Berkeleyan

News Briefs

20 September 2006

Two national publications examine women in science

UC Berkeley is featured prominently in a Newsweek magazine article appearing this week about female scientists in academia. The story, available online at newscenter.berkeley.edu/goto/newsweek, looks at the progress women faculty have made in recent years but notes that institutional barriers still exist. Chancellor Birgeneau, several faculty members, and a number of students are quoted in the story, which is part of the magazine's larger package on women and leadership.

The Newsweek issue hit newsstands on Monday, Sept. 18, the same day a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) panel released a report on the barriers faced by women in academic science and engineering. Birgeneau and Alice Agogino, professor of mechanical engineering, are both members of the NAS panel. The report, Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering, is available through the NAS website, www.nas.edu.

Faculty member receives 'genius' grant from MacArthur Foundation

Claire Tomlin, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences, is one of 25 recipients of this year's MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Fellowship. Recipients are chosen for their creativity, originality, and potential to make important contributions in the future. The coveted award includes a $500,000 "no strings attached"grant over the next five years.

Tomlin, who also holds a faculty appointment at Stanford University, is developing methods for analyzing hybrid control systems to address problems in aircraft flight control and collision avoidance. She is the 40th Berkeley researcher to receive the award since the fellowships were first given out in 1981. Twenty-nine are still at Berkeley.

Regents meet this week to discuss a range of issues

The UC Board of Regents will hold its regular business meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 20 and 21, at the UC San Francisco-Mission Bay campus' community center in San Francisco.

On Wednesday morning the regents will consider action to authorize UC to submit a proposal for the new Livermore laboratory management contract and an approval process for the use of management fees at LLC-operated laboratories. Discussion topics include a report of the student-mental-health committee, the UC Score for admissions eligibility, a proposed UC Irvine law school, research funding from tobacco-related companies, and an update on establishing a group to study the impact of Proposition 209.

On Wednesday afternoon, the regents will meet in closed session to consider personnel matters, including compensation for certain senior officials and a discussion of restructuring the UC Office of the President.

Thursday's meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. with public comment, followed by a closed session of the regents' committees on compensation and educational policy to consider an appointment of and compensation for an acting chancellor for UC Merced, followed by a closed session of the full board. After public comment, the compensation committee and then the full board will meet in open session to consider the appointment.

Also on Thursday, the regents will consider action on recommendations by the Task Force on UC Compensation, Accountability and Transparency and from audits of senior-executive compensation, as well as UCOP reorganization matters.

The agenda for both days is at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/regmeet/sept06.html, with links to streaming audio transmissions of all open meetings.

Wednesday's noon concert will showcase Elgar's Enigma Variations

The University Symphony Orchestra will perform under the baton of maestro David Milnes at the music department's free noon concert next Wednesday, Sept. 27. The program, contrary to initial publicity, will feature Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations. The performance is from 12:15 to 1 p.m. in Hertz Hall.

Enigma will be included, as well, in a more extensive music- department program on Saturday, Oct. 14 (8 p.m.), and Sunday, Oct. 15 (3 p.m.). There it will share the bill with Benjamin Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem and Witold Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra. For details on the latter concert, including ticket information, visit music.berkeley.edu/concerts or call 642-4864.

Work to begin on Jordan Fire Trail in the Berkeley hills

Beginning next week, pedestrian traffic on the Jordan Fire Trail, in the hills above campus, will be affected intermittently by work to replace water culverts there. The dirt fire road circles Strawberry Canyon in the hills east of campus, stretching from the Space Sciences Laboratory to the Centennial Drive trailhead below the UC Botanical Garden.

To maintain the trail and mitigate damage caused by last year's heavy rains, workers will be digging trenches across the trail to install new culverts, making the trail impassable at any individual site for up to four hours. Work is scheduled to begin next week and to be completed by Nov. 15; emergency-vehicle access will be maintained at all times. Direct questions to project manager Phil Cody (642-7413) or campus emergency planner Tom Klatt (642-1258).

UC Families provides work-life resources and discussion forum

UC Families is a moderated, online newsletter for university faculty, staff, and students who are balancing family life with academic goals or careers. The parent-run resource provides information on family resources on UC campuses and on relevant systemwide policy and benefits. Subscribers may post questions or engage in discussions on such topics as managing work and family responsibilities, planning the optimal time to start a family, progressing academically as a student-parent, returning to academia after having a baby, or advocating for flexible work arrangements. Past discussions are archived on the site.

UC Families was initiated by the UC Family-Friendly Edge project, in conjunction with the online Berkeley Parents Network. To subscribe, go to parents.berkeley.edu/ucfamilies/mlist_ucfam and fill out the form provided.

Golden Bears, live, over the airwaves

This Saturday's home football game against Arizona State will be televised live in the Bay Area by Fox Sports Net. Other contests set for broadcast include those against Oregon (Oct. 7, ABC), UCLA (Nov. 4, ABC), USC (Nov. 18, ABC) and Stanford (Dec. 2, Fox Sports Net). Television-broadcast schedules for other games this season have yet to be determined. For updated schedule information, including game times and television-broadcast info, visit newscenter.berkeley.edu/goto/bearstvsked.

Live radio coverage of California Golden Bears football is found on KGO radio (810 AM) in San Francisco, beginning with the pre-game show 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Live coverage is also on KALX (90.7 FM).

Annual Cal Rec memberships now available online

Campus staff and faculty can now renew or sign up for an annual Cal Rec Club membership online. A CalNet ID and passphrase are needed to take advantage of this service, with payment by credit card or payroll deduction. Fees are $420 for a 12-month faculty/staff membership, or $185 for a semester (the latter available only via in-person signup at the Recreational Sports Facility). To sign up or renew online, go to newscenter.berkeley.edu/goto/recsportssignup.