Print Version - Inside UCR - University of California, Riverside
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Print Version - Inside UCR - University of California, Riverside
News for Faculty and Staff of the University of California, Riverside • Volume 6, Number 5• March 10, 2010 • www.InsideUCR.ucr.edu Strategic Vision for Campus Ready for Feedback If UCR is to be grouped with the top research universities in the country, the campus must attract more highly qualified students, earn more peer-reviewed research grants and support graduate student success, according to a vision statement released March 1 as part of UCR’s Strategic Planning process. The plan identifies areas of strategic priority: • Enriching Society through the Creative and Performing Arts • Transforming Communities: Educational, Entrepreneurial and Social Contributions • Novel Technology, Materials, Phenomena and Devices • Advances in Human Health and WellBeing • Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development • Food and Plants: From Genomics to Market Decisions about how to invest will be based on data, said Dallas Rabenstein, executive vice chancellor and provost, who has been instrumental in leading the planning process, along with eight subcommittees with membership from across the campus. Rabenstein asked for “robust campus feedback” by March 29 on the first of what is intended to be three drafts of the plan. It is available for review on the Web along with the reports from all of the subcommittees at strategicplan.ucr.edu/ucr2020.html. “The plan is ambitious,” said Chancellor Timothy P. White, who is scheduled to present the final version to the UC Regents in September. “Not everything will be accomplished immediately; some of our more far-reaching goals may take years to attain. We will need to invest our existing resources wisely, and identify new resources.” Specific goals set out in the vision statement include: • Achieve critical mass through strategic consolidation of departments or programs. • Increase the service orientation of the Office of Research to assist in the development of successful grants. • In faculty promotion, reward faculty for earning peer-reviewed extramural grants; mentorship and support for graduate students; membership in the national academies; and engagement with the community. • Regularly evaluate research centers for success and relevance. • Reshape sales and service activities to be more entrepreneurial, and to fully account for costs and equipment maintenance. • Protect staff support for faculty in order to maximize time spent on teaching, research, and service. • Take advantage of efforts across the UC system to pool purchasing power, and eliminate waste and duplication. • Raise admission standards for freshman applicants, in order to reduce the amount of money spent on preparatory writing classes. • Grow our own graduate students from the most talented of our own undergraduate population. • Meet the 300:1 student-to-advisor ratio recommended as best practice by the National Academic Advising Association. • Expand First-Year Learning Communities to all incoming freshmen to increase retention rates. • Provide an opportunity for a capstone project for undergraduates, such as a senior thesis, creative activity or equivalent. • Increase diversity among graduate students, staff and faculty. E-mail feedback to [email protected]. Go Stark Raving Plaid: Wear Your School Spirit on Your Kilt By Pat Murkland Plaid extra-baggy cargo shorts, hooded sweatshirts with plaid appliqués, even a plaid cummerbund for those formal occasions — the Highlanders have dressed their school colors of blue and gold in a new line of Tartan Wear. It’s not just any old plaid. It’s the official UC Riverside Tartan, a design of royal blue criss-crossed with bands of black, white and a bold gold. The official UCR Tartan is among the trademark-protected properties of the University of California. It’s even registered with the official Register of Tartans in Scotland. University officials say the tartan was developed specifically to be representative of UCR, with the aid of Linda Clifford and contributions by UCR Pipe Band members Mike Terry, Josh Taylor and Robbie Conacher. Susan Allen Ortega, assistant vice chancellor and dean of students, is also a plaid visionary and has been instrumental in spreading tartan pride. She said students need to understand what it means to be a Highlander. Just as a tartan is a woven fabric with stripes of different hues, so she and other campus leaders wove together UCR Highlander history, traditions, school pride and the University of California ethical core values for students. The result: plaid Highlanders, outside and inside. The University of California’s core ethical values are embodied at UC Riverside in the Tartan Soul Campaign, which challenges all students to live with these values in mind: tartan royal blue, symbolizing the value of integrity; white, accountability; gold, excellence; and black, respect. Highland tartans are symbolic in Scotland and woven with powerful traditions. UCR has promoted its Highlander theme since the 1950s, when the “Hylanders” beat out other possible university mascots such as aphids and rocks. “Highlander” evolved from the university’s geographical elevation relative to the rest of Riverside, and the Scottish traditions followed. All campus residence halls are named for Scottish locations. In UCR’s athletic logos, a fierce Braveheart-style warrior has bear leads althletics toward Highlander victory. So the official Tartan Wear Collection is a natural, according to Robert Getman of UCR’s Campus Store. The store advertising campaign exhorts: “Don’t just show your school spirit; go stark raving plaid.” The store began offering the Tartan Wear Collection to the public about a month before February’s Homecoming events. By wearing the tartan one can wear school spirit, Getman said. Most items can be found at www.ucrcampusstore.ucr.edu. Along with hats, sweatshirts, and a scarf sporting UCR plaid, there is a sport kilt for women ($49.95) and a mini kilt ($39.95) that Hundreds of students, staff and faculty listen as Chancellor Tim White speaks during the March 4 “National Day of Action for Education.” At one point, he entreated the crowd to look north, point to Sacramento and yell, “Fund education!” The crowd walked to downtown Riverside to continue the peaceful event with speakers, chants, drums and even dance. Photos by Cindy Giorgio Some of the options for showcasing Tartan Photo by Kim Lane Soul pride. has been selling well. So far the best-selling Tartan Wear has been a hooded sweatshirt with a tartan appliqué, Getman said. The store has sold so many he has already had to reorder. In the fall, look for another two dozen Tartan Wear items, he said. After all, the school fight song begins: “Brave Scots, one and all we stand together, the tartan clan of UCR!” Resources for Handling and Helping Difficult Students By Kim Lane A student comes into your office on a regular basis. With each visit his or her behavior becomes increasingly more agitated and you and others in your office feel threatened. And at the back of your mind are recent shootings that involved a student at one university and a professor at another. What can you and your co-workers do? How do you tell if the situation is serious? Trust your instincts, said Sarah Pemberton, a student affairs case manager who is available to help in just such situations. “For some students, this aggressive and disruptive behavior is a sign that they are struggling with personal, academic or mental health issues,” said Pemberton. “Our job is to step in and help them to deal with that stress in a more appropriate way and to get them the resources they need before it becomes a more harmful situation.” Pemberton’s position was created in response to a recommendation by the UC Campus Security Task Force’s Student Mental Health Committee, which formed in 2007 in the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting. Warning signs include threats of violence to themselves or others, difficulty getting along with others, substance abuse, depression or hopelessness, sudden mood and behavior changes, and withdrawal. “If the student seems volatile, seems to be getting into the personal space of others or exhibits any other behavior that is ongoing or makes others feel uncomfortable, contact my office for advice,” she said. Pemberton keeps detailed accounts of such calls and uses that information to track potential problem behavior. She also takes more serious cases to the Critical Student Incident Team. Comprised of representatives from UCPD, the campus health center, the counseling center, the dean of students and residential life, the team meets every two weeks to explore solutions on how best to serve those students in need, to discuss campus policy and to develop plans for responding to potential crisis situations. Pemberton recommends that departments develop a proactive plan on how to deal with possible problems. This includes defining what is acceptable versus unacceptable behavior, developing a plan for alerting others of an emergency (a key word or signal) and becoming familiar with the student Standards of Conduct, which can be viewed at conduct.ucr.edu. Pemberton suggests that if faculty or staff are concerned about a student’s behavior, they should keep a log or notes on interactions to make sure they can remember things accurately and begin to build an accurate timeline of events. This information helps Pemberton more accurately determine if the problem warrants developing an intervention plan. Pemberton and Wade Stern, from the UCPD crime-prevention unit, give planned and on-demand presentations to help faculty and staff identify warning signs, develop strategies for working with students who are struggling and to make available various resources. Strategies include speaking in low, calming tones and being aware of one’s own body language. Don’t respond with hostility as this can escalate the situation. Acknowledge the person’s perceived problem, but also set clear expectations and use behavioral terms. “When you tell someone to calm down, that can mean different things to different people,” said Pemberton. “It’s better to be direct – ‘I want you to lower your voice,’ or ‘I need you to take a step back.’ ” Use empathy and active listening, but know your limitations. “You may be limited as to how much you can help this person or, because you have other students waiting for your attention, you may not have the time needed to really address their needs,” she said. “You can ask your supervisor to step in, or ask the person to come back at a time when you can give them more attention.” And, she said, don’t hesitate to call her office to discuss concerning behavior because others on campus may be having the same problems with that person. “What we do not want are departments not communicating difficulties or concerns. We want to gather all information needed to help make decisions about how best to help students. ” page 2 • March 10, 2010 • www.InsideUCR.ucr.edu Getting Personal Who Says? Name: Marsha Tolson Department: Campus Health Center Job: Administrative Assistant III in the student health insurance office Length of employment at UCR: 13 years. My work focuses on: I am the student/patient liaison and lead insurance assistant for the student health insurance plan. I assist students with their insurance questions and sometimes difficult billing problems. I help them understand their policy and make sure that the policy protocol is adhered to so they not only receive the maximum benefit but have their claims paid in a timely manner. I also assist students with referrals to off-campus providers and sometimes help them with scheduling appointments. Marsha Tolson Things you should know: I have been married for 27 years and have two grown children. I now have an empty nest and it is very strange and quiet. I guess it is my turn, right? Outside of work, I love to camp and I enjoy anything to do with water. My husband and I recently purchased a Harley so we have been enjoying some weekend trips with friends. I guess I am now an official Harley Mama! No tattoos. UCR Game Design Program at the Top of Its Game UCR’s program in video game design ranks in the Top 50 of 500 North American universities, according to The Princeton Review and GamePro Media. The Princeton Review developed its “Top 50 Undergraduate Game Design Programs” list – the first project of its kind – in partnership with GamePro, one of the most respected brands in the video game industry, reaching more than 3 million gamers a month. The comprehensive survey asked more than 50 questions and covered areas from academics and faculty credentials to graduates’ employment and career achievements. Criteria included the quality of the curriculum, faculty, facilities and infrastructure. The Princeton Review also looked at data on scholarships, financial aid and career opportunities. UC Riverside is one of two UC campuses named to the Top 50 list and will be featured in an article that will appear in the April issue of GamePro magazine, which is available on newsstands and on GamePro.com. The ranking reflects the research and course offerings of Victor Zordan, associate professor of computer science and engineering. “Game development is an exciting area for our undergraduates, and I’m pleased Student Muzaffer Akbay works on a performancethat we have based interface for characters that allows human acreceived this rec- tors to use their own body to interact with virtual 3D ognition,” Zordan environments in a physically based manner. Photo by Lonnie Duka said. “I hope that we can offer even more opportunities simulation, motion capture and algorithms used to create believable (and to our students in the future.” Zordan directs the Riverside unbelievable) motion and to explore Graphics Lab in developing cutting- novel uses for animation in electronic edge techniques in graphics and games, medical and training applicaanimation with a focus on physically tions, and 3D virtual worlds. “We are very pleased with the based modeling and human motion. He has been an animation enthu- listing, which indicates our facsiast and graphics programmer for ulty’s determination to provide a more than 20 years and a researcher quality education for our students,” investigating animation techniques said Reza Abbaschian, dean of the Bourns College of Engineering. for more than a decade. His interests are in physical People In Memoriam David S. McLellan, a founding faculty member in the Department of Political Science, died Feb. 21 at his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He was 85. Dr. McLellan taught at UCR from 1955 to 1971, and at Miami University, Ohio, from 1971 through 1990. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Yale University, and authored several books about the Cold War, including “The Cold War in Translation,” “Cyrus Vance” and “Dean Acheson: The State Department Years,” which won the Truman Library David Lloyd Prize for the best book on the Truman era. Dr. McLellan served as a navigator and bombardier with the Army Air Corps in the Pacific during World War II, earning an Air Medal. He is survived by his wife, Ann Handforth McLellan of Yellow Springs; son Eric, daughter Marjorie and son-in-law Gary Greenberg, all of Yellow Springs; daughter Michele McLellan of Phum Thum, Cambodia; son-in-law Robert Wyatt of Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; and three grandchildren. His oldest daughter, Hilary, preceded him in death in October 2009. Wartella, Whitney Going to Northwestern Ellen Wartella, distinguished professor of psychology and former executive vice chancellor, and “ What we are finding in our study is that the DVD itself is not a substitute for that kind of live social interaction. For children under the age of two, social interaction is key to their ability to learning something like words. Rebekah Richert, assistant professor of psychology, on research that shows that educational DVDs such as “Baby Wordsworth” do not actually enhance a child’s vocabulary or comprehension. TIME “I believe that the focus of this field is moving from ‘sensors’ to ‘point of care technologies’ (POCT) that bring bioanalytic methods from the laboratory to the point of need, whether it is the bedside, emergency room or for preventative medicine such as cholesterol monitoring. This type of device would have wide applications for water quality, especially for third world countries, food contamination and bioterrorism.” Jerome Schultz, professor of bioengineering, on technological advances yielding “sensing” devices that are more efficient and adept at detecting toxins and pollutants. WASHINGTON POST “Restraint is something that the Buddha teaches right at the beginning … Buddhism discusses an idea best translated as ‘attachment,’ the idea that we hold onto things too much and that to look for answers beyond oneself is pointless. Buddhism teaches you to start with yourself.” Vivian-Lee Nyitray, associate professor of religious studies, on Buddhist practices, in light of Tiger Woods’ recent return to Buddhism as part of a rehabilitation process. EONLINE.COM “I think we have to crank out different kinds of doctors,” Dr. G. Richard Olds, founding dean of the UCR School of Medicine, speaking about the shortage ofphysicians in the Inland Empire and the state, and the need for new doctors to focus on prevention and wellness. NEW YORK TIMES “The media will represent that consumer confidence is down, and it’s another piece of bad news that will just push confidence lower.” David Stewart, professor of marketing and dean of SOBA, on the disparity between economists and the unemployed in understanding the economy in its current recovery phase. THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE “We don’t have any good way to predict earthquakes. In terms of shortterm warning — from a few days or weeks — with high reliability. We’re just not there at this point.” Jim Dieterich, professor of geophysics, on scientific prediction and evaluation in light of the recent devastating earthquakes. AUDUBON MAGAZINE To become a media source or to announce upcoming published research or an award, contact the Office of Strategic Communications at (951) 827-6397 or (951) UCR-NEWS or [email protected]. Charles Whitney, professor and chair of the Department of Creative Writing, have accepted appointments in the School of Communication at Northwestern University, effective in fall 2010. Wartella, formerly UCR’s executive vice chancellor and provost, will head a new research and graduate education program in children and media that is a joint project of the School of Communication, the School of Education & Public Policy, and the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. She will hold an endowed chair in the School of Communication. Whitney will be associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Communication. Did You Know? ters Essential Science Indicators as a Fast Breaking Paper in the field of plant and animal science. That means it is one of the most-cited papers in its discipline published during the past two years. Of the various stress hormones, abscisic acid (ABA), produced naturally by plants, has emerged over the last 30 years as the key hormone that helps plants cope with drought conditions. Under such stress, plants increase their ABA levels, which helps them survive the drought through a process not fully understood. For years, scientists have contemplated spraying ABA directly onto crops to enhance their protection in times of stress. But ABA is a costly, complicated and light-sensitive molecule that has not found use in agriculture. Cutler’s research paper suggests the possibility of spraying stable synthetic chemicals on plants to enhance stress tolerance during times of drought and improve yield. Using a method called chemical genomics, pioneered by UCR researchers for studying plant biology, he identified pyrabactin, a new synthetic chemical that turns on the ABA signaling pathway in Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant used widely in plant biology laboratories as a model organism. His lab then used pyrabactin to fish out a receptor for ABA. It’s simple to change how your name and information appears in the UCR Find People directory, the campus’ electronic telephone directory, and other online campus directories, and you don’t even have to leave your department to do it. Each of these Web sites pulls their directory information from the main Enterprise Directory database. This database information is overseen by each department’s Enterprise Directory administrator, and the information that appears online can only be changed by them. Common changes include removing middle names or middle initials, adding nicknames (for example “Bob” in addition to “Robert,” correction of first names and clarification or correction of job titles. To change your information, contact your directory administrator and have them make whatever changes are necessary. If you don’t know how your name appears in the database, visit enterprisedirectory.ucr.edu and conduct a search for your name. To find the administrator for your department, click the Enterprise Directory Administrator List link that appears beneath the search button. Awards & Honors Yin Gets Career Award Yadong Yin, an assistant professor of chemistry who joined UCR in 2006, has been recognized by the National Science Foundation with a CAREER award, a prestigious honor recognizing the early career development activities of scholars most likely to become the academic Yadong Yin leaders of the 21st century. Yin’s interests focus on the development of new fabrication methods for magnetically tunable photonic crystal structures, and exploring their applications. The five-year $700,000 CAREER award will allow Yin to expand his efforts in developing a unique self-assembly approach for the preparation of photonic structures whose color can be changed rapidly and reversibly by applying an external magnetic field. He plans also to integrate the project with educational outreach aimed at generating student interest. Photonic materials with properties that can be tuned by external stimuli have important applications in areas such as color displays, biological and chemical sensors, inks and paints, or active optical components. Paper Named Fast Breaking A research paper by Sean Cutler, an assistant professor of plant cell biology, titled “Abscisic Acid Inhibits Type 2C Protein Phosphatases via the PYR/PYL Family of START Proteins” as published in the journal Science on May 22, 2009, has been identified by Thomson Reu- Best Publication The University of California Toxic Substances Research and Teaching Program (TSR&TP) has given the Best Publication Award for 2009 to a research paper by Shenfeng Qui, a graduate student (now at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles) who worked in the lab of Margarita Curras-Collazo, an associate professor of neuroscience. The paper, titled “Domoic Acid Induces a Long-Lasting Enhancement of CA1 Field Responses and Impairs Tetanus-Induced Long-term Potentiation in Rat Hippocampal Slices,” was published in the journal Toxicological Sciences. The TSR&TP executive committee created the Best Publication Awards in 2007 to showcase important research in the area of toxic substances. Nominations are solicited once a year and are evaluated on originality of the work, significance of the results, and potential for impact on the field of toxic substances. Qui was supported by TSR&TP through a predoctoral fellowship. www.InsideUCR.ucr.edu Research & Scholarship Economic Forecasts Subject of Lecture Tae-Hwy Lee, professor of economics, will discuss “Combining Forecasts with Many Predictors” in the Werner Sichel Lecture Series at Western Michigan University (WMU) on April 7. The lecture series, now in its 46th year, brings Tae-Hwy Lee six nationally and internationally recognized economists to the Michigan campus to discuss some of the latest techniques used to forecast economic fluctuations. It is named in honor of longtime WMU economics professor, Werner Sichel, who retired in 2004. The series is cosponsored by the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. Swanson Edits Journal Issue David A. Swanson, professor of sociology and a leading demographer in the U.S., co-edited a special “Business Demography” issue of the journal Population Research and Policy Review that published in February. He co-edited the publication with Farhat Yusuf of Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Swanson also co-authored three articles in the issue: “Business Demography in the 21st century,” with Yusuf; “Forecasting the Population of Census Tracts by Age and Sex: An Example of the HamiltonPerry Method in Action,” with Alan Schlottmann of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Bob Schmidt of Claremont Graduate University; and “Teaching Business Demography Using Case Studies,” with Peter A. Morrison of RAND Corp. The issue is available at www. springerlink.com/content/102983/. Allgor Judges Book Prize Entries Catherine Allgor, professor of history and UC Presidential Chair, was one of three historians invited to judge entries for the 2010 George Washington Book Prize. The $50,000 award is the larg- Catherine est prize awarded Allgor in the United States for a book on early American history. It is co-sponsored by Wash- ington College, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate. Allgor and judges Theodore J. Crackel, editor in chief of The Papers of George Washington project at the University of Virginia, and Andrew Cayton, university distinguished professor of history at Miami University, Ohio, selected three finalists out of 62 books published last year about the period of 1760 to 1820. The winner will be announced May 20 at Mount Vernon. Paper Explores Astrocytes Astrocytes are star-shaped brain cells that play a role in structuring the brain. They provide neurons with nutrients, such as glucose, and play a principal role in the repair and scarring process of the brain and spinal cord following traumatic injuries. Todd Fiacco, an assistant professor of cell biology and neuroscience, is a co-author on a paper published March 5 in Science that provides strong evidence that astrocytes play a role in driving “long-term potentiation” or LTP in the brain. LTP is thought to be the synaptic mechanism behind learning and memory in the brain. “The traditional view in neuroscience has been Todd Fiacco that astrocytes are ‘passive bystanders’ in synaptic communication, that neurons do all the work when it comes to synaptic communication in the brain,” Fiacco said. The lead author of the research paper is at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Fiacco performed some of the experiments reported in the paper, did the statistical analyses and contributed to the writing of the manuscript. Travel Fellowship Michelle Lorimer, a Ph.D. candidate in history, won a 2010 Heldrich-Dvorak Travel Fellowship from the Southwest Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Association. Three awards of $200 each were presented to graduate students whose papers were accepted for presentation at the association’s annual conference, held in Albuquerque in February. Lorimer pre- sented a paper at the conference, “Mission Misrepresentation: An Analysis of the 1775 San Diego Revolt and Current Mission Representation,” which was originally written for Steven Hackel, associate professor of history. Lorimer also won the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau Award for Southwestern Culture. The $500 award is presented annually for the best graduate essay focusing on Southwestern culture. Applied Mathematics Grows The Department of Mathematics is building an applied mathematics program and is in the process of interviewing candidates for two assistant professorship positions. “Currently, the department has 23 pure mathematics faculty,” said Vyjayanthi Chari, the chair of the department. “We also have 15 visiting faculty who each serve the department for three years. At the moment, the department offers some undergraduate applied mathematics courses. We hope to recruit two applied mathematics faculty members soon who will help us expand our undergraduate curriculum and develop a strong graduate program in applied mathematics.” Dynamometer Installed at CECERT A Heavy-Duty Vehicle Dynamometer is being installed at the College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT). A dynamometer is the rotating drum that the wheels of a car are mounted on when drivers take their car in for a smog check. The new dynamometer will be able to handle buses and trucks at on-road driving conditions. It will include a 48 Electric AC Chassis Dynamometer with dual, direct connected, 300 horsepower motors attached to each roll set. The dynamometer applies appropriate loads to a vehicle to simulate factors such as the friction of the roadway and wind resistance that it would experience under typical driving. Measurements will be collected with CE-CERT’s Mobile Emissions Laboratory (MEL). The first research planned for the new facility is a comparison of emissions from federally mandated diesel fuel with those from the stricter California formulation. The project calls for 15 heavy-duty trucks to be tested over a 75-day period. Tiny Pea Aphids Provide Big Genome Breakthrough Isgouhi Kaloshian, a professor of nematology, was a member of an international research team that recently sequenced the pea aphid – the first aphid genome to be sequenced and a major milestone in insect ecology and evolution that can help pave the way for controlling these plant pests. Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that are major vectors of viral plant disease. Essentially plant parasites, they are common pests of crops and ornamental plants, and feed on the phloem (sap) of plants to survive. The pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), which belongs to a group of insects that are more ancient than flies and bees, is a model for insect scientists studying sym- biosis, development, and host plant specialization. The sequencing, which already has shown that a large part of the typical insect immune system is absent from the pea aphid, will allow scientists to further understand the relationship between a virus, the host insect and the plant. The consortium, led by Stephen Richards of the Baylor College of Medicine, released the 464 megabase draft genome of the pea aphid in the February issue of PLoS Biology. “One of the important elements of a genome sequence project is to predict the genes in the sequence and to assign functional roles to the genes,” Kaloshian explained. Specifically, her lab helped identify and Chancellor: Timothy P. White Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications: Marcia McQuern Editor: Kim Lane Editorial Assistant: Konrad Nagy Inside UCR is published by the Office of Strategic Communications, twice monthly, except December, July, August and September, when it is published once a month. Send story ideas and comments to [email protected] Issues are available online at www.insideucr.ucr.edu. assign functions to aphid genes involved in immunity and defense. Kaloshian is the principal investigator of a nearly $634,000 grant from the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The three-year grant will allow her lab to study the resistance mediated by the tomato gene Mi-1 that confers resistance to four distinct animals: potato aphids, whiteflies, psyllids, and root-knot nematodes. “Mi-1 belongs to the largest class of plant resistance proteins, and members of this class confer resistance to a wide range of pathogens and pests,” Kaloshian explained. “However, the effect of the plant resistance on the pathogen or pest is not understood. This grant will allow us to investigate how Mi-1 resistance is able to control the potato aphid – a relative of the recently sequenced pea aphid – and the effect of Mi-1-mediated defenses on the aphid pest.” Thomas Girke, the director of UCR’s Bioinformatics Facility and an assistant professor of bioinformatics in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, is a co-principal investigator of the USDA grant. • March 10, 2010 • page 3 DVDs Not a Good Toddler Teaching Tool Parent time beats TV time in a research project on the effectiveness of infant -focused videos. By Bettye Miller In a study published online in the journal Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, “Word Learning from Baby Videos,” UCR researchers found no evidence that children age 12 to 24 months learned words from infant-focused DVDs. The study, “Influences of Digital Media on Very Young Children,” is funded with a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Researchers Rebekah A. Richert, assistant professor of psychology; graduate student Michael B. Robb; Jodi G. Fender, post-graduate researcher; and Ellen Wartella, distinguished professor of psychology, randomly placed an ethnically diverse pool of 96 children ages 12 months to 24 months and their primary caregivers into two groups. One group was assigned to watch a baby DVD at home, and the other was not. Both groups, selected from communities in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, visited the researchers’ lab at two-week intervals over a sixweek period. The viewing group was instructed to watch the DVD five times in each two-week period between visits to the lab, but otherwise follow their normal routine. Researchers allowed parents to decide who, if anyone, would watch the DVD with their children. Parents were asked to record in a diary the dates and times when viewing occurred. The control group did not view the DVD and was instructed to follow normal home routines. Because participants in the control group returned to the lab at the same intervals, all parents knew the specific words the researchers were tracking. Words on the videos were common objects or places such as table, chair, kitchen and bathroom. At each visit the researchers measured knowledge of the specific words highlighted in the DVD in three ways: words understood, in which parents reported which words their children could understand out of a list of 30 words highlighted in the DVD; words said, in which parents identified which words their children could say out of the same 30 words; and picture identification, in which children were shown paired pictures of objects chosen from among the DVD-highlighted words and asked to point to a target word. In lab viewing sessions attended by participants in both groups, children who spoke new words were most likely to do so either following parents’ use of the word or parents’ general talk about what was happening on the screen. “Other than the general gains in word knowledge attributable to time and age, children who viewed the DVD at home over six weeks did not demonstrate new knowledge of the DVD-highlighted words,” the researchers wrote. There was no evidence that exposure to the DVD over six weeks helped or hindered children’s general language learning, they said. Parental interaction, not solitary viewing of baby videos, makes a difference in the acquisition of language skills, said Richert, the article’s lead author and co-principal investigator of the project. Wartella is the principal investigator for the grant. “Cognitive development still happens in the way it has for centuries. Infants learn through live social interaction,” Richert said. Pulitzer Prize Winner Gives Boyce Lecture Bert Hölldobler, recipient of a Pulitzer Prize and one of the world’s great ant experts, was the scheduled speaker for the 2010 Alfred M. Boyce Lecture on campus, March 8. His lecture was titled “The Superorganism: Communication and Cooperation in Ant Societies.” Superorganisms are insect societies in which vast numbers of often tightly entangled and socially interdependent insects function as a single organism. Ant societies, which are superorganisms, rely upon successful communication through chemical and mechanical signaling on both interindividual and pan-society levels, as well as on a division of labor between hundreds of thousands of individual organisms. Hölldobler is Foundation Profes- sor of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. His book (co-authored with E. O. Wilson) “The Ants” was awarded the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction writing. His book “The Superorganism” was ranked among the top books of 2008 by the New York Times and named the Best Science Book of the year by the Financial Times. The Boyce lectures were instituted in 1977 and honor Alfred M. Boyce (1901-97), one of the world’s leading authorities on insects and mites that attack citrus and walnuts. Boyce served as the director of the UCR Citrus Experiment Station, first dean of the College of Agriculture, and assistant director of the statewide Agricultural Experiment Station. Town Hall Meeting Outlines Campus Progress Chancellor Timothy P. White provided updates on the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) review, recent budget planning and the strategic planning process on Feb. 23 at the HUB. He introduced the new dean of the UCR medical school, Dr. C. Richard Olds, as the best possible person to lead the effort to build the medical school. White said he was encouraged by the prili“We are a national exemplar when it comes to achieving excellence in the context of diversity,” he said. Recommendations from WASC include the need for more testing and assessment of student learning, and the completion of the strategic plan for the campus. He gave an update on budget planning, with the promise that the furlough program will end after one year on all of the UC campuses. “We did so many difficult things this past year, I think we are in a position to say that we took the hit once, and now we are in equilibrium and we can start upward again,” he said. “That is if Sacramento does not take more money away.” He lauded EVC/Provost Dallas Rabenstein, as well as staff members Bill Kidder and Cindy Giorgio for their work on the ongoing strategic planning process for the campus. And he outlined some examples of successful research programs. The full meeting and powerpoint slides are available for viewing on the Web at chancellor.ucr.edu/webcasts/townhall_feb10.html. page 4 • March 10, 2010 • www.InsideUCR.ucr.edu Fresh Produce a Campus Perk at Farmer’s Market Held several times a month, the next market will take place on March 17 at the HUB. Have a hankering for just-picked fruit and vegetables, freshly baked bread or flavorful home-baked sweets? Then pack your reusable shopping bags and head for the HUB. Sponsored by Dining Services and held several times a month, the UCR Farmer’s Market brings local family farmers to campus to provide faculty, staff and students with fresh and healthy food options. Some products are grown on campus. The selection can vary, said Cheryl Garner, director of dining services. Fruits and vegetables are always abundant, but one week you might also find fresh bread and desserts, and another week gluten-free products or nuts. Some days fresh flowers are also available. Garner said dining services takes note of what seems to be most popular. “It’s an opportunity for us to test new products, to see how well they are received,” said Garner. “If an item is really popular we sometimes add that product to our convenience store.” The market was kicked off last year near Scotty’s convenience store on the grounds of Glen Mor residence hall. Too far for many on the campus to travel, Dining Services decided to give the market a test run near the HUB on Earth Day. UCR’s Farmer’s Market offers wide selection of healthy options. It was a hit, said Garner. “We really didn’t anticipate that it would be as successful as it was, but it has grown every single time we offered it.” Held in alternating locations at the HUB and Glen Mor, the next farmer’s market will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 17 at the HUB. Other dates, times and locations are: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 21 and May 12 at the HUB; 5 to 7 p.m. April 1, May 6 and June 3 at Glen Mor. For information, visit www.dining.ucr.edu. UCR Pipe Band Holds Its First Pipe and Drumming Competition Terry, adding that the band hopes to make the program an annual event. Sponsors include the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians, Thrivent, BMW of By Bettye Miller Riverside, and Mark Schneider, CEO of Bite Bagpipers and drummers from the western Me Energy Drink. United States will compete in the first solo pipFor the second consecutive year the UCR ing and drumming competition hosted by the Pipe Band was named the top Grade IV band in award-winning UCR Pipe Band on Saturday, the western United States in 2009. Bands and March 27. soloists compete in grades from I to IV, with IV The Harry Moore Memorial Solo Piping being entry level. The band also placed first at and Drumming Competition for Grade III and the Queen Mary games in mid-February. Grade IV pipers and drummers is named for the Band members who won top band’s first drum sergeant. The allhonors as soloists in 2009 compeday event begins at 9 a.m. at Canyon tition sanctioned by the Western Crest Country Club, 975 Country Club United States Pipe Band Association Dr. in Riverside. include: Renowned piper Ian Whitelaw Piping: Grade II – Marshall Gerand drummer Ed Best will conduct man, first; Grade III – Erin Thomson, a workshop for pipers and drummers first; Grade IV – Stephen Wilkinson, during the mid-day break. second; Mike McCarty, fourth. General admission is $10, or $5 Drumming: Grade II – William for students with ID. General admisTerry, first, snare; Kimberly Fairchsion and participation in the pipe and ild, first, tenor; Alexandria Mueller, drum workshop is $15. Admission for fourth, tenor; Carole McCarty, fifth, competitors is $20, which includes tenor; Zoltan Koncz, sixth, tenor; participation in the workshop. A Grade III – Ryan Slagle, fourth, lunch buffet is available for $10, and snare; Grade IV – Kimberly Fairchild, vendors will be available with piping, UCR’s Pipe Band will host the Harry Moore Memorial Solo first, snare; Adam Galindo, second, drumming and Celtic supplies. Piping and Drumming Competition. snare; Malia Maynard, fourth, snare. Organizers hope the event will become an annual tradition. The indoor competition is sanctioned by the Western United States Pipe Band Association. Entry forms may be downloaded at www. pipeband.ucr.edu. Prizes to be awarded will include the Harry Moore Cup for Grade IV drumming, to be presented by Moore’s daughter, Barbara Tully; the George McCloud Cup for Grade III piping; and the Linda Joy Terry Memorial Trophy for Grade IV piping. “This competition is something we’ve always wanted to do,” said Pipe Major Mike New Lecture Series Promotes Solar Energy The Bourns College of Engineering held the first of several lectures in a new series on March 4. Titled “Bright Horizons in Solar Energy” the Southern California Research Initiative Solar Energy (SC-RISE) is presenting the series to promote the adoption of solar technologies throughout the region, including new ways to collect, store and transmit solar energy. It will feature academic and industry researchers and other experts to provide a platform for new ideas and a catalyst for problem solving in the solar field. Mihri Ozkan, professor of electrical engineering at UCR, delivered the first lecture on “Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells: Engineering at the Nanoscale,” in Room 205/206 Engineering Building Unit II. Ozkan is working to produce materials that can be applied to walls and other surfaces on a massive scale, turning nearly any structure into a solar collector. Other speakers for the 2010 series are: • March 25 – Javier Garay, Mechanical Engineering • April 15 – Nosang V. Myung, Chemical and Environmental Engineering • May 6 – Valentine I. Vullev, Bioengineering • May 27 – Cengiz S. Ozkan, Mechanical Engineering All lectures are free, open to the public and begin at 3 p.m. All lectures in the series will be in Room A-265 Bourns Hall. For more information, call (951) 781-5652. Conference Focuses on Pest Management Urbanization creates costly pest problems. Insects and rodent pests can contaminate food, destroy wood in homes and can result also in health problems – disease, hospitalizations and even death. UC Riverside will host the 19th annual Urban Pest Management Conference on March 24, from 7:15 a.m. until 5 p.m., at the University Theatre. Topics to be covered at the conference include safe pesticide use; residential water runoff studies; the changing role of termiticides applied to soils to control termites; bed bugs; and spiders and their significance for the pest control industry. The keynote speaker is Mary-Ann Warmerdam, the director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, who will discuss the changes and challenges facing the pest control industry. More information, including how to register, is available at urban.cmsdev.ucr.edu/pest_ management_conf_18.html. Campus Calendar Ongoing UCR/ California Museum of Photography Exhibition: “Ansel Adams at Work: The Fiat Lux Commission.” Fiat Lux (Let There Be Light) is the motto of the University of California and the title of the book Ansel Adams published in 1968 to celebrate the UC’s centenThe Fiat Lux Commission nial. Drawn from reproduction prints the photographer made for this commercial commission, the exhibition shows Ansel Adams at work. Exhibition: “Mirjam Dröge: The Need to Hold Still.” This exhibition features the work of Mirjam Dröge, a contemporary artist based in Berlin, Germany. Dröge captures physical locations that emphasize privacy, stillness and contemplation, such as clandestine treehouses, self-portraits and still lifes. This is the artist’s first exhibition in the United States. Exhibition: “Smoke and Mirrors.” Before mass produced subtractive color film was available, the Autochrome was the favorite color method of professional photographers and amateur artists. The Autochrome process, which used miniscule grains of potato starch dyed red, blue, and green to create a chromatic screen to capture muted, smoky colors, lends a vague and painterly aspect to images. The exhibits run through May 8. The UCR/CMP is located at 3824 Main St., Riverside. Information: www.cmp.ucr.edu. March 10 Wednesday Festival: Mental Health Day Spa, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., HUB 260. Free. Information: www.well. ucr.edu. Performance: Asian American Culture Shows, noon-1 p.m., ARTS 166, PerforAsian American Culture mance Lab Open Air Shows Theatre. Free. Information: www.dance.ucr.edu. Recreation: StressBusters/Meditation Session, 4-6 p.m., HUB 260. Free. Information: www.well.ucr. edu. Lecture: Imagining the Future Lecture Series“UCR’s Solar Energy Research Initiative,” 6-7:30 p.m., 44-500 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells, California 92210. Free. Information: www.palmdesert.ucr.edu. 17 Wednesday Training: Making Excellence Inclusive: a UCR Diversity Certificate Program, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Human Resources Building Suite I. Free. Information: www.humanresources.ucr.edu. 18 Thursday Screening: Public Art Documentary Film Series: “Herb & Dorothy,” 6-9 p.m., UCR Palm Desert. “Herb and Dorothy” Free, reservations required. Information: www.palmdesert.ucr.edu. 19 Friday Meeting: White Ribbon Campaign Planning Meetings, 3:30-5 p.m., Student Services Building 3201-C. Free. Information: www.wrc.ucr.edu. 20 Saturday Performance: Dance Showings: Winter 2010, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., ARTS 100, ARTS 300 and PE 102. Free. Information: www.dance.ucr.edu. Training: Spring 2010 ‘In the Garden Class/ Tour’ Series - The Maloof Foundation, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Maloof Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga. $35 non-member and $30 for member Maloof Gardens of UCRBG Friends, reservations required. Information: www.gardens.ucr.edu/ events/calendar.html#maloofttp: 16 Tuesday 22 Monday Seminar: Weigh Well 2010, noon-1p.m., HUB 355. $20, reservations required. The seminar runs through April 27. Make reservations at: www. hrtraining.ucr.edu. Information: www.well.ucr.edu. Training: Career Discovery Series-Your Roadmap to Success at UCR, 1:30-4:30 p.m., Human Resources Building (Personnel) Suite I. $10. Information: www.hrtraining.ucr.edu. Exhibition: U.S.-Mexico Border Wall Exhibit, Orbach Science Library. Free. The exhibit runs through March 26. Information: www.ucmexus. ucr.edu. 12 Friday 23 Tuesday Training: Time Management, 9-11 a.m., Human Resources Building (Personnel) Suite I. $10. Information: www.hrtraining.ucr.edu. 24 Wednesday Conference: International Drought Symposium, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Riverside Marriott Hotel. $150 general, $100 UCR staff/faculty and students, reservations required. The conference runs International Drought through March 25. Symposium Information: www. cnas.ucr.edu/drought-symposium/ Training: Social Security Workshop, 2-3 p.m., HMNSS 1500. Free. Information: www.hrtraining.ucr.edu. 26 Friday Forum: A World with Less Water, Discussion on Drought Policy, 2-4 p.m., Riverside Marriott Hotel. Free. Information: www.cnas.ucr.edu/ drought-symposium. For the most up-to-date information on these and other events view the UCR Calendar at www.events.ucr.edu.