)
Berkeley's
peace scholars: 10 students from afar, each on a mission
Zewdineh Beyene wants to make an early-warning system he has developed for
heading off conflict in northeast Africa a model for the entire continent.
Australian lawyer Ian Wadley will concentrate on ways to resolve international
disputes over resources like fresh water and petroleum. Tenzin Bhuchung, an
ethnic Tibetan born in India, intends to address religious repression, education,
and unemployment in Tibet through more targeted negotiations with China. And
these are just three of the passionately committed men and women who arrived
this fall as UC Berkeley's first class of Rotary World Peace Scholars.
(6
November)
More
students – and more women – enroll at Berkeley this term
Campus officials announced today that 33,145 students have enrolled this fall
at the University of California, Berkeley, 585 more students than expected.
Compared to last year, the undergraduate population shows an increase in students
from every ethnic group. Women continue to outnumber men among the undergraduate
population.
(5
November)
UC
Berkeley psychology professor writes gripping account of his father’s
mental illness
Stephen Hinshaw, professor of psychology at University of California, Berkeley,
has moved beyond the academic to the very personal in his latest book. "The
Years of Silence Are Past: My Father's Life with Bipolar Disorder" is
a compelling account of his father's lifelong struggle with what also is known
as manic-depressive illness.
(5
November)
Bioterrorism
defense: Q&A on quarantine, forced vaccination & public health
UC Berkeley public-health expert Arthur Reingold, M.D., discusses the nation's
state of readiness for biological attacks. Reingold, head of the epidemiology
division at the School of Public Health, talks about what preparations we've
made, quarantining and forced vaccination, and the long-term sickness of the
public health system.
(4
November)
Popular
weed killer atrazine found to feminize native frogs
Native male leopard frogs throughout the nation's Corn Belt are being feminized
by an herbicide, atrazine, used extensively to kill weeds on the country's
leading export crops, corn and soybeans, according to a survey conducted by
University of California, Berkeley, biologists and reported this week in Nature.
(30
October)
Chang-Lin
Tien, former UC Berkeley chancellor and internationally known engineering
scholar, dies at 67
Chang-Lin Tien, who, as chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley,
from 1990-97 was an outspoken supporter of equal opportunity in higher education
and who preserved the campus's preeminence despite a prolonged state budget
crisis, died Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Kaiser Permanente hospital in Redwood City.
He was 67 years old.
(30
October)
Edwin
Bayley, founding dean of UC Berkeley's journalism school, dies at 84
Edwin R. Bayley, founding dean of the University of California, Berkeley's
Graduate School of Journalism, died Sunday (Oct. 27) at a Green Bay, Wis.,
hospital. He was 84 and had been ill for several months.
(29
October)
Gene
Myers, computer algorithm pioneer in human genome sequencing, to join UC
Berkeley faculty
More than two years after the landmark sequencing of the human genome, the
computer whiz behind the algorithms used to decipher millions of pieces of
the genetic material is coming to the University of California, Berkeley, for
his next big challenge.
(29
October)
Architecture
professor has designs on housing the homeless
While "blockbuster" projects like Frank Gehry's Bilbao art museum
continue to rack up magazine covers, architect and UC Berkeley professor Sam
Davis is concentrating on something much less glamorous – providing housing
for the poor and homeless.
(25
October)
Anthropology
museum announces the hiring of its first full-time director
Research anthropologist Douglas Sharon, executive director for 21 years of
the San Diego Museum of Man, will become the first full-time director of the
Phoebe Apperson Hearst Museum of Anthropology at the University of California,
Berkeley, the campus announced today.
(24
October)
New
biophotonics center will apply state-of-the-art optical tools to medicine,
biology
Despite recent breakthroughs involving the use of light to treat and study
disease, those techniques only scratch the surface of what is possible in the
emerging field of biophotonics. In an effort to change that, scientists at
10 institutions around the country, including the University of California,
Berkeley, announced a new Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology to
accelerate the application of state-of-the-art optical tools to biology and
medicine.
(24
October)
Your
brain is teaching your nose new tricks, say UC Berkeley researchers
Any wine connoisseur knows the nose can learn to recognize subtle new aromas,
but where does that learning take place? A new study by UC Berkeley neuroscientists
has determined that we learn new smells in an area of our brains, not just
in our noses, indicating that the adult brain has more capabilities to change
and perhaps recover from injury than previously thought.
(23
October)
New
evidence strengthens case for black hole at center of galaxy
Two decades ago after UC Berkeley physicist Charles Townes and his colleagues,
including post-doc Reinhard Genzel, claimed to have evidence for a massive
black hole at the center of the Milky Way, new and nearly incontrovertible
evidence strongly indicates that our galaxy indeed has a massive compact object
at its core.
(23
October)
Interactive,
high-tech artwork recalls Chinese immigration tragedy
Step inside a silicon-sheathed capsule outside Kroeber Hall at UC Berkeley,
and you'll find yourself amid 58 live bamboo stalks, tomato seedlings, sauna-like
heat and very unusual background music.
You have just entered "Oxygen Flute 2.0," an interactive work of
art that blends elements of architecture, music and computers to make statements
about the environment, the interdependence between living things, the global
economy, immigration, modern agriculture and the convergence of the natural
with the synthetic. Slideshow: See and hear Oxygen Flute
(21
October)
Berkeley
panel questions Al Qaeda link to Bali bombings
A panel of UC Berkeley Southeast Asian faculty, visiting scholars, and journalists
convened Friday (10/18) to discuss the October 12 bombings in which more than
180 people died in Bali nightclubs. They urged caution in being too swift to
link Al Qaeda to the bombings. Recent history, they agreed, indicates that
the bombers are more likely to belong to either the Indonesian military or
domestic insurrectionist groups.
(21
October)
Homecoming & Parents
Weekend spans the generations
Homecoming & Parents
Weekend ’02 was a family reunion that spanned nearly a century of Cal
history. From
graduates to future alumni, and for Berkeley veterans and neophytes, it was
a chance to make new friends, revisit old haunts and cheer the Golden Bears
on to victory. Watch
a slideshow of the weekend's highlights.
(21
October)
Are
mass smallpox vaccinations safe? A Q&A with Berkeley epidemiologist
Dr. Arthur Reingold
A federal advisory committee's recommendations to vaccinate more than half
a million hospital workers against smallpox because of the threat of a bioterrorist
attack has raised serious concerns about whether such vaccinations are safe
and necessary. In a Q&A session, Dr. Arthur Reingold, professor and head
of epidemiology at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, discusses the safety
of such a mass inoculation as well as other issues confronting the campus's
new Center for Infectious Disease Preparedness.
(18
September)
UC
Berkeley textile expert Ed Rossbach dies at 88
Ed Rossbach, considered the dean of contemporary American textiles because
of his influence on generations of young fiber artists in the United States,
died on Monday, Oct. 7, after a long illness. Rossbach, 88, was a professor
emeritus of design at the University of California, Berkeley, where he taught
in the former departments of decorative art and design from 1950 to 1979.
(16
October)
Deciphering
the Middle East: Q&A with Professor Nezar AlSayyad, chair of the Center
for Middle Eastern Studies
With the U.S. Congress authorizing the use of force against Iraq, the Middle
East is on everyone's minds. Yet few can name all the countries that make up
the region, or even begin to describe their histories and governments. As part
of an ongoing series about the region, we turned to one of UC Berkeley's experts,
Nezar AlSayyad, who has been chair of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies
since 1995, for a crash course in the Middle East. He talks about the Middle
East's political and cultural diversity, women's rights, why Arab states oppose
Iraqi regime change, and why Islam is here to stay.
(15
October)
Destroying
a stereotype: Meet Berkeley's ROTC students
Think you can stereotype the college ROTC student? Think again. UC Berkeley's
Naval, Army, and Air Force ROTC programs are experiencing a surge in enrollment,
and they're attracting a more diverse crowd than just dyed-in-the-wool, gung-ho
military types. Of course, the scholarships help, but so does the chance to
make a difference – and the chance to jump out of airplanes on the weekend.
(11
October)
Study
finds "two-tier" system in state-funded prekindergartens: disparity
in education, pay, stability
Within state-funded prekindergarten systems, teachers in publicly-operated
settings are better educated, better paid and enjoy more job stability than
their counterparts in privately-operated settings, according to a new study
by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Center for
the Child Care Workforce in Washington, D.C.
(7
October)
CDC
award to help UC researchers establish national environmental public
health tracking system
Numerous studies have linked chronic diseases such as asthma with environmental
pollution, but a lack of sufficient population-wide data has made it difficult
to understand how and where a range of environmental factors are linked to
health. That will soon change thanks to a three-year grant to the School of
Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley. The grant from the
Centers for Disease Control will help establish a sophisticated surveillance
system that will track the associations between diseases and environmental
pollutants, and identify communities where these contaminants may be causing
health problems.
(7
October)
Haas
study sees second recession more likely than slow recovery
The national economy is more likely headed for another serious recession rather
than a continued slow recovery, according to a new report from the University
of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business.
(4
October)
San
Francisco car-sharing system is catching on, UC Berkeley study
shows
An increasing number of drivers are sharing car keys in San Francisco, where
an automobile sharing program began last year, according to a new report by
the University of California, Berkeley's Institute of Urban and Regional Development.
(3
October)
A
good map is hard to find
The less we knew about the world, the more beautiful
were our maps. At least, that's the impression you get from looking through
the thousands of 20th century topographical, nautical, aerial, political and
other maps for sale Saturday (10/5) by UC Berkeley's geography department and
its Earth Science and Map Library. Nearly all of the cartography on sale in
the University's Pauley Ballroom will be priced at $2. If that's too much for
you, then be patient: they'll be marked down by half in the sale's last two
hours.
(2
October)
UC
Berkeley study finds promise in using Chinese herbs to treat hepatitis
B
Chinese herbal treatments combined with standard therapy may be more effective
than standard therapy alone for treatment of chronic hepatitis B, according
to an analysis of randomized, controlled trials led by University of California,
Berkeley, researchers.
(1
October)
New
studies find ADHD among girls a serious – but overlooked – problem
Although boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) greatly
outnumber girls, girls have been underdiagnosed and their condition is greatly
underappreciated, according to a pair of studies in the October issue of the
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The lead author is Stephen Hinshaw,
professor of psychology at University of California, Berkeley.
(1
October)
Student
conduct hearings begin for Wheeler occupation
The first student conduct hearing related to the April 9, 2002, occupation
of Wheeler Hall began today. A series of administrative hearings, in which
approximately 30 students face charges that they violated the campus Code of
Student Conduct, have been scheduled and are expected to conclude by the end
of October.
(30
September)
Primer
from Lawrence Hall of Science gives parents tips on how to get
involved in children's education
How involved should you get in your kid's science project? How much homework
is too much? How do you kindle your child's curiosity when her teacher doesn't?
A new book from the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California,
Berkeley, attempts to answer these questions and more, and provides clear,
jargon-free, practical ways that parents can play an important educational
role in their kids' life.
(26
September)
Berkeley
gets CDC grant, joins network of public health academic centers
fighting bioterrorism
A new $2.8 million federal grant will help University of California, Berkeley,
researchers battle bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks and other emergent
public health threats through a new Center for Infectious Disease Preparedness.
The three-year grant establishes UC Berkeley's School of Public Health as the
site of one of four new academic centers for public health preparedness.
(26
September)
UC
Berkeley researchers awarded $2.1 million NIH grant to study smoking
prevention efforts in China
A $2.1 million federal grant will help researchers at the University of California,
Berkeley, study the economic impact of smoking prevention efforts in China,
the largest consumer of tobacco products in the world.
(25
September)
Hearings
to begin Monday for UC Berkeley students facing charges from Wheeler Hall
sit-in
Dates of student conduct hearings have now been set for many of the University
of California, Berkeley, students arrested during the April 9 occupation of
Wheeler Hall, according to campus officials. Each student will have the opportunity
to present his or her case in a series of administrative hearings scheduled
to begin Monday (Sept. 30) and conclude by the end of October.
(25
September)
UC
Berkeley-led project gets $13 million grant to bridge computer software
and systems science
A project led by the University of California, Berkeley, to modernize embedded
software systems, which run everything from an aircraft's navigation system
to a child's robotic pet, is getting a $13 million boost from a National Science
Foundation grant.
(25
September)
NSF
grant to UC Berkeley will fund exploration of new types of quantum computers
A team of chemists, physicists and engineers at the University of California,
Berkeley, has received $4.5 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF)
to test whether several cutting-edge technologies are suitable for building
the first practical quantum computer.
(25
September)
Youths
more conservative than their elders on some issues, survey reveals
The generation gap between youths and older adults might not be what you'd
expect, and on some political issues involving religion and abortion, young
people may be the most conservative of all, according to a new survey by University
of California, Berkeley, political scientists.
(24
September)
Webcast:
Viability of alternatives to factory food debated at Berkeley
In a discussion that can be viewed online via webcast, food heavyweights Alice
Waters, Eric Schlosser, Michael Pollan, Mark Hertsgaard, Corby Kummer, and
moderator Orville Schell discuss whether organic, community-scale agriculture
and food production can replace conventional, large-scale agribusiness, and
the likely costs of such a dramatic shift.
(23 September)
Top
medical research award goes to Berkeley Prof. Randy Schekman
Many high school students dread science fair projects,
but Randy Schekman lived for them. Similar passions have
driven his research for 30 years, and today have earned
Schekman, a professor of molecular and cell biology at
the University of California, Berkeley, the nation's highest
award for basic medical research, the Lasker Award.
(22
September)
Generation
Y wrestles with 9/11 in new Web video project
After the attacks
of September 11, Americans of all ages struggled to understand how the world
perceives us, agonizing over our place in the world. With "Middle Eastern |
American: An Interactive Video Tapestry," UC Berkeley alumna Ana Pinto da Silva
(Architecture, 1991) takes this process public with interviews of 42 wildly
diverse students who share
their opinions of the best and worst of American and Middle Eastern cultures.
(19
September)
Hearst
Memorial Mining Building reopens to new era of engineering
When the Hearst Memorial Mining Building at the University of California, Berkeley,
first opened in 1907, the study of mining was vital to the campus and the nation.
At a rededication ceremony this Sunday (Sept. 22), 95 years later, the building's
doors will reopen to new frontiers in materials science and engineering research.
(18
September)
Unlocking
the secrets of animal locomotion
Cockroaches
may someday inherit the Earth, but before they do, Professor Robert J. Full
plans to learn all their secrets. In his PolyPEDAL Laboratory, Full studies
insects, crabs and lizards for insight into nature's engineering: how they
run, bypass obstacles and navigate their worlds with only the tiniest of brains. View
Flash animations, video clips
(16
September)
Bear
in Mind: Conversations with the chancellor
Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl enjoys asking questions: "I
learn something new in every conversation," he says.
And with the debut of a new radio-style Web talk show called "Bear
in Mind," you can listen in on those conversations
as Berdahl interviews Berkeley faculty, staff, students
and visitors about world events, their expertise, experiences
and more.
(12
September)
Campus
comes together again to remember 9/11
A year after the Sept.
11 attacks against America, thousands again filled Sproul Plaza on Wednesday
to mourn the victims and commemorate the heroes. Following a moment of silence
for personal reflections, student leaders organized a program of speeches and
music looking back to the tragedies of a year ago and examining how the nation
and the campus have changed in the past 12 months.
(11
September)
Berkeley's
most senior junior took the long road to Cal
When Patricia Kinman graduated from her Hayward high school, she wanted
to attend UC Berkeley "more than anything," she says. But
financial constraints compelled her to take a government scholarship
and become a nurse
instead. That was 1945. Almost six decades later, this 75-year-young Berkeley
student is finally living out her dream.
(9
September)
Chancellor
issues statement, appalled at charge that campus Sept. 11 events are
unpatriotic
In an evening press conference, Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl responded
to what he labeled "outrageous allegations" published by The California Patriot,
a student journal, that UC Berkeley is unpatriotic in commemorating the events
of September 11. "This allegation is wrong. This allegation
is an insult to everyone at this University," Berdahl said.
(5
September)
Panel
urges more exercise, balancing caloric intake with physical activity
A new study released today by the National Academies' Institute of Medicine
provides the most detailed criteria yet for deciding what levels of fat, carbohydrate
and protein Americans should aim for in their diet, according to two University
of California, Berkeley, experts on the panel that developed the report. Among
the panel's recommendations are doubling the amount of physical activity previously
advised - from a minimum of 30 minutes per day to 60 minutes per day - balancing
energy intake and expenditure, and minimizing intake of saturated fats, cholesterol
and trans fatty acids.
(5
September)
Remembering
Sept. 11: Memorials planned on campus
In the hours and days after last fall's terrorist attacks, thousands of students,
faculty, staff and others gathered on the UC Berkeley campus to mourn, to reflect
and to speak out. A year later, Sept. 11 will again be a time for coming together
as a community to remember those who died and to reaffirm the values of free
speech and civil discourse.
(5
September)
UC
researchers confirm coast redwood and Douglas fir as hosts for Sudden
Oak Death pathogen
Two
of California's most highly prized trees — coast redwood
and Douglas fir — are susceptible to Phytophthora
ramorum, the pathogen that causes Sudden Oak Death, University
of California researchers have confirmed.
(4
September)
Cal
striker takes shot at Berkeley women's soccer record
Senior
Laura Schott is more goal-oriented than most of her UC
Berkeley classmates. And this star forward for the Cal
women's soccer team has her eye on seven goals in particular
as she takes aim at the Berkeley women's record for career
goals and points, set more than a decade ago by soccer
titan Joy Fawcett.
(3
September)
Targeting
enzymes that immortalize cancer cells
Discovery of a clever trick that cancer cells
use to make themselves immortal may lead to a way to stop
their unchecked growth, according to scientists at the
University of California, Berkeley.
(30
August)
Middle
East tensions: A UC Berkeley chronicle
As the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks
approaches, and turmoil continues to roil the Mideast,
the campus looks back on a year of tension and tolerance.
Controversies over free speech, hate crimes and academic
freedom have fueled emotional protests, but campus leaders
have worked to defuse tensions and foster tolerance, restraint
and learning. A
special report
(28
August)
Dispatches
from the 2002 U.N. World Summit on Sustainable Development
Yogi Hendlin, a fourth-year political science student in the College of
Letters & Science
at UC Berkeley, attended the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg, South Africa. Hendlin, who attended as a representative of the
non-profit Adbusters Media Foundation, is filing a series of dispatches from
the summit.
(26
August)
"Bear
in Mind" exhibit salutes the California grizzly
The story of the extinct California grizzly,
which endures today as a state and Cal emblem, will
be saluted
in "Bear in Mind," a new exhibit running from
August 26 to November 27 at The Bancroft Library. An online
multimedia slide show provides a preview of the exhibition.
(23
August)
Campus
prepares for potential strikes
The Coalition of University Employees, which represents
clerical employees on the Berkeley campus, has given notice
that it plans to hold a strike on the first three days
of classes. In addition, a one-day strike has been called
by the American Federation of Teachers, which represents
UC lecturers (non-Senate faculty), for Wednesday, Aug.
28. Information on campus operations in the event of a
strike, as well as updates on negotiations, are available
on the Web.
(22
August)
New
class will teach journalism students how to cover corporate business
The "Business Watchdogs" class to be
taught by former Wall Street Journal reporter Molly Williams
will teach students how to read company financial statements
and balance sheets, decipher basic accounting and better
understand the complex facets of corporate business coverage.
(22
August)
UC
Berkeley's first entirely online course could lead way to more classes
without a classroom
The University of California, Berkeley, is offering
its first course taught solely through the Web, and it's
a gem. "Gems and Gem Materials," an undergraduate
class being taught this fall by Jill Banfield, a professor
of earth and planetary sciences, is getting a trial run
as cautious faculty members wait to hear what students
think.
(22
August)
Back
to school, Berkeley style: Welcome Week kicks off fall term
With the start of Fall 2002 classes just around
the corner, it's time to dust off the books and unpack
the dorm decor for the more than 32,000 students who will
call UC Berkeley home this year. Get plugged into essential
links for new and returning students, and get updated on
the new crop of classes, students, housing options and
construction projects.
(16
August)
Berkeley
professor Sheldon Miller to join NIH's National Eye Institute
Sheldon Miller, Professor of Cell & Developmental
Biology and Professor of Vision Science at the University
of California, Berkeley, has been named to a prestigious
position at the National Eye Institute, one of the National
Institutes of Health.
(13
August)
Dying
coal industry, culture are focus of documentary project by UC Berkeley
photojournalist
While millions watched TV reports of the recent
rescue of nine miners in Pennsylvania, documentary photographer
Ken Light was just a state away, quietly photographing
the death of the coal industry and culture.
(12
August)
New
book offers behind-the-scenes look at Free Speech Movement
It's
been nearly 40 years since the Free Speech Movement exploded
onto the University of California, Berkeley, campus, changing
the political atmosphere at colleges and universities across
the country and providing generations to come with a model
for student activism. Two history professors hope their
new book will give readers a fuller, more complex view
of the movement's origins, development and legacy.
(12
August)
Pedro
Sanchez, UC Berkeley expert in agroforestry and tropical resources, wins
prestigious 2002 World Food Prize
Pedro A. Sanchez, a pioneer in the field of tropical
soils and agroforestry at the University of California,
Berkeley, is the 2002 winner of the World Food Prize. The
award is the highest international honor bestowed upon
an individual for achievements in improving the world's
food supply and reducing hunger.
(12
August)
Mind
your own business: Teens learn entrepreneurial ropes — and start thinking
about college
With
CEOs who once smirked on the covers of Fortune and BusinessWeek
now reduced to mug shots, you'd think that "entrepreneur" would
have fallen off teenagers' top 10 careers lists. But according
to the 40 East Bay ninth-graders who recently spent two
weeks at the Summer Entrepreneur Camp run by UC Berkeley's
Haas School of Business, nothing beats working for yourself.
(8
August)
UC
Berkeley's sociology department is home to new magazine designed to reach
readers beyond the ivory tower
Berkeley's Department of Sociology has a long-held
tradition of researching and teaching about topics that
have practical meaning to people's everyday lives. So,
it's no surprise that this department, part of the College
of Letters & Science, is the home of a new quarterly publication
for readers beyond the halls of academia.
(8
August)
Growing
popularity of weblog publishing spurs new J-school course
Blogs
are everywhere, and they’re spawning at a rapid pace!
Not to worry, though; they’re not alien creatures
invading Earth, but rather the latest rage in online publishing
and the subject of a new class at Berkeley this fall.
(5
August)
Wireless
sensors from Berkeley, Intel help conservation biologists monitor elusive
Maine seabird
For
scientists studying the Leach's Storm Petrel, monitoring
the shy seabird's nest activity meant sticking a cumbersome
remote camera or a daring arm into burrows. But starting
Monday (Aug. 5), biologists and petrel buffs around the
world will be able to monitor a popular breeding site in
real time through the Internet while sitting comfortably
in front of their computers.
(5
August)
Chancellor
offers condolences on death of Berkeley grad in Israel attack
Chancellor
Robert M. Berdahl expressed his sadness and offered his
condolences on the death of UC Berkeley grad Marla Bennett,
who was one of seven people killed in a bomb attack at
Jerusalem's Hebrew University.
(1
August)
Industrialized
nations follow U.S. lead on market-driven welfare reform, says new book
by UC Berkeley social welfare professor
Industrialized
nations around the world are adopting the United States'
increasingly market-driven approach to providing welfare
benefits, according to Neil Gilbert, a professor of social
welfare at UC Berkeley, in his new book, "Transformation
of the Welfare State: The Silent Surrender of Public Responsibility" (Oxford
University Press). While the United States has led the
way in back-to-work programs for welfare recipients, many
European countries are not far behind.
(30
July)
Education
grad student studies fate of child soldiers – and of childhood – in
Sierra Leone
With
the waning of Sierra Leone's long and bitter civil war,
Susan Shepler, a student in UC Berkeley's Graduate School
of Education, returned to the West African country to examine
the plight of children being demobilized and returning
to civilian life after months or years as soldiers, drug
runners, cooks, water-carriers and sex slaves for forces
on all sides of the conflict.
(26
July)
Tortured
Salvadorans awarded $54.6 million by Florida jury; Boalt Hall clinic
provided key help
A
Florida jury's award of $54.6 million to three Salvadorans
who proved that they were detained and brutally tortured
by Salvadoran security forces relied in part on help from
the International Human Rights Law Clinic at UC Berkeley's
School of Law (Boalt Hall).
(25
July)
Antique
physics instruments go on the auction block
Got a
passion for potentiometers? Do antique balances make you
lose your equilibrium? Vintage equipment from UC Berkeley's
physics department goes up for sale this weekend, July
27-28, at the Harvey Clars Auction Gallery in Oakland.
(25
July)
Unlocking
science online: Should research require a subscription?
The Internet
is putting new pressures on scientific journals to make
the research they publish available to anyone, anywhere,
at no cost; a Q&A with UC Berkeley biochemist Nicholas
Cozzarelli, editor-in-chief of the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.
(22
July)
Rutherford
named interim head of Institute for Global Health
George
W. Rutherford, MD, a UC Berkeley adjunct professor of epidemiology
and a leading expert on the public health aspects of infectious
diseases, has been appointed interim director of the Institute
for Global Health.
(22
July)
California
families face shortage of child care slots
Just
one in seven California parents can find an opening for
their young child at a preschool or child care center,
and that access is shrinking in major counties, according
to new findings to be released Friday, July 19, by a University
of California, Berkeley research team.
(19
July)
AileyCamp
helps youth leap over life's obstacles
Welcome to a typical day at AileyCamp, where firm coaching
and words of encouragement are doled out in equal doses
to 75 students from local middle schools. The six-week
camp, founded by the late dance pioneer Alvin Ailey, targets
at-risk youth.
(19
July)
Doctors
Without Borders exhibit here July 17-18
An
interactive exhibit shows how millions suffer from treatable
tropical diseases and explains in what ways medicine policies
need to change.
(15
July)
Berkeley-led
team of teachers digs for Alaskan dinosaur fossils
Bay Area schoolteachers are heading north to
Alaska this summer to join in a field research project,
cosponsored by UC Berkeley's Museum of Paleontology, that
gives K-12 teachers hands-on experience with one of the
world's richest troves of dinosaur fossils.
(11
July)
UC
Berkeley law students among presenters at international AIDS conference
Students from UC Berkeley's School of Law (Boalt Hall)
are among participants from across the world meeting in
Barcelona, Spain, this week, hoping to combat HIV/AIDS
by sharing vital information and research.
(9 July)
Berkeley
economist Benjamin Hermalin responds to President Bush's speech about
corporate responsibility
Shortly
after President Bush's July 9 address to Wall Street, Haas
School of Business interim dean Benjamin Hermalin weighed
in regarding the pros and cons of the reforms proposed
for publicly held companies.
(9 July)
Second
lease on sex life: Bizarre parasite can make sterile fruit flies fertile
again
Parasites typically pester, and sometimes kill, their
host, but scientists at the University of California, Berkeley,
have found one that helps its insect host overcome a genetic
defect: it makes a sterile fruit fly fertile again.
(3 July)
Haas
School helps National Archives create new database to trace Asian immigration
Searching for information on early Asian immigrants
to the United States recently became much easier, thanks
to a new Web site designed to facilitate the search of
records on people who immigrated to San Francisco and Honolulu,
Hawaii, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Early
Arrivals Records Search database was created by the Institute
of Business & Economics Research, the Haas School of
Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and
the Pacific Region of the National Archives and Records
Administration.
(1 July)
UC
Berkeley scientist urges drilling into frozen "lake" beneath
Antarctica as test of sterile drilling techniques
Measurements of the ice temperature far below the South
Pole suggest that a so-called "lake" discovered
at the base of the ice is most likely permafrost - a frozen
mixture of dirt and ice. Far from being a disappointment,
says a University of California, Berkeley physicist, the
permafrost subglacial lake may be ideal for developing
and testing sterile drilling techniques needed before scientists
attempt to punch through the ice into pristine liquid lakes
elsewhere in Antarctica in search of exotic microbes.
(28 June)
James
Kettner, early American history scholar, dies at 57
James H. Kettner, a colonial and early American history
scholar and a University of California, Berkeley, faculty
member for nearly 30 years, has died at age 57.
(28 June)
Harvey
Stahl, longtime UC Berkeley professor of art history, dies
Harvey Stahl, a longtime professor of medieval art
and former chair of art history at the University of California,
Berkeley, has died at the age of 61. Stahl, who specialized
in the history of medieval manuscript illumination, died
at his home in the Berkeley hills.
(27 June)
From
attic to auction: antique instruments to raise money for Physics Department
This Sunday (June 30), Harvey Clars auction house in Oakland will open
the bidding on a handful of antique scientific instruments — and vintage Tinker
Toys used for molecular models — excavated from storage by UC Berkeley's
Physics Department. The auction is a test sale to gauge the interest in an
additional 400 or so voltmeters, galvanometers, microscopes and more scheduled
to go on the block next month.
(27
June)
UC
Berkeley students take top honors in fuel-economy competition at 1,068
miles per gallon
Imagine driving from Los Angeles to Seattle — on
a single gallon of gas. That's roughly equivalent to what
a team of UC Berkeley engineering undergraduates achieved
when their vehicle won the Society of Automotive Engineers
Student Design Supermileage Competition held in Marshall,
Michigan earlier this month.
(27
June)
UC Berkeley announced that it will appeal today's National Collegiate Athletic Association ruling on past rule violations in the school's football program. Chancellor Robert Berdahl, commenting on the appeal, said that while Cal takes rule violations very seriously, the penalties imposed in this case by the NCAA were "unfairly punitive."
(26 June)
UC
Berkeley optometrists expand services to low vision outreach clinic at
California School for the Blind
Expanding beyond their on-campus low vision clinic,
doctors at the School of Optometry have launched an outreach
clinic at the California School for the Blind in Fremont.
One year after the program began, UC Berkeley optometrists
have conducted comprehensive eye exams for more than 80
students at the school
(24 June)
International
health professor named to head $2 billion global health fund
Richard Feachem, UC Berkeley professor of international
health, has been appointed undersecretary general and first
executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
and Malaria, an independent public-private partnership
to combat these diseases.
(24 June)
Historian
John Hope Franklin of Duke University to receive Clark Kerr award from
Academic Senate
Harry Scheiber, former chair of the Berkeley Division
of the Academic Senate, will travel tomorrow (June 22)
to the North Carolina home of 86-year-old historian John
Hope Franklin to bestow on him the Clark Kerr Award for
Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education. The award,
the highest honor given by the campus's faculty, was established
in 1968 to honor UC President Emeritus Clark Kerr. Franklin,
said Scheiber, has been this country's leading figure in
the field of African American history, American race relations
and Southern regional history.
(21 June)
UC
Berkeley professors edit book exploring interplay of Islamic, European
identities
UC Berkeley professors Nezar AlSayyad and Manuel Castells
examine the impact of Europe's growing Muslim population
on the continent in their new book, "Muslim Europe
or Euro-Islam: Politics, Culture, and Citizenship in the
Age of Globalization."
(21 June)
UC
Berkeley library is top-ranked among public universities
UC Berkeley boasts the top-ranked library among public
universities in North America, and is No. 3 overall, behind
Harvard and Yale, according to the latest annual rankings
from the Association of Research Libraries.
(20 June)
Honoring
Chang-Lin Tien: A June 22 symposium at Berkeley
Chang-Lin Tien, beloved former chancellor of the
University of California, Berkeley, will miss his retirement
tribute on Saturday (June 22), but his accomplishments
and boundless energy will be much in the thoughts of those
attending.
(19 June)
Concrete
canoe racers go national with "Calcatraz"
UC Berkeley’s recipe for a 130-pound concrete
canoe, affectionately called "Calcatraz," sets
sail Monday (June 24) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
in the 14th annual National Concrete Canoe Competition.
(19 June)
"Poet
of the People" June Jordan, a UC Berkeley professor of African American
studies, dies at 65
June Jordan, one of the most published African
American writers who was known for reviving black English
as a medium of black literature, has died.
(17 June)
Manual
of California desert plants reveals stark beauty of state's unique environments
"The
Jepson Desert Manual" published this spring by the
University of California Press and replete with color photos,
illustrates the spare beauty that draws people year after
year into the heat of Death Valley or the Mojave Desert
for spectacular flower shows. Site includes a Flash slide
show.
(13
June)
San
Francisco Bay: a 5,000-year perspective on the human transformation of
the bay
Human
habitation of the shoreline of San Francisco Bay is as
old as the bay itself - even older. However, says anthropologist
Kent Lightfoot, people today are altering the bay's ecology
more rapidly than did the native Americans of millennia
past.
(13
June)
Astronomers
find planetary system reminiscent of our own
After
15 years of observation and lots of patience, the world's
premier planet-hunting team has finally found a planetary
system that reminds them of our own solar system.
(13
June)
Sky
watchers watch eclipse at Lawrence Hall of Science
Sky watchers witnessed the Sun changing from a glowing marble to a radiant
crescent of light yesterday during a two-hour partial eclipse that was seen
from Borneo to Mexico.
(11
June)
Cal's
cycling team cruises to national title
Cal's
cycling team scored a first for Berkeley: they won the overall team title and
several individual titles at the National Collegiate Cycling Road Race in Vermont.
(6
June)
Berkeley's
2002 Summer Reading List focuses on banned books
Tom
Sawyer, the king of reverse psychology, would love this
year's unofficial Summer Reading List for incoming fall
freshmen at the University of California, Berkeley..
(5
June)
Student
Journal: Summer Dispatches from the Field
For a Berkeley
student, "summer vacation" can encompass a world of possibilities.
This summer, four students will file regular reports on their pursuits in Mexico,
Greece, the Dominican Republic, and offshore California.
(7
June)
UC
Berkeley/NASA satellite RHESSI captures new light from sun, reveals surprises
in solar flares
An
April 21 solar flare powerful enough to interfere with
radio communications on Earth was captured by the recently
launched RHESSI satellite, revealing never-before-seen
detail of the high-energy emissions from these huge explosions
on the sun.
(7
June)
Keck
Telescope's adaptive optics let astronomers study volcanic activity on
Io from armchair on Earth
New
adaptive optics on Hawaii's Keck Telescope have produced
the sharpest infrared images yet of the entire surface
of Io, one of Jupiter's moons, allowing astronomers to
study the moon and its volcanoes regularly from Earth.
(3
June)
Robotic
fly gets its buzz
Inspired
by the elegant aerodynamics of flying insects, researchers are attempting to
build a flying robot weighing less than a paper clip. Story includes Flash
and video.
(3
June)
Fragile,
historic Fox Cottage, moved and renovated by UC Berkeley, wins architectural
praise
A
project to move and renovate small, storybook-like Fox
Cottage at the University of California, Berkeley, recently
earned the campus accolades from the Berkeley Architectural
Heritage Association.
(3
June)
Keck
Telescope's adaptive optics let astronomers study volcanic activity on
Io from armchair on Earth
New
adaptive optics on Hawaii's Keck Telescope have produced
the sharpest infrared images yet of the entire surface
of Io, one of Jupiter's moons, allowing astronomers to
study the moon and its volcanoes regularly from Earth.
(3
June)
UC
Berkeley "Breath of Life" conference strives to revive California Indian
languages
In
hopes of reviving ancestral California Indian languages
that have only a few living speakers left, or in many cases,
none at all, representatives from the Chukchansi, Barbareño
Chumash, Northern Pomo, Maidu, Wukchumni, Yowlumni, Wappo
and other groups are gathering this week at the University
of California, Berkeley.
(3
June)
U.C.
Professor Richard C. Van Sluyters to Receive Biomedical Research Leadership
Award
Richard
C. Van Sluyters, Professor of Optometry at U.C. Berkeley,
has been named the 2002 recipient of the Biomedical Research
Leadership Award from the California Society for Biomedical
Research.
(31
May)
Bear
in space: astronaut alum flies Cal flag
Aboard
the Space Shuttle Atlantis during a recent mission to the orbiting International
Space Station, alum Rex Walheim took the time to unfurl the Cal pennant.
(31
May)
Trying to fill a budget gap representing more than one-fourth of the entire State budget, Gov. Davis has proposed cuts to many State programs, including programs at the University of California. UC President Richard Atkinson has issued on update on the budget outlook and Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl also has issued a budget update.
(30 May)
Mother-daughter
interpreters demonstrate California Indian culture at Hearst Museum's "Family
Day"
On
Sunday, June 2, at "Family Day" at the University's
Hearst Museum of Anthropology, two noted Indian artists
will be featured. The pair will tell Indian stories and
play traditional games while airing "gaming" recordings..
They also will demonstrate the art of basket weaving and
display handmade, miniature dolls and toys.
(28
May)
Stalking
Arizona dust devils helps scientists understand effects of dust storms
on Mars
Researchers
are studying Arizona dust devils in an effort to understand
the effect dust storms could have on sensitive instruments
aboard future Mars landers, and how they might affect robots
exploring the surface.
(28
May)
Rip
currents at Ocean Beach are severe hazard for unwary, UC Berkeley expert
warns
San
Francisco's Ocean Beach is notorious for its rip currents,
and the fast-moving rips that have formed already this
season represent a hazard to the unwary, warns Francis
Smith, a University of California, Berkeley, graduate student
in geography who has studied local rip currents for the
past five years.
(23
May)
Record
number of students opt to return to class for summer term
Low fees and attractive course offerings are drawing
a record crowd to the University of California, Berkeley's
summer sessions this year, where the number of UC students
enrolling is expected to top 40 percent of regular term
enrollment for the first time in the program's 103-year
history.
(22
May)
Graduation
2002 Coverage
This
school year, some 10,000 students have completed the long
and winding road to graduation. Our graduation coverage
includes a Flash slide show, videos, text of Convocation
talks, and stories.
(21
May)
Update
on the fall 2002 course "The Politics and Poetics of Palestinian Resistance"
The English Department has acknowledged a lapse
in oversight of its reading and composition courses. In
that faculty observation and mentoring of graduate student
instructors are important to their training as teachers,
the English Department will assume responsibility for regular
observation of the class and mentoring of the instructor.
(21
May)
UC
Berkeley taps Georgetown administrative leader as associate vice chancellor
Following a nationwide
search, Scott Biddy, the chief development officer at Georgetown University,
was named Berkeley's associate vice chancellor for university relations. Biddy,
38, will lead the University's fundraising operations.
(21
May)
UC
Berkeley expands transportation options and services for faculty, staff
Faculty and staff members who carpool to work at
the soon will find themselves in the same rarified realm
as the campus's esteemed Nobel Prize winners, at least
when it comes to parking at UC Berkeley.
(21
May)
Martin
Luther King's legacy lives on: historic Berkeley photo from 1967 will hang
in Berkeley student union
A historic photograph of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., speaking out against the Vietnam War on the steps
of UC Berkeley's Sproul Hall 35 years ago, came home today
to hang in the Berkeley student union named in his honor.
(17
May)
Magazine
names three faculty members among nation's top 100 young innovators
Technology Review magazine has named chemist
Jeffrey Long, chemical engineer David Schaffer and
materials scientist
Vivek Subramanian - all under 32 years of age - among its
100 top young innovators of the year. The 100 scientists
are cited for their "contribution in transforming
the nature of technology in industries such as biotechnology,
computing, energy, medicine, manufacturing, nanotechnology,
telecommunications
and transportation."
(15
May)
Freezing
cancer cells leaves them more susceptible to attack by anti-cancer drug,
new study finds
Cryosurgery and bleomycin are approved treatments
currently used separately for cancer patients. Researchers
say that combining the two therapies may eventually lead
to a powerful new form of cancer treatment that targets
malignant cells while leaving healthy tissue unharmed.
(14
May)
University
statement regarding class titled "The Politics and Poetics of Palestine
Resistance"
The University acknowledges a failure of oversight
as it pertains to this class and is acting to remedy that.
Said Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl, "Universities should
not avoid presenting controversial material, and we do
not. It is imperative that our classrooms be free of indoctrination
- indoctrination is not education."
(10
May)
Stephen
Shortell top choice for dean of School of Public Health
Stephen M. Shortell,
a prominent researcher in health policy and organization behavior at UC Berkeley,
has been named the top choice to lead the campus's School of Public Health,
Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl announced today.
(9
May)
Physicist
Marvin Cohen and chemist Gabor Somorjai awarded National Medal of Science
The White House has
announced that a physicist and a chemist at UC Berkeley are among 15 recipients
of the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest award for lifetime achievement
in scientific research.
(9
May)
Olympian
Jonny Moseley to speak at May 17 convocation
Three weeks of graduation
ceremonies are underway here where Olympic gold medal skier Jonny Moseley will
speak Friday, May 17, at Commencement Convocation. The event will honor the
estimated 10,000 students who became eligible during the school year for undergraduate
and graduate degrees at UC Berkeley.
(9
May)
Tom
Campbell, former congressman, is top choice for Haas School of Business
dean
Chancellor Robert
M. Berdahl announced that he is recommending to the UC Board of Regents the
appointment of Stanford Law School professor and former congressman Thomas
J. Campbell as dean of the Haas School of Business.
(8
May)
Student
group admonished, temporary suspension lifted
The Student Judicial
Affairs office has admonished the Students for Justice in Palestine for the
April 9 occupation of Wheeler Hall and the disruption of classes in that building.
With the investigation by that office concluded, the student group's privileges
as a registered student group have been reinstated.
(7
May)
Top
senior at UC Berkeley plans future in her family's past
Sixty
years ago, Shayna Parekh's maternal grandfather left India
for a better life. Shayna, who has been named the University
Medalist, will graduate on May 17, and soon heads to India
fired by an intense passion for improving the lives of
others.
(7
May)
Seven
elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Philip P. Frickey,
professor of law; Catherine Gallagher, professor of English; Randy Katz, professor
of electrical engineering and computer science; Mimi A. R. Koehl, professor
of integrative biology; Tim D. White, professor of integrative biology; Matthew
Rabin, professor of economics; and economist Laura D'Andrea Tyson have been
elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
(3
May)
Berkeley
honors five of its most distinguished teachers | (with video)
Five faculty members
- Tyrone Hayes, Department of Integrative Biology; Usha Jain, Department of
South & Southeast Asian Studies; Jeffrey Knapp, Department of English; Leslie
Kurke, Departments of Classics and Comparative Literature; and Stephen Welter,
Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management - have been presented
with the 2002 Distinguished Teaching Award, the highest honor for instruction
given by UC Berkeley.
(2
May)
Chancellor
Berdahl issues open letter on the protection of free speech
Chancellor Robert
Berdahl explains the reasons why the University has temporarily suspended the
privileges of the student group, Students for Justice in Palestine. "It
is important to understand that this is neither an issue of free speech, nor
of the right to hold demonstrations on the campus," writes the Chancellor.
(1
May)
Three
faculty members elected to National Academy of Sciences
Carlos J. Bustamante,
professor of molecular and cell biology and of physics, Charles B. Harris,
professor of chemistry, and Geoffrey W. Marcy, professor of astronomy and director
of the Center for Integrative Planetary Science at UC Berkeley, have been elected
to the National Academy of Sciences.
(30
April)
UC
Berkeley anthropologist examines Mexico City's rapidly proliferating Alcoholics
Anonymous
Anthropologist Stanley Brandes has done a detailed study of one AA group among
the thousands flourishing in Mexico and Latin America. The stories of the men
in that group are told in the just-published, Staying Sober in Mexico City.
(30
April)
Center
for the Development of Peace and Well-being debuts here
The new Center for
the Development of Peace and Well-being will delve into the scientific understanding
of what promotes peace and well-being within the individual, between individuals,
and in communities.
(29
April)
"Designing
Modern Childhoods" conference to explore architecture, design, from kids'
perspectives
If children could design their own play structures, schools, summer camps and
even fast food, what would they come up with? May 2-3 at the University of
California, Berkeley, architects, landscape architects, urban planners, historians,
sociologists, environmental psychologists, folklorists, and geographers will
meet to explore those questions.
(29
April)
Free
speech rights continue for suspended student group
Students for Justice
in Palestine, a registered student group, has been suspended, but the group
and its student members retain their right of free speech.
(26
April)
David
Wood, founder of campus's dance program, dies
David Wood,
a dancer, choreographer, and professor emeritus who founded the campus's dance
program, has died at the age of 77. Wood had been a soloist with the Martha
Graham Dance Company, had danced in Broadway musicals, and with the Metropolitan
and New York City Opera companies.
(25
April)
State
acts to fully fund CITRIS and QB3
California Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill that fully funds the four California
Institutes for Science and Innovation. The bill authorizes $308 million dollars
in lease-revenue bond financing for completion of the capital projects associated
with the Institutes.
(25
April)
Switching
Colorado's Medicaid patients to managed care saved money without harming
patients, says study
Two years after Colorado's Medicaid program switched to a managed care system
for its mental health patients, costs for providing care were significantly
reduced without negatively affecting patient outcomes, according to a new study.
(23
April)
Development
economist Bent Hansen dies
Bent Hansen, a University of California, Berkeley, professor emeritus of economics
known for seminal work in macroeconomics, public finance, development and Middle
Eastern economic history, died April 15 in Alexandria, Egypt, at the age of
81.
(23
April)
Take
Our Children to Work Day on April 25
The campus will celebrate it's third annual Take Our Children to Work Day on
Thursday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A lunch hosted by Chancellor Berdahl
will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Memorial Glade. In addition to free food
and ice cream, Cal athletes will be on hand, and there will be games, prizes,
cotton candy, popcorn and more. Many departments - including the UC Police,
KALX, the art studio, and the School of Optometry - are sponsoring activities.
(22
April)
Blind
student develops computer drawing, animation tool for the visually impaired
UC Berkeley student Hesham Kamel, a PhD student in the campus's Department
of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences, is developing computer tools
to allow the visually impaired to create and see images on a computer screen.
(22
April)
For
children, welfare reform not a blessing
The slight economic gains by millions of single mothers who have moved off
welfare and into low-wage jobs have not improved the living conditions of families
or the daily lives of their young children, according to a new study.
(18
April)
Students
win $10,000 award for new semiconductor in VERTEX competition
Three Ph.D. engineering students captured top prize in Berkeley's first Innovators'
Challenge competition. The trio developed a new type of semiconductor memory
that could improve hand-held devices and miniature electronics.
(16
April)
Heavily
used agricultural weed killer atrazine disrupts sexual development of frogs
The nation's top-selling weed killer, atrazine, disrupts the sexual development
of frogs at concentrations 30 times lower than levels allowed by the EPA, raising
concerns about heavy use of the herbicide on corn, soybeans and other crops
in the Midwest and around the world.
(15
April)
Seafloor
seismic observatory starting to take shape
Twenty-five miles off the Monterey coast, a remotely operated vehicle, the
Ventana, this week placed the first permanent broadband earthquake monitor
on the California seafloor.
(12
April)
On
April 20, UC Berkeley's annual Cal Day will offer close-up look at campus
Cal Day 2002, the
University's annual open house, will host an expected 30,000 visitors here
for hundreds of activities including arts and cultural events, tours, lectures,
and athletic competitions. The complete
program of events is online.
(10
April)
Chancellor
Berdahl urges calm, civil debate on Mideast
In an April 8 press conference, Chancellor Robert Berdahl acknowledged the
intense feelings within the campus community over issues in the Mideast and
urged continued reasoned discourse. Also see the April 9 update on campus events.
(9
April)
Natalie
Coughlin: 24 American records, two world records, and counting
Cal sophomore swimmer Natalie Coughlin is a profile in athletic dominance and
wholesome modesty. The article includes a slide show.
(8
April)
Robert
Vaught, pioneer in field of model theory, dies
Robert Lawson Vaught,
professor emeritus of math at Berkeley, died April 2 in Berkeley. Vaught was
regarded as one of the great pioneers in the field of model theory.
(press
release, 4 April)
Megavitamins
may fight genetic diseases and tuneup metabolism
High doses of some
vitamins could play a big role in the treatment of disease and perhaps slow
the effects of aging.
(press
release, 4 April)
Berkeley
offers admission to 8,492 high school seniors
Check out a statistical
profile of the high schools seniors who have been accepted for admission here.
(press
release, 4 April)
Satellite
studies secrets of how solar flares produced by Sun
Nearly two months
after the launch of NASA's solar flare satellite, Berkeley scientists who designed
and built the satellite report that it has already captured numerous explosive
flares. Report includes a video of a solar flare.
(press
release, 28 March)
Technology
opens door to cheap, plastic solar cells
Chemists have found
a way to make cheap plastic solar cells flexible enough to paint onto any surface.
Initial efforts are promising and future work will focus on improving their
efficiency.
(press
release, 28 March)
Researchers
links weekly church attendance to longer, healthier life
Researchers have found
that people who attended religious services once a week had significantly lower
risks of death compared with those who attended less frequently or never, even
after adjusting for age, health behaviors and other risk factors.
(press
release, 26 March)
Finalists
chosen in 2002 National Social Venture Competition
Judges have announced
eight finalists from 33 business schools across the country competing for $100,000
in prizes to launch their proposed new businesses, which cover a broad spectrum
of education, technology, health and environmental industries.
(press
release, 25 March)
Russian
artists known for elephant art project here for semester
Raising funds to care
for unemployed Thai elephants, teaching art to animals, selling pachyderm paintings,
instructing students about totalitarianism and underground art -- two former
dissident Russian artists bring their show to campus for the semester.
(press
release, 25 March)
UC
Berkeley's Campanile to close temporarily
Berkeley's landmark
Sather Tower, also known as the Campanile, will be closed to visitors beginning
Saturday, March 23. The Campanile is expected to reopen in the fall.
(press
release, 22 March)
Sensitive
detector identifies missing nitrogen oxide pollutant in atmosphere
Along the route from
tailpipe through atmosphere, nitrogen oxides - collectively known as NOx compounds
- react with hydrocarbons to form a variety of pollutants, including nitric
acid, the cause of acid rain. Until now, some half of the nitrogen oxide has
been unaccounted for. Now, chemists believe they have found the missing nitrogen
oxides.
(press
release, 22 March)
Professor
Ralph Hexter named executive dean of campus's College of Letters & Science
Ralph Hexter, a UC
Berkeley professor of comparative literature and classics and a scholar of
classical and medieval Latin, has been named executive dean of the University
of California, Berkeley's College of Letters & Science, the campus's largest
academic unit
(press
release, 22 March)
Fossil
skull from Ethiopia clears up confusion over human ancestors from 1 million
years ago
A million-year-old Homo
erectus skull found in Ethiopia indicates that this human ancestor was
a single species scattered widely throughout Asia, Europe and Africa, and not
two separate species.
(press
release, 20 March)
New
approach to improving crop yields, ending hunger in Africa
Tens of thousands of farmers in Africa are increasing crop yields dramatically
by using decaying vegetation and crushed rock to replenish nutrient-depleted
soils. "Farmers that
have implemented these new soil fertility replenishment methods have seen crop
yields increase two to four times," said researcher Pedro Sanchez.
(press
release, 14 March)
"Public
Health Heroes" to be honored by UC Berkeley School of Public Health
From rural villagers who receive health care in Bangladesh to U.S. residents
who now seek medical care in desegregated hospitals, millions of people have
benefited from the contributions made by the 2002 Public Health Heroes being
honored by the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health
on Friday (March 15) at an Oakland celebration.
(press
release, 13 March)
Microsized
microscopes: researchers develop microlens and scanner that can provide
views inside living cells
Shrinking a million dollar microscope down to the size of the tip of a ballpoint
pen, researchers are developing microscope technology able to see inside living
cells, for instance viewing the DNA of tumor cells inside a patient as cancer
drugs are delivered.
(press
release, 13 March)
March
15 Charter Day keynote address by Costa Rican President Miguel Rodríguez
UC Berkeley will celebrate its 134th anniversary on March 15 with a keynote
address by Costa Rican President Miguel A. Rodríguez, who in 1966 received
his PhD in economics from UC Berkeley. Rodríguez will speak on trade
and development in Latin America.
(press
release, 12 March)
Power
restored to all but three UC Berkeley buildings following campuswide power
outage.
Following a campuswide power outage which occurred shortly after 5 p.m. March
7, power has been restored to all but three buildings. The cause
of the power failure has been traced to an underground switching station.
(press
release, 8 March)
Chemistry
professor Henry Rapoport, known for synthesis of important drug compounds,
dies at 83
Henry Rapoport, an outstanding scientist and popular chemistry teacher here,
died Wednesday, March 6, following a short illness. Rapoport was widely recognized
for his work in pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry, especially the synthesis
of drug compounds.
(press
release, 7 March)
Massive
stars form quickly by accretion, not through merger of smaller stars, say
UC Berkeley astrophysicists
A new model of massive star formation by Berkeley astrophysicists finally resolves
the longstanding debate over how these giant stars form.
(press
release, 6 March)
Major
exhibit opens celebrating centennial of Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
The University's Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology's centennial exhibition, "A
Century of Collecting," has begun. Drawing from 3.8 million objects collected
over a century, the exhibit features several hundred world-class, visually
impressive objects that have not been exhibited in many years. At the same
time, the display explains how anthropology museums help preserve and interpret
the world's diverse cultures. To preview what you will see, check out the slide
show.
In
its fourth year, student "Business Plan Competition" becoming
launching pad for entrepreneurs
Sixty six teams from around the world have entered the fourth annual University
of California, Berkeley, Business Plan Competition. Previous finalists have
raised more than $118 million in venture funding.
(press
release, 27 February)
Seismologist
Thomas McEvilly, expert on California's San Andreas and Hayward faults,
dies of cancer
Seismologist Thomas Vincent McEvilly, professor emeritus of earth and planetary
science at the University of California, Berkeley, and a renowned expert on
California earthquake faults, died Friday, Feb. 22, after an eight-month fight
with cancer.
(press
release, 26 February)
FTC
hearings on intellectual property law, policy to be held at UC Berkeley's
Haas School of Business
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division
will hold joint hearings at the Haas School of Business Feb. 25-28 on how to
deal with issues that arise at the intersection of antitrust and intellectual
property law and policy.
(press
release, 19 February)
Dietary
supplements make old rats youthful, may help rejuvenate aging humans, according
to UC Berkeley study
Two dietary supplements straight off the health food store shelf put the spark
back into aging rats, and might do the same for aging baby boomers, according
to new study.
(press
release, 19 February)
Matthew
Lyon, assistant vice chancellor, public affairs, suffers fatal heart attack
Matthew Lyon, whose passions and talents spanned the worlds of academia,
politics, sports, and the arts, has died of an apparent heart attack. Said
Chancellor
Robert Berdahl, "Matt transformed public affairs at Berkeley, intent on making
it the best in its field ... We will miss his leadership in public affairs,
his concern about the welfare of the campus and his great humanity."
(press
release, 17 February)
Famed
African archaeologist J. Desmond Clark of UC Berkeley has died at the age
of 85
John Desmond Clark, the legendary dean of African archaeology and a professor
emeritus of anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, died Thursday,
Feb. 14, from pneumonia at a convalescent hospital in Oakland, Calif.
(press
release, 15 February)
Berkeley/NASA
solar research spacecraft heads for the sun after Feb. 5 launch
Shouts of jubilation erupted at Berkeley's Space Sciences Labratory on Feb.
5 as the HESSI spacecraft was launched. HESSI - a project designed, built and
operated by the university and its partners - will look at high-energy X-ray
and gamma ray emissions from solar flares.
(Berkeleyan,
5 February)
Nanotech
development brings closer era of nanowire electronic devices
Researchers have announced a development that could shrink computer chips and
make possible electronic devices on a single nanowire less than one-hundredth
the width of a human hair.
(press
release, 5 February)
Amtrak
head Michael Dukakis here Feb. 8 to discuss high-speed rail
Michael Dukakis, the acting chair of Amtrak, will hold a seminar about a first-class
high-speed rail network that he says is the answer to the United States' transportation
crisis. He will field questions after his 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m. presentation in
Sibley Auditorium at the Bechtel Engineering Center. The event is free and
open to the public.
(press
release, 4 February)
Berkeley/NASA
satellite to launch February 5 on mission to study solar flares
On Feb. 5, NASA plans to launch a satellite dedicated to the study of solar
flares. After launch, the satellite will be controlled by a team here with
commands transmitted through a radio dish perched in the wooded hills above
UC Berkeley.
(press
release, 31 January)
Former
President Bill Clinton's UC Berkeley talk on building a peaceful, global
village
Former President Bill Clinton spoke to a full house at Zellerbach Auditorium
on Jan. 29 and to those watching in on the Internet and on big screens at the
remote broadcast at Haas Pavillion. Coverage includes stories, photos, and
video.
(web
feature, 29 January)
Bay
Area housing market unlikely to bounce back before 2003
Severe job loss and a decline in household wealth have turned the Bay Area
housing market into a buyer's market, a situation that is unlikely to change
until 2003, according to researchers at the Haas School of Business.
(press
release, 22 January)
Secy.
of Transportation Norman Mineta named Berkeley alumnus of year
Long time congressman from San Jose and now U.S. Secretary of Transportation,
Norman Mineta (class of '53) is the California Alumni Association Alumnus of
the Year.
Campus
hosts Sebastião Salgado photo exhibition, lecture, and events
The plight of displaced people around the world, as chronicled by acclaimed
photographer Sebastião
Salgado, is the focus of a new photographic exhibit at the Berkeley
Art Museum, on display through March 24. During the run of the show, Salgado
will deliver a lecture and participate in several campus events.
(18
January)
Sudden
oak death appears to be widespread in East Bay
Sudden oak death has invaded the East Bay including the Berkeley campus. A
survey of the campus has revealed potential new hosts for the pathogen, including
the redwood.
(press
release, 14 January)
Assistant
dean and retired physicist Harry L. Morrison dies
Physicist and assistant dean Harry Lee Morrison of the University of California,
Berkeley, died suddenly of a heart attack on Monday, Jan. 14, at his home in
Berkeley. He was 69.
(press
release, 17 January)
Disability
couldn't stop Boalt Grad chosen to carry Olympic torch
Paralyzed from the chest down and in his hands, Brigham Fordham did not let
adversity stop him. A graduate of Boalt Hall, Fordham will carry the Olympic
torch when it arrives in Oakland on Jan. 18.
(press
release, 15 January)
Sudden
oak death appears to be widespread in East Bay
Sudden oak death has invaded the East Bay including the Berkeley campus. A
survey of the campus has revealed potential new hosts for the pathogen, including
the redwood.
(press
release, 14 January)
UC
Berkeley is a powerful force in Bay Area economy, says report examining
campus's impact
The University is the Bay Area's fifth largest employer but that's just the
beginning of how the educational and research enterprise here underlies the
regional economy and makes the Bay Area a leading center for innovation.
(press
release, 10 January)
Astronomers
try to catch speeding runaway star
Astronomers are attempting to measure the speed of an unusual star, which might
be traveling through space at 10 million miles per hour. If they succeed, the
star's velocity would make it about the fastest moving object of its kind.
If they don't, a theory must be rewritten.
(press
release, 10 January)
Mapping
of molecular clouds helps unravel enigma of star formation
The first-ever map of all sites of star formation in a spiral galaxy reveals
the important role played in the earliest steps of star formation by magnetic
fields in the gas between stars.
(press
release, 09 January)
Awards: UC Berkeley recognized
for protecting campus environment and for separate effort to save black-faced
spoonbills
Two organizations have singled out UC Berkeley for its environmental contributions.
The National Wildlife Federation has lauded the University for its lands
and grounds care programs. And a group of students, staff, and faculty
dedicated to helping save a bird in Taiwan from extinction has received the
first-ever "Little
Engine That Could" award.
Stellar
fireflies: Astronomers discover distant cousins of the Pleiades
Astronomers searching for dusty disks around nearby stars instead have discovered
an unfolding stellar phenomenon familiar to those who know the Pleiades: clouds
of interstellar dust on a collision course with nearby stars.
(press
release, 08 January)
Using
new optics, astronomers discover planetary system in the making
Astronomers using the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii have discovered a protoplanetary
disk orbiting one of the stars in a newborn quadruple star system. The observations
used an important new astronomical technique known as adaptive optics, which
partially corrects for the blurring effects of the Earth's atmosphere.
(press
release, 07 January)
UC
Berkeley astronomers set new limits on gravitational wave background
An unsuccessful search for anomalies in the flashing of a pulsar over the past
17 years puts a new limit on the amount of gravitational radiation in the universe
and brings astronomers closer to detecting signals from gravitational waves.
(press
release, 07 January)
Inherent
speed limit governs how quickly life bounces back after mass extinctions,
research shows
The 500-million-year history of life on Earth is a series of booms and busts.
But while the busts, or extinctions, can be either sudden or gradual, the booms
of diversification of new organisms rarely happen quickly, according to a new
research here.
(press
release, 03 January)
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