Berkeleyan
News Briefs
02 May 2007
A break for the Berkeleyan
This is the last weekly Berkeleyan until June 7. For continuing coverage of campus news and events, visit the online NewsCenter at newscenter.berkeley.edu.
Karl Pister honored by Academic Senate with Clark Kerr Award
The Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate has named Karl Pister, emeritus professor of civil and environmental engineering, as recipient of this year's Clark Kerr Award for Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education. The award, established in 1968, honors outstanding individuals inside and outside Berkeley for their "exceptional dedication to the educational process."
Pister has served in many capacities over the past half century, most of them at Berkeley, as professor, engineering dean, researcher, educator, and administrator. Between 1991 and 1996 he served as chancellor of UC Santa Cruz.
Pister will receive the Clark Kerr Medal at a Senate dinner to be held early in the fall semester. A profile will appear in the Berkeleyan in advance of that event.
Polsby tribute issue of The Forum
The late political-science professor Nelson Polsby is the focus of a new tribute edition of The Forum, a web-only journal devoted to applied research in contemporary politics. Polsby edited the journal through its first six issues, prior to his death on Feb. 6.
In this edition, colleagues and co-workers contribute pieces recalling Polsby's work, influence, and legacy as a scholar and mentor.
The journal is accessible to readers logging on from institutions that subscribe to it (including Berkeley) at www.bepress.com/forum.
CLAS to present Chilean judge who indicted Pinochet
Judge Juan Guzmán, dean and professor of procedural law and professional ethics at the Universidad Central de Chile School of Law, will give a lecture entitled "Human Rights in Chile: Then and Now" on Monday, May 7, at 7 p.m. in the lounge of the Women's Faculty Club.
Called "Chile's most famous judge" by the BBC, Guzmán spent seven years overseeing the Chilean case against former dictator Augusto Pinochet. In the face of overwhelming odds, Guzmán found a legal way to go around the 1978 amnesty law and indict Pinochet for crimes during his repressive military regime, which held power between 1973 and 1990. (Pinochet died in December 2006 before he could be tried.)
The event is sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies (clas.berkeley.edu). Contact Jacqueline Sullivan at jsullivan@berkeley.edu, 642-6035, for more information.
David Halberstam: In memoriam
Reporter David Halberstam, who was killed in an auto accident south of San Francisco last week, was the Alumni Day speaker at the Graduate School of Journalism two days before his death. In a memorial tribute to the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author, the J-school has published a transcript and audio recording of his talk on "Turning Journalism Into History" online at journalism.berkeley.edu/events/halberstam.
Free pedometers and online 'activity tracker' for students, faculty, and staff
Bear Tracks is a new Recreational Sports pedometer program designed to get the campus community up and moving. Participating students, faculty, staff, and Cal Rec Club community and affiliate members are eligible to receive a free pedometer; they can then use the Bear Tracks website (calbears.berkeley.edu/im/WP/login.aspx) to track details about their daily steps and overall fitness routine. The site also provides information on fitness issues and other resources.
To participate, members of the campus community must register online at Bear Tracks, using a CalNet ID and passphrase to get started. Once registered, stop by the Recreational Sports Facility membership desk to pick up a free pedometer. The goal is to track about 10,000 steps a day, or about five miles. Prizes are available for participants who reach designated milestones - from an "I Walk Cal" t-shirt (for 250,000 steps) to a cinch backpack (for those who track their two-millionth step).
ROHO launches Kaiser Permanente oral-history project and website
The Regional Oral History Office has announced completion of the project website and the first year of interviews from a new series on Kaiser Permanente post-1970. More than 60 hours of interviews have been conducted with 14 individuals, including many of the leading physicians and medical researchers in the KP system.
The projected five-year project focuses on different themes each year. The first year's theme was Kaiser Permanente's pursuit of evidence-based medicine; topics addressed include the development of clinical guidelines, electronic medical records, and medical informatics; research into medical delivery and clinical practices; and efforts to redesign primary-care delivery.
The project website is at bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/kaiser/index2.html.
Summerfest plans announced, to show appreciation to staff
The 22nd Annual Staff Appreciation Day, CalFest '07, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 20, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Memorial Glade. This year's theme is "Cal Staff Carnivale"; the program will feature live entertainment, refreshments, and carnival games.
This event was developed by the Chancellor's Staff Advisory Committee (CSAC) and is sponsored by the Chancellor's office; it is being organized by a volunteer planning committee of campus staff. To volunteer for the event, e-mail Sonya Crooms at smcrooms@gmail.com and include the word "volunteer" in the subject line. All volunteers who work a minimum of one hour will receive a commemorative T-shirt.
Supervisors are authorized to grant two hours of administrative leave with pay to enable staff to attend and participate in the festivities. A shuttle service is being planned for those employees not based on the central campus.
Visit Summerfest's official website (summerfest.berkeley.edu) for updates on this year's celebration. You can also visit the website to register as a volunteer for the day of the event or learn how you can participate in the "Cal Staff Life After Five Showcase," a presentation of staff artistic talents, crafts, and hobbies.