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UCSC dedicates new isotope laboratory
UC Santa Cruz dedicated the W. M. Keck Isotope Laboratory in June with a symposium on isotope analysis. The naming of the facility recognizes a $1 million grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation that enabled the campus to buy a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer for isotope analysis of trace elements. With the addition of this powerful new ThermoFinnigan Neptune mass spectrometer to the existing array of sophisticated spectrometry instruments at UCSC, the campus's analytical facilities are unrivaled on the West Coast. "Thanks to the generosity of the W. M. Keck Foundation, UC Santa Cruz's research capabilities have achieved a new level, making the campus a center of excellence in the region for trace metal analysis," said Acting Chancellor Martin M. Chemers at the dedication ceremony and symposium. Trace metals include toxic elements such as lead and mercury, as well as biologically essential elements, such as copper and manganese, that can be toxic at high concentrations. UCSC scientists in many different fields, from environmental toxicology to oceanography, are interested in precise measurements of trace elements. In particular, the ability to measure accurately the relative abundances of different stable isotopes of the same element in a sample is important to many researchers. Biologist tells story of adventure, discovery in Antarctica In six trips to Antarctica, biologist Terrie Williams endured brutal conditions on the coldest, driest, windiest continent on Earth in order to learn the secrets of the mysterious Weddell seals, the only wild mammals capable of surviving Antarctic winters.
In her new book, The Hunter's Breath, Williams interweaves two amazing stories from those expeditions: One is the story of the seals and their remarkable adaptations to life on and beneath the Antarctic sea ice, while the other is a human story of adventure and discovery in one of the most punishing environments on Earth. The scientific question that Williams and seven fellow scientists set out to answer was a simple one: How do Weddell seals survive in the Antarctic? A professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCSC, Williams was particularly interested in how the seals hunt for food beneath the ice. The researchers used an array of high-tech equipment to gain access to the hidden life of the seals beneath the ice. A compact instrument package, including a small video camera mounted harmlessly on the backs of the seals, revealed scenes never before witnessed by humans and provided the first physiological measurements from actively hunting seals. Keeley, Maitra speakers kick off UCSC lecture series UCSC's "Thinking at the Edge" Lecture Series resumes this fall when Bruce Babbitt, former secretary of the interior and governor of Arizona, comes to campus. He will be the featured speaker at the first annual Fred Keeley Lecture on Environmental Policy, on October 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Music Center Recital Hall. Later in the month, the Sidhartha Maitra Memorial Lecture will take place. This year's lecture will feature renowned ethnomusicologist Nazir Jairazbhoy, who has focused his research on India's classical and folk music. His lecture—on October 17 in the Recital Hall at 5:45 p.m.—will be preceded at 3 p.m. by a screening of the Satyajit Ray film The Music Room. Following the lecture, North Indian vocalist Purnima Chaudhuri will perform. For updated information on these and other lectures, call (831) 459-1438.
A prestigious Knauss Fellowship in marine policy has given graduate student Kristan Blackhart the opportunity to spend a year working at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) offices outside Washington, D.C. One of Blackhart's tasks during the fellowship is coediting the sixth edition of "Our Living Oceans," a status report on the nation's living marine resources. Blackhart, right, is shown with Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, who is head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration. For Blackhart's story—and profiles of other current students—go to: www.ucsc.edu/students/profiles/. Study finds Dutch drug policies don't increase marijuana use
In the first rigorous study comparing marijuana use in the Netherlands and the United States, researchers have found no evidence that decriminalization of marijuana leads to increased drug use. The results suggest that drug policies may have less impact on marijuana use than has been thought. The findings appeared in the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Craig Reinarman, professor of sociology at UCSC, coauthored the article, which compared the cannabis (marijuana and hashish) habits of users in Amsterdam and San Francisco to test the premise that punishment for cannabis use deters use and thereby benefits public health. "We compared representative samples of experienced marijuana users to see whether the lawful availability of marijuana did, in fact, lead to the problems critics of the Dutch system have claimed," said Reinarman. "We found no evidence that it does." The Netherlands effectively decriminalized marijuana use in 1976, and it is available for purchase in small quantities by adults in licensed coffee shops; in the United States, marijuana use carries stiff criminal penalties, and more than 720,000 people were arrested for marijuana offenses in 2001. This 'spring break' trip supports Mexican community Spring break just isn't what it used to be. For 51 UCSC students, a trip to Mexico this past spring meant building a house one day, and repairing roofs, digging trenches, installing toilets and showers, and painting for another two days.
Instead of lounging around in a hotel, the students slept on the floor of a community center with no indoor plumbing—until they installed it themselves. Despite the lack of amenities, the students said their time in Tecate, Mexico, was better than the typical spring-break trip. "I think this is more fun. This is so much more rewarding. We're making our mark on Mexico, and they're making a mark on us," said Jennifer Low, who was a first-year student at College Ten. "It's one of the best experiences I've had." The students—mostly from College Nine and College Ten— participated in an unusual project that was part work program and part cultural exchange. On the trip arranged by the nonprofit Corazón organization, the students got to know the townspeople by working alongside future homeowners and other local residents. News of the students' efforts caught the attention of California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose Office on Service and Volunteerism featured the project on its web site and honored the students with awards in a campus ceremony in May. Scholarship dinner coming on Nov. 6
The inaugural UCSC Scholarships Dinner took place last October, contributing more than $500,000 in support for students. The second annual dinner will be held on Saturday, November 6, at the University Center. Members of the UCSC community are invited to participate in the event, which will include a silent auction, an elegant reception and dinner, and a program of student performers. In the process, participants will be supporting scholarships and fellowships badly needed by deserving students. At this year's event, former UCSC chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood will be honored as the 2004 recipient of the UC Santa Cruz Foundation Medal. For more information, please call Jennifer Wood at (831) 459-2489. Grant aids innovative foster youth program An innovative UCSC program that supports the college aspirations of orphans, foster youth, wards of the court, and homeless or runaway youth has received $150,000, the first installment of a three-year $450,000 grant request, from the Stuart Foundation.
The funding is an enormous boost for the Page and Eloise Smith Scholastic Society, an alumni-driven, volunteer-based program established in 1999 that provides financial, academic, and emotional support to students before and during their years at UCSC. "In the five short years since it was established, the Smith Society has reached out to nearly 100 young people who are on their own, helping them navigate the bureaucracy of the university and become successful students," said Francisco J. Hernandez, vice chancellor for student affairs at UCSC. "This collaboration with the Stuart Foundation will allow us to build a model program that can be replicated at other universities and colleges." With the grant, the society will become an established university program. The Page and Eloise Smith Scholastic Society was founded by Bill Dickinson, one of UCSC's first graduates and a veteran of the foster care system, to honor the founding provost of Cowell College and his wife. Dickinson's goal was to make higher education a realistic option for foster youth, most of whom grow up without anyone making their education a top priority. His mission resonated with fellow UCSC alumni, faculty, and staff, who have banded together to nurture the educational aspirations of youth who live largely on their own. "What drives me is the imaginative, loving, daring quality of community I had as an undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz," said Dickinson. People who want to get involved with the Page and Eloise Smith Scholastic Society should contact Dickinson at (831) 588-5839 or wcdcamb@aol.com. Humanities launches new Distinguished Professors program UCSC's humanities Division celebrated the launch of a new program to recognize the academic achievement of its faculty at an April awards reception.
Wlad Godzich, former dean of humanities, announced the selection of Professors James Clifford (history of consciousness), Carla Freccero (literature), Gail Hershatter (history), David Hoy (philosophy), and Geoffrey Pullum (linguistics) as the first recipients of the UCSC Humanities Distinguished Professor Award. Each professor will receive an unrestricted $5,000 per year research stipend for four consecutive years. "Astonishingly, some of our outstanding faculty are well known to the rest of the world, but are not known to this campus," Godzich said in his awards ceremony introduction. "So we wanted to acknowledge them and mark on campus who they are." All of the award-winning professors said they would primarily use the funds to support graduate students in their departments. Clifford noted that because graduate programs represent the cutting edge of research, the work of graduate students is intimately related to the work of professors. "Graduate students are crucial to a healthy research environment," Clifford observed. "Often what grad students are doing for their doctorates is pushing the limits of our own research." The five Distinguished Professors were selected from a group of 11 faculty nominated by departments in the Humanities Division, as well as by individual members of the division's faculty. UCSC Ph.D. in music composition is UC first UCSC will be the first UC campus to offer a Doctorate of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) program in music composition. Enrollment in the program will begin in fall 2005. Although some private institutions currently offer the composition D.M.A., the new UCSC program will distinguish itself by focusing on two sub-specialties: computer-assisted composition and world music composition. It will also be the first doctoral program established in the fine arts at UCSC, marking a significant milestone in the expansion of arts graduate programs on campus. "The music composition D.M.A. will develop accomplished, active, and articulate composers with a broad awareness of the diverse styles, cultural influences, and technical means available to them in the 21st century," noted Margaret L. Delaney, interim campus provost. Alumnus selects new transcription by arts dean to open festival
The San Francisco-based choral group Chanticleer gave the premiere performance of Arts Division dean and professor of music Edward Houghton's new transcription of Johannes Ockeghem's Missa Ecce ancilla domini at the Ojai Music Festival in June. UCSC alumnus Kent Nagano—the music director of the 2004 Ojai Festival—decided to open this year's event with the new transcription by Houghton because of the success of Nagano's first concert four years ago as music director of the German Symphony Orchestra. At that performance in Berlin, Nagano made the unprecedented and daring programming choice to combine works from the 15th and 20th centuries—juxtaposing Houghton's transcription of Ockeghem's Renaissance mass Missa Au travail suis with Mahler's Ninth Symphony. Houghton has been researching and translating works by 15th-century composers for 25 years. A former student of Houghton, Nagano graduated with degrees in music and sociology from UCSC in 1974. He is currently musical director of the Los Angeles Opera, the Berkeley Symphony, and the Deutsches Symphonie. Scientists investigate impact of genetically modified plants As an environmental scientist, Deborah Letourneau believes policy decisions should be based on the best information available at the time. That's why she's trying to fill an information gap with her latest research on genetically modified plants.
As insect-resistance is bred into major crops, Letourneau wonders how those crops' wild relatives might be affected if they pick up the new traits. "There's been a lot of research on crop-to-crop movement," said Letourneau, referring to the contamination of organic corn grown adjacent to genetically modified (GM) corn. "But we don't know that much about the biology of wild crop relatives. If genes transferred, would it make them more weedy, more hardy, more invasive?" To address these questions, Letourneau, a professor of environmental studies at UCSC, along with doctoral candidate Joy Hagen and Ingrid Parker, an associate professor of biology, have begun a three-year study to see what the consequences would be if GM genes transferred from Brassica plants through cross-pollination to their wild relatives. Plants in the Brassica, or cole, family include many vegetable crops, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi, as well as common weeds like wild radish and wild mustard. A growing number of crops are being genetically modified to increase insect resistance. More than 25 percent of corn grown in the United States has been genetically engineered to contain the toxin of the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) soil bacterium, which disrupts the digestive system of a caterpillar. Transgenic cotton and potatoes also produce Bt toxin. Little is known about the role Bt-susceptible herbivores, including caterpillars, play in regulating the health and spread of wild crop relatives. In their research project, team members are protecting wild relatives from caterpillar damage to see what could happen if modified genes moved from Brassica crops to their wild relatives. The three-year project is funded by a $335,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. UCSC to offer master's degree in new field of social documentation A new master's program in social documentation will teach students to translate academic knowledge into visual, audio, and print media that will have an impact on the world outside academia. The program is a first in the UC system. UCSC will begin enrolling students for fall 2005. "This program is a way to bridge the gap between the ivory tower and social activism by recognizing the power of documentary media to integrate the two," said Mary Beth Pudup, chair of the new program's host department, community studies. In addition to documentary films and videos, students will produce oral histories, audio productions, photographic essays, historical presentations, Internet, CDV and CD-ROM programs and digital archives, and written ethnographies. UCSC senate adopts Patriot Act resolution Objecting to what they contend are the Patriot Act's "attacks on civil liberties," UCSC faculty voted overwhelmingly in May for a resolution that would have the campus decline to cooperate with federal agencies seeking information under the Bush administration's antiterrorism law. History of consciousness professor Barbara Epstein said the many people who worked on the resolution believe there is "space" between the information the federal government requests about faculty, students, or campus employees under the Patriot Act and actually enforcing compliance in the courts. That is the area the UCSC resolution targets, she said. Based in part on a draft resolution prepared by the American Civil Liberties Union, the UCSC measure joins anti-Patriot Act resolutions adopted by more than 300 U.S. cities, Epstein said. Department represents unique approach to biomedical discovery
UCSC has established a new Department of Biomolecular Engineering within the Baskin School of Engineering. The department is the new home for UCSC's renowned programs in bioinformatics, and includes faculty and researchers with interests in nanotechnology, protein engineering, and DNA microarrays (also known as "gene chips"). The department's unique interdisciplinary blend of engineering, computer science, biology, and chemistry represents a powerful new approach to biomedical discovery, said David Deamer, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and acting chair of the new department. "We are the only department like this in the country," Deamer said. Biomolecular engineering refers to engineering "of, with, or for biological molecules," said faculty member Kevin Karplus. Examples include protein engineering (the computational design of proteins to enhance or modify their functions), the development of sensors that integrate biomolecules with electronic components, and new laboratory devices and analytical tools for studying gene regulation, protein expression, and other complex biological systems. Acting chancellor leads math, science study Responding to a critical shortage of young people who are interested in math and science, the federal government is investing $1.5 million at UCSC to identify the strengths of programs that encourage under-represented minorities to pursue biomedical research careers.
Led by Acting Chancellor Martin M. Chemers, the project is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The scope of need is staggering: The National Science Board estimates the United States will need to prepare 1.9 million workers in the sciences over the next 10 years. In 1998, only 37 percent of undergraduate degrees in science, math, and engineering went to women, and a paltry 12 percent were awarded to underrepresented minorities. The project is part of a larger NIH initiative aimed at understanding the efficacy of educational interventions to promote entry of minority students into careers in biomedical and behavioral research. "We need to identify what works in two areas: improving student skills and inspiring them to stay in the fields of math, science, and engineering," said Chemers, a professor of psychology. "We want to weigh the benefits of different program elements, like laboratory internships and faculty mentoring, so we can put our resources where they'll make the biggest difference." Gifts to UCSC increase by 42 percent UCSC raised a record $32.2 million from private donors in 2003-04, an increase of 42 percent over the total raised the year before. "This record level of support for UC Santa Cruz could not have come at a more critical time," said Acting Chancellor Martin M. Chemers. "It will be invaluable in building on-campus achievements in cutting-edge research and undergraduate teaching." The largest single contribution was a $17.5 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation toward the construction of the world's most powerful telescope, the Thirty-Meter Telescope. The largest gift ever for scholarships in UCSC's Baskin School of Engineering was made in memory of software engineer and alumna Amy Snader. The estate of Barbara Snader, Amy Snader's mother, donated $1 million to the Amy Beth Snader Memorial Scholarship Fund for women studying engineering. The New Teacher Center drew grants from the William and Flora Hewlett and Stupski Family Foundations; and PISCO, a long-term research project involving the study and monitoring of coastal ecosystems, continued to receive funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Individual donors also continued to provide crucial support. The Telephone Outreach Program raised a record $1.16 million from alumni and parents of students, and UCSC Foundation trustees contributed $467,874. Alumni celebrating reunions raised more than $245,000 to support the colleges and campus programs, and the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund raised $109,130. Isotope analysis shows exposure to depleted uranium in Gulf War vets
U.S. veterans who were exposed to depleted uranium during the 1991 Gulf War have continued to excrete the potentially harmful chemical in their urine for years after their exposure, according to a study published in the journal Health Physics. The study indicates that soldiers may absorb depleted uranium particles through inhalation, ingestion, or wound contamination, said Roberto Gwiazda, an environmental toxicologist at UCSC and lead author of the study, published last January. Fine particles of depleted uranium are created when munitions made with the material strike a target. The study did not address the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium, a subject of ongoing debate, but focused on a technique for detecting past exposure. Gwiazda and Donald Smith, professor of environmental toxicology, developed a sensitive analytical technique to detect depleted uranium in urine samples. By measuring the relative abundances of different isotopes of uranium in the urine samples, the researchers were able to distinguish between natural and depleted uranium." This is the only unambiguous way to determine past exposure and uptake of depleted uranium," Gwiazda said. The analysis of samples from Gulf War veterans was performed in collaboration with the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Depleted Uranium Follow-up Program, which is assessing, treating, and monitoring veterans who may have been exposed to depleted uranium during the war. The researchers applied their technique to three different groups of Gulf War veterans. The first group of soldiers had shrapnel in their bodies as a result of "friendly fire" incidents in which their tanks or armored vehicles were hit by munitions containing depleted uranium. The second group consisted of soldiers who did not have shrapnel in them but were involved in the friendly fire incidents, either because they were in the vehicles that were hit or because they participated in recovery operations. The third group, for reference, consisted of soldiers who participated in the war but not in combat operations. As expected, the soldiers with embedded shrapnel had high concentrations of depleted uranium in their urine. A more striking finding was the presence of depleted uranium in the urine of a significant number of soldiers in the second group, without embedded shrapnel but with potential exposure through inhalation, ingestion, or wound contamination. In Memoriam
Harry Beevers, one of the leading plant physiologists of the 20th century and a professor emeritus of biology at UCSC, died in April at his home in Carmel, California. He was 80. Harry Beevers joined the UCSC faculty in 1969 as a professor of biology after 19 years at Purdue University. Beevers made major contributions to the understanding of plant metabolism and plant cell biology. He and his coworkers worked out important pathways of plant metabolism and showed the locations of key enzymes for the conversion of fats to carbohydrates in fatty seed tissues. His discovery of the glyoxysome, a small structure or organelle within some plant cells, led others to discover similar organelles called leaf peroxisomes and stimulated further understanding of the role of peroxisomes in animals. Beevers was also appreciated as a mentor to young biologists and a brilliant lecturer who could electrify an audience with his eloquence and wit. Many of his students and postdoctoral fellows went on to become leaders in the field. Contributions in memory of Harry Beevers may be made to the UCSC Arboretum, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz, CA 95064. Laurence Veysey, a social historian and professor emeritus at UCSC, died in February. He was 71. Veysey came to UCSC in 1966 and was a fellow of Stevenson College; he retired in 1987. Veysey's work focused on the history of education and examination of communal life. He was the author of The Emergence of the American University (1965) and The Communal Experience: Anarchist and Mystical Counter-Cultures in America (1973), which was nominated for a National Book Award.
Eric Thomas, a UCSC Foundation trustee and alumnus, died in June of a heart attack at his home in Sacramento. He was 43. A 1984 Oakes College graduate in economics, Thomas was deputy executive director of the California State Treasurer's Office. He had been a member since 1997 of the governing board of the UCSC Alumni Association and served as president from 2002 to 2003. Thomas also helped organize UCSC's first African American Alumni Reunion and cofounded Black Escargot for African American alumni. A student scholarship fund has been established at UCSC in his memory; contributions may be made to the UCSC Foundation and sent to University Relations, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064. A fund on his children's behalf has also been established; donations may be directed to the Eric Thomas Memorial Fund, in care of the Golden 1 Credit Union, 1109 L St., Sacramento, CA 95814.
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