Benefits
Medical Plan Brown-Baggers
The Benefits Unit has invited all of the medical plan carriers to hold information sessions in May as follows:
* Health Net --Thursday, May 2
* Kaiser--Thursday, May 9
* FHP/TakeCare--Monday, May 13
* Foundation--Monday, May 13
* Prudential, including High Option, UC Care and CORE--Thursday, May 16
* PacifiCare--Monday, May 20
New and continuing plan members are welcome. All sessions will take place from 12:10 to 1 p.m. in Room 150, University Hall. Seating capacity on a first come, first served basis.
Sessions will include information about the referral process, prescription drugs, emergencies, providers, wellness programs and the function of customer service.
Employees are encouraged to send in questions at least a week ahead of the applicable session to mjohnson@uclink or Marie Johnson, Personnel Benefits Unit, #3540, 207 University Hall.
Awards
Francisco Armero, assistant professor of civil engineering, and Paul Sheng, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, are the recipients of Young Investigator Awards from the Office of Naval Research.
Armero's research addresses the theoretical and numerical aspects of stress in inelastic structures. According to the Naval Research Office, this is of particular importance to the Navy, since it is central to such areas as manufacturing and metal forming analysis, damage and failure prediction, and the simulation of failure of large structures.
Sheng proposes extending X-ray processing, which has been a successful means of fabricating micro-mechanical parts. He also will investigate a novel layered material for selective X-ray curing of photopolymers.
The Navy's Young Investigator Program, developed to support exceptional performers who have held PhD or equivalent degrees for less than five years, provides award recipients with up to $100,000 per year for three years.
David Chandler, professor of chemistry, is the recipient of the American Chemical Society's Award in Theoretical Chemistry for his discoveries in how the molecules in liquids--from water and oil to polymers--interact with each other and their environment. The award, sponsored by IBM, was presented to Chandler March 26 at the society's national meeting in New Orleans.
For the past quarter-century, Chandler has made leading contributions to understanding the equilibrium properties and dynamic behavior of liquids. His work has evolved from developing theories that explain the structure of simple liquids to calculating the dynamics of electron transfer during photosynthesis.
Chandler, a member of the faculty since 1986, previously won the American Chemical Society's Joel Henry Hildebrand Award in the Theoretical and Experimental Chemistry of Liquids.
Joyce B. Freedman, director of the Sponsored Projects Office, has been elected to a two-year term as western region chair of the National Council of University Research Administrators. Her duties will include planning and hosting a conference in April 1997 for research administrators in the region, which includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
Based in Washington, D.C., the national organization has existed for more than 35 years to provide leadership and training on research administration issues and services.
Before joining the Sponsored Projects Office two years ago, Freedman was assistant vice president for research at the University of Chicago for seven years, where she was directly involved in shaping the Federal Demonstration Project, a federal effort to streamline and simplify the grants process. She is a former director of graduate admissions at Princeton and also has managed research administration for Stanford's College of Engineering.
Berkeley's Adolph C. and Mary Sprague Miller Institute, established to "discover and encourage the work of individuals of great talent or promise" has announced the recipients of the Miller Research Professorship awards for the 1997-98 academic year:
* Gibor Basri, professor of astronomy
* Donald De Paolo, professor of geology and geophysics
* William Dietrich, professor of geology and geophysics
* Richard Packard, professor of physics
* Richard Saykally, professor of statistics
* Dan Voiculescu, professor of mathematics
* Alan Weinstein, professor of mathematics
* Hugh Woodin, professor of mathematics
The purpose of the professorship is to release faculty members from teaching and administrative duties and allow them to pursue research.
Appointees are encouraged to follow promising leads that may develop during the course of their research whether or not they fall within their original research outlines.
The institute also awards a number of visiting research professorships and fellowships to bring oustanding professors and young scholars from around the world to Berkeley.
Omer Savas, associate professor of mechanical engineering, has been selected to participate in the Boeing-A.D. Welliver Faculty Summer Fellowship Program in Seattle. The eight-week program enables faculty members from universities across the country to shadow Boeing engineers.
Savas, who joined the faculty in 1991, specializes in fluid mechanics.
Campus Memos
The following are titles of memos recently mailed to deans, directors, department chairs and administrative officers on the chancellor's mailing lists. For copies, contact originating offices.
Deans and directors memos also are available on Infocal under "campus directives." Connect to Infocal via Gopher, WWW or telnet software at infocal.berkeley.edu. For assistance using Infocal, call 642-8507.
Questions about memos should be directed to Aileen Kim, 642-3100, or email to aileen_kim@ maillink.
April 3. Call for Nominations:1996 Seoul Peace Prize, from Joseph Cerny, vice chancellor--research.
April 5. Notice of Requirement for 1996 Annual Updates: Hazardous Materials Management Program and Injury and Illness Prevention Program, from Carol T. Christ, the vice chancellor and provost, and Horace Mitchell, vice chancellor--business and administrative services.
April 8. 403(b) Systematic Calculation of Contribution Limits, from Horace Mitchell, vice chancellor--business and administrative services.
April 10. Update on the Status of the University Terrace Berkeley Homes Project, from Horace Mitchell, vice chancellor--business and administrative services.
April 10. Family and Medical Leave Act Implementation, from Carol T. Christ, the vice chancellor and provost, and Horace Mitchell, vice chancellor--business and administrative services.
April 18. Call for Nominations: 1996 Haas International Award, from C.D. Mote Jr., vice chancellor--university relations.
April 22. Establishment of the PhD Degree in the Department of African-American Studies, from Carol T. Christ, the vice chancellor and provost.
Staff Enrichment
Employee Development and Training
For more information, for copies of the 1995-96 Employee Development and Training catalog or for information on how to enroll in classes, call 642-8134.
New Employee Orientation
May 7, 8:30-noon.
An opportunity for new employees to learn about the university and the Berkeley campus, meet new employees from other departments and obtain specific information needed within the first month of employment. Topics include benefits of UC employment, campus culture and values, employee support services and common personnel policies. The orientation includes a campus tour.
PACE: Program
For Adult College Education
May 8, noon-1 pm, Room 24, University Hall.
For those who are working and want to start college, Vista Community College presents a way to finish the first two years of college, then transfer to an upper division program as a junior and earn a bachelor's degree. No pre-enrollment required.
So You Want To Be
A Supervisor?
May 9, 8:30 am-3 pm, and May 16, 8:30 am-noon.
Through exercises, lecture and small group discussions, participants will explore a variety of responsibilities supervisors face. A panel of campus supervisors will share experiences and perceptions of being a supervisor.
Manager as Career Coach:
Developing Staff to Full Potential
May 14 and 21, 8:30 am-noon.
Participants will gain an understanding of Berkeley's career development program, receive practical advice on how to integrate career development opportunities into the workplace and how to enhance communication with staff by learning how to offer feedback.
Career Planning:
Self-Assessment
May 17, 24 and 31 and June 7 and 14, 8:30 am-noon. Fee: $15.
Develop an inventory of work-related skills, interests, values, environmental preferences and lifestyle issues; then set goals and begin making decisions for career development planning. The Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI) and Strong Interest Inventory are included in this workshop.
CALS Project:
Calling for Volunteer Tutors
For those who would like to develop their teaching skills while helping a motivated Berkeley employee develop reading, writing, speaking and math skills, consider joining the CALS Project--a free, confidential, one-to-one tutoring program for employees.
Tutoring sessions are scheduled based on participants' availability. The next noontime tutor training begins Wednesday, June 5. For more information, contact Jane Griswold at 643-5280 or jgris@uclink.berkeley. edu.
Health*Matters
For more information or to sign up, call 643-4646.
Splash into Shape
May 3, Hearst East Pool
Try the hottest new low-impact exercise. Locker room available; bring bathing suit, towel.
Computers at Work
May 7, 10:30 a.m.-noon.
Participants will learn about health issues related to computer use, design a user-friendly workstation and practice exercises to relieve computer-related aches and pains.
Care Services
For more information or to enroll, call 643-7754.
Caring for Elders
And/or Dependent Adults
Tuesday, April 30, 10 am-noon.
Topics to be covered include descriptions of the aging population and the "sandwich" generation, the emotional and physical stresses of the working caregiver and how to communicate special needs to colleagues and supervisors.
Elder/Adult Dependent Caregivers Support Group
Thursdays (ongoing), noon-1 pm.
For faculty or staff who are providing one or more forms of ongoing assistance to an adult in their lives. Weekly attendance not required.
Support Group for Managers
Fridays, noon-1 p.m.
An ongoing group offering peer support and problem-solving. New members welcomed.
web at http://128.32.241.113/ficltrng.html or by calling 642-2853.
Adoptive Parents Support Group
Call Care Services for time and dates; new members welcomed.
Topics discussed include transracial issues, talking about adoption, developmental stages and open, closed and international adoptions.
Computer Classes
For information or forms, call 642-7355. Descriptions and forms also are available at http://wss-www. berkeley. edu.
Macintosh Full-Day Classes:
Microsoft Excel 5.0 (Beginning)
Filemaker Pro (Beginning,
Advanced)
Aldus PageMaker 5.0 (2 days)
Macintosh Half-Day Classes:
Macintosh Fundamentals (using
System 7.5)
Microsoft Word 6.0 (Beginning,
Intermediate)
Microsoft Excel 5.0 Worksheets
(Intermediate)
IBM PC (DOS) Half-Day Classes:
Windows 3.1 (Beginning)
IBM PC (DOS) Full-Day Classes:
Microsoft Excel 5.0 for Windows
(Beginning, Intermediate)
Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0
(Fundamentals, Intermediate)
Special Services
Fitness evaluations, self-defense classes, nutrition consultations, weight control and international travel care are available through Health*Matters. Call 643-4646 for referral.