PDF - The Magazine of UC Riverside
Transcription
PDF - The Magazine of UC Riverside
WINTER 2013 VOL.8 NO. 1 THE MAGAZINE OF UC RIVERSIDE A New Kind of Doctor The School of Medicine is set to be the training ground to increase desperately needed medical care in the region Page 8 Scientist Natasha Raikhel is Living the American Dream Page 18 UCR WinterIP 2013 AD! | 1 NOW AVAI ON LABLE THE INTERIM CHANCELLOR Jane Close Conoley VICE CHANCELLOR, ADVANCEMENT Peter Hayashida PUBLISHER James Grant EDITOR Lilledeshan Bose WRITERS Kathy Barton Frances Fernandes Ross French Litty Mathew Phil Pitchford Iqbal Pittalwala SENIOR DESIGNER Brad Rowe PRODUCTION MANAGER Luis Sanz CONTRIBUTORS Kris Lovekin Tom Lutz Bettye Miller Olivia Rivera Kristin Seiler E D I T O R I A L A S S I S TA N T Konrad Nagy I L L U S T R AT I O N S Colin Hayes Skip Sterling Mike Tofanelli PHOTOGRAPHERS Lonnie Duka Michael Elderman Jinyoung Ko Carlos Puma Peter Phun Carrie Rosema DISTRIBUTION Virginia Odien UCR Magazine is published by the Office of Strategic Communications, University of California, Riverside, and it is distributed free to the University community. Editorial offices: 900 University Ave., 1156 Hinderaker Hall, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, telephone (951) 827-6397. Unless otherwise indicated, text may be reprinted without permission. Please credit University of California, Riverside. USPS 006-433 is published four times a year: winter, spring, summer and fall by the University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521-0155. Periodicals postage rates paid at Riverside, CA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to UCR, Subscription Services (0063), 900 University Ave., 1156 Hinderaker Hall, Riverside, CA 92521. In accordance with applicable federal laws and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate in any of its policies, procedures or practices on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or handicap. Inquiries regarding the University’s equal opportunity policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action Office, (951) 827-5604. Questions? Concerns? Comments? Change of address? Contact Kris Lovekin at [email protected] WINTER 2013 VOLUME 8 NUMBER 1 COVER STORY THE MAGAZINE OF UC RIVERSIDE 08 Physicians of the Future The new School of Medicine is looking for a different kind of student for an underserved Inland region. With locally based, culturally competent doctors, UCR could be health care’s F E AT U R E S gamechanger. 18 22 24 From Mind to Market Growing the Promise Live From the Barn! A Legacy of Hope 03 | R View 26 | Page Turners 29 | Dance Dance Revolution Professor Natasha Raikhel, who holds the Ernst and Helen Leibacher Endowed Chair in Plant Molecular, Cell Biology & Genetics, talks about her American dream DEPARTMENTS 20 A message from Interim Chancellor Jane Close Conoley 04 | R Space Catch up on the latest news at UC Riverside The campus’ oldest music venue has housed horses, Pete Seeger, No Doubt, and Saul Williams — but not Bob Dylan 28 | How I See It UCR students share their aha moments at the university How former Chancellor Timothy P. White became one of UCR’s most beloved leaders in just four years The organizers of the Guardian Scholars’ fundraiser the Dance Marathon talk about how the event changed their lives Our new feature traces the LA Review of Books’ path from idea to reality, as told by its editor in chief, creative writing Professor Tom Lutz 30 | Alumni Connection 31 | Class Acts 36 | C Scape Filmmaker Carol Park documents her experience growing up KoreanAmerican in Los Angeles Do you know amazing UCR alumni? Nominate them for the 2013 Alumni Awards of Distinction! The UCR Alumni Association honors graduates who personify the University’s tradition of excellence and service, and bring distinction to UCR. There are three categories: Distinguished Alumnus Award, based on significant contribution to humankind; Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, for graduates under 35 who show significant promise; and the Alumni Service Award, which honors superior service in the public sector. (Don’t be shy — if you’re a rising star, you can also nominate yourself!) The deadline for submissions is March 15. For more information and to submit a nomination, go to www.alumni.ucr.edu/awards. UCR Winter 2013 | 1 EVENTS HAPPENINGS www.theatre.ucr.edu “The Tempest,” a Play by William Shakespeare 2.28-3.9 UCR students perform Shakespeare’s play about Prospero, who uses magic to raise a storm at sea, bringing within his grasp the enemies who robbed him of his dukedom. www.music.ucr.edu UCR Taiko Ensemble: Japanese Drumming Members of the UCR taiko class perform a spirited, 30-minute outdoor demonstration of Japanese drumming. 3.5; 5.28 www.gardens.ucr.edu UCR Botanic Gardens’ 39th Annual Spring Plant Sale 4.6-4.7 eatonconference.ucr.edu 2013 Eaton Science Fiction Conference: “Science Fiction in Media” 4.11-4.13 www.ucriversidepresents.ucr.edu Josh Kornbluth: The Mathematics of Change 4.21 Inland Southern California’s biggest plant sale event includes colorful landscape trees and shrubs, citrus trees, cacti and succulents, miniature roses, orchids and much more. This year, the celebrated science fiction conference will take place off-campus at the Riverside Marriott Hotel. Author Ursula K. Le Guin, producer and special effects creator Ray Harryhausen, and Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee will receive their lifetime achievement awards. A free comic monologue that recounts Kornbluth’s uproarious experiences as a Princeton University would-be math whiz who discovers his limits in freshman calculus. www.theatre.ucr.edu New Play Festival by UCR M.F.A. Playwrights Students in the UCR M.F.A. Playwriting Program present a festival of their work, with different pieces performed in rotating repertory. 5.9-5.18 www.diversity.ucr.edu Veterans, Military Members and Families Group Luncheon 5.10 www.memorial.ucr.edu Campus Memorial 5.24 www.theatre.ucr.edu Playworks by UCR Undergraduate Playwrights 5.29-5.31 www.commencement.ucr.edu Commencement 2013 6.14-6.17 2 | UCR Winter 2013 This luncheon provides an opportunity for veterans, members of the military, and members of military families within the UCR campus community to connect and network. Refreshments will be provided. The Campus Memorial is held to remember and celebrate the lives of those members of the UCR community who have passed away since May 2011. This premiere production explores issues and textures of contemporary life by the best UCR student playwrights and is directed by Erith Jaffe-Berg. A different slate of work is scheduled for each performance. UC Riverside holds seven commencement ceremonies June 14 though 17 on For more on UCR events, visit www.ucr.edu/happenings Pierce Hall lawn, near the campus bell tower. More than 3,000 students are expected to make their way across the stage during the four days of the 59th annual event. VIEW R Looking Forward to Great Things What a thrill it is for me to write as your new interim chancellor. While following Chancellor Tim White is a daunting social, economic, health, infrastructure, educational, and civic developments in our country for the last 150 years. task, I’m sure you know that he’s left UCR in great shape. The whole UCR community (of which each of you is a vital part) is on a wonderful path toward student success and distinction in national and international research. The campus has an energy and commitment to do whatever it takes, inspiring me to jump in and support this journey to better student outcomes, to foster more cutting-edge research across all disciplines, and to earn more international recognition. I want people to see that UCR is a place that is locally responsive while helping to solve global challenges related to health disparities, energy and sustainability, human development, and economic progress. Thank you, Tim! From a more personal perspective, I was, like so many of you, part of the first generation in my family to attend college, along with my oldest brother, a cousin and twin sister. My brother became a physicist and eventually a professor at the Coast Guard Academy. My cousin went on to law school and devoted her career to prosecuting elder abuse. My twin, a master’s level educator and school principal, has influenced thousands of lives through her award-winning teaching. Now I’m an interim chancellor in the University of California! The common thread in this family trek is education. Neither my parents nor grandparents completed high school, but they urged us, in my grandmother’s often-repeated words, “Study. Make something of yourself.” I think UCR is a place where each person is helped to make something of themselves. Although I am the interim or acting chancellor, my excitement to “act” has been inspired by a 22-year involvement with major land-grant universities in Texas and Nebraska. I saw first-hand how these universities made real and positive contributions to families — just like my own — to children, schools, businesses, and levels of civic engagement. I consider the land-grant university to be a true American innovation that has fueled A university’s most important test, however, is its success in guiding students toward significant professions, and lives of compassion, service and accomplishment. UCR passes this test with merit and I intend to ensure that it continues to advance along this path during my time here. Two years ago, I became fascinated by UC Riverside when I read your strategic plan, UCR 2020, and the excellent working papers that support it. I am eager to continue telling UCR’s many success stories and to work with Provost Dallas Rabenstein in further improving our support of faculty, their research and our students. I have already made plans to take the UCR story to Sacramento, and to work with the Legislature to secure firm state funding support for our medical school. When I hand over the reins of UCR to your next chancellor, I intend to demonstrate how much farther we have progressed in our strategic goals and plans to further burnish our image as one of the most successful, richly diverse campuses in the nation. I’m so proud to be a new Highlander! I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible and learning how UCR has helped to launch you into purposeful lives. And how we can continue to support you in your endeavors. Email me with your stories of success! Jane Close Conoley Interim Chancellor [email protected] UCR Winter 2013 | 3 SPACE R Meet Jane Close Conoley Interim Chancellor Jane Close Conoley brings to UC Riverside a breadth of experience that has prepared her to take up the reins of this diverse campus. “She will steward the initiatives Chancellor White has put in place, adding her own brand of excellence and her creativity to champion new efforts,” says Pam Clute, director of the ALPHA Center, who works with Conoley on UC systemwide educational initiatives. Coming from UC Santa Barbara as dean of the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, Conoley stresses to new students a passionate vision that mirrors UCR’s commitment to access and diversity. A first-generation college student, Conoley laid an early foundation for her current career in education by working in the inner city and with children with multiple disabilities. Mental and emotional disabilities became her focus as a doctoral student of educational psychology and as a young professional in New York and Texas. In 1984, Conoley headed for the University of Nebraska, taking successive positions as associate professor, full professor, and chair in the Department of Educational Psychology. She became associate dean of research and curriculum at the Teacher’s College and finally Edith 4 | UCR Winter 2013 S. Greer Professor of Educational Psychology. After a decade as dean of the College of Education of Human Development and professor of educational psychology at Texas A&M University, she came to California in 2006 as dean and professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology at UC Santa Barbara. “Conoley is a listener, a problem solver and a consensus builder” — Pamela Clute Throughout her career, Conoley has sustained a primary interest in interventions with children with disabilities — especially serious emotional disturbances and aggressive children and youth — and family intervention. This interest is reflected in her prolific writing — more than 20 books and scores of articles, chapters and presentations on school violence, youth aggression, families and psychology. Conoley has won university-level teaching and professional awards and taken leadership roles in many professional organizations. As dean of the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, she oversees one of only eight American Psychological Association-accredited combined programs in professional psychology. She chairs the University of California Systemwide Mathematics and Science Initiative, which boasts more than 2,000 undergraduate students on nine UC campuses preparing to be secondary science or mathematics teachers, where Clute came to know her leadership style: “Conoley is a listener, a problem solver and a consensus builder,” Clute says. “She initiates partnership efforts focusing people toward a common agenda for positive outcomes.” Dean of the Graduate School of Education Doug Mitchell, who has worked with Conoley in the past, sees her as someone who will carry on Timothy White’s most important contribution: “Giving a sense of the human dimension to this institution.” Inland Economy Making Significant Progress UC Riverside Launches School of Public Policy The UCR School of Public Policy, a research center focusing on policy issues important to Inland Southern California, was launched on Sept. 24. The School of Public Policy will offer a Ph.D. and a Master of Public Policy degree as well as a Ph.D. minor in public policy. Students will choose from four areas of specialization: environmental and sustainable development policy, population and health policy, higher education policy, and immigration policy. The mission of the School of Public Policy is to prepare students to pursue careers in local, state and national governments and in nonprofit organizations; to facilitate research by multidisciplinary teams at UCR on substantive public policy problems; and to maintain dialogue with policymakers in the region and the state. It will begin accepting graduate students in its master’s program in winter 2014, with the program expected to commence in the fall of that year. A new forecast focusing on the U.S., California, and the Riverside/San Bernardino economies says growth at the national level is likely to start accelerating, in part due to the growing, positive impact of a rebounding housing market. The forecast, authored by Beacon Economics and released in partnership with the School of Business Administration as part of the 2012 Riverside/ San Bernardino Economic Forecast Conference, reports that home values are 5 percent to 6 percent higher than they were at this time last year, and new housing construction starts have continued to rise, reaching 900,000 in October. Additionally, the length of time that existing homes are up for sale has dropped to well below six months, evidence of a tight market, according to the analysis. The forecast also points to California as being one of the driving forces behind the nation’s broader recovery. In 2012, California led the U.S. in job, income, and consumer spending growth, according to the analysis. And while the recovery in Riverside/San Bernardino has been slower out of the gate than in the nation or state, the local economy has made significant progress, including adding back 30,800 jobs since hitting bottom in 2009 and enjoying 12 consecutive quarters of rising taxable sales across nearly every industry in the region. Ursula Le Guin, Stan Lee and Raymond Harryhausen to be Recognized at the Eaton Conference Award-winning author Ursula K. Le Guin, special effects creator Raymond F. Harryhausen and Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee will be recognized with the J. Lloyd Eaton Lifetime Achievement Award in Science Fiction at the Eaton Science Fiction Conference April 11-14 in Riverside. Le Guin, who will receive the Eaton Lifetime Achievement Award, has written 20 science fiction and fantasy novels, among them “The Left Hand of Darkness” and “The Dispossessed,” each of which won Hugo and Nebula awards. Harryhausen, who created a type of stop-motion model animation known as Dynamation, will receive the award for his groundbreaking contributions to science fiction film. Lee, former president of Marvel Comics, will also be recognized with the award for 2013 for his various contributions in the realm of comic books. Lee, who began as a comic-book writer at age 19, co-created Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor and other superheroes. For more information, go to eatonconference.ucr.edu. UCR Winter 2013 | 5 SPACE R Awards and Honors UCR faculty across various disciplines receive accolades for their work 6 | UCR Winter 2013 Poet Receives Second NEA Fellowship Art Professor Wins the Genius Award Geophysicist Awarded Roebling Medal Jill Alexander Essbaum, an acclaimed poet and writing professor, won her second National Endowment for the Arts creative writing fellowship. Essbaum, one of 40 fellowship winners, is the only 2012 recipient from the University of California. She was also named a writing fellow in 2003. She is an adjunct assistant professor in the UCR Low Residency M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts program in Palm Desert. Uta Barth, a professor of art emeritus who is known internationally for her abstract photography, has won a $500,000 MacArthur Fellowship, one of the most prestigious awards in the country. She is one of 23 MacArthur Fellows for 2012 named by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Barth experiments with depth of field, focus and framing in photographs that allude to places. The fellowship, colloquially known as a “genius award,” is a no-strings-attached grant to individuals who show exceptional creativity in their work, promise for important future advances, and potential for the fellowship to facilitate new work. Harry W. Green II, a distinguished professor of the Graduate Division in the Department of Earth Sciences, has been awarded the 2012 Roebling Medal by the Mineralogical Society of America. The medal is the highest award given by the society for scientific eminence. “I see this recognition as confirmation that my novel approach has borne significant fruit and therefore it is a great honor and brings me great personal satisfaction,” said Green, an eminent geologist and geophysicist. Philanthropist Makes $900,000 Bequest to Culver Center Arts benefactor Henry W. Coil Jr. has made a bequest pledge of $900,000 to support the UC Riverside Barbara and Art Culver Center of the Arts in downtown Riverside. The gift is one of the largest that UCR has received to support arts programs. The atrium of the Culver Center has been named the Coil Brothers Atrium, “a fitting tribute to Henry Coil’s personal contributions to the arts and UCR” as well as to the lives of his brothers, the late Horace O. Coil, the late James L. Coil and John M. Coil of Santa Ana, said Stephen Cullenberg, dean of the UCR College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Coil, past president of TildenCoil Constructors Inc., is a founding director of the California Museum of Photography (UCR/CMP). He served on the advisory board during the museum’s early years alongside famed photographer Ansel Adams. Today, UCR/CMP is a world-class museum with the largest, most comprehensive holding of any photographic collection in the western half of the United States and the second largest in the nation. The Coil Brothers Atrium is the key gathering space in UCR ARTSblock, hosting dance and musical performances, art exhibitions, workshops and large community gatherings. Born in Riverside, Coil earned his engineering degree at UC Berkeley and a law degree from Western State University in Fullerton, Calif. Coil said his support of the arts stems from his belief that the arts are essential to create a vibrant community. “If we didn’t have art in its various forms, we would have a stale community,” he said. “Art is also a way of getting many people involved in the community in activities they enjoy, and encourages commitments of time and money.” 1 The 2012 Washington Monthly College Ranking ranked UCR No. 1 in student service participation and No. 9 overall among national universities, based on UCR’s contribution to the public good in the categories of social mobility, research, and service. 5 The number of times UCR has been named one of the nation’s 100 best values in public colleges by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance (most recently for the 2012-2013 school year). UCR got high marks for its four-year graduation rate, low average student debt at graduation, abundant financial aid, a low “sticker price,” and overall great value. 8 U.S. News and World Report’s 2013 Best Colleges Report ranked UCR No. 8 in the nation with regards to diversity. UCR had the highest ratio of minority students in the UC system and was second-best in the state behind Stanford. UCR Opens Community Garden UCR’s Community Garden — which will provide campus and community members with a place to grow fresh produce — opened in December. The garden, located next to Parking Lot 30 near the corner of Canyon Crest Drive and Martin Luther King Avenue, was created thought the efforts of Fortino Morales, a 2011 graduate of UCR and the community garden coordinator, with support from former Chancellor Timothy P. White and various local organizations. The nearly 3-acre garden, which also features a small citrus How We Ranked: UCR by the Numbers grove, is also part of the Cultivate R’Space program and will be used to teach students about sustainable food systems and how they affect economic, environmental and social issues. Future plans include the development of a youth garden and making plots available to people within the community. 24 U.S. News and World Report’s 2013 Best Colleges Report also ranked UCR in the top 25 of “Best Value Schools,” taking into account the university’s academic quality and the 2011-12 net cost of attendance for a student. 58 Sierra Magazine named UCR one of “America’s Coolest Schools” in an annual survey of the nation’s greenest colleges. UCR finished 58th among the 96 schools that submitted data. UCR Winter 2013 | 7 Illustration by Skip Sterling 8 | UCR Winter 2013 F E AT U R E FONTANA YUCAIPA MENIFEE PALM DESERT HEMET RUBIDOUX INDIO COACHELLA PHYSICIANS RIALTO OF THE FUTURE JURUPA CATHEDRAL CITY LA QUINTA IF IT’S SUCCESSFUL, UCR’S NEW SCHOOL OF MEDICINE COULD BE THE LIFELINE OF THE PHYSICIAN-STARVED INLAND REGION. BUT WHETHER IT CAN HELP MAKE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BETTER ALL DEPENDS ON ITS STUDENTS. BY PHIL PITCHFORD RANCHO CUCAMONGA BLYTHE Dr. G. Richard Olds, founding dean of the UC Riverside School of Medicine, has a lot riding on the school’s first class of medical students, who will arrive on campus in August. And if you live or work in Inland Southern California, so do you. UCR is trying to open a different kind of medical school; one that not only trains excellent doctors, but also VICTORVILLE PERRIS TEMECULA NORCO UCR Winter 2013 | 9 ARLANZA keeps them in the physician-starved Inland Empire. These doctors would practice the most-needed — but lowest-paying — types of medicine and take responsibility for a region that consistently ranks among the least healthy in California. Without action, those poor health trends will create huge costs for the Inland area and its economy. That is why UCR is focusing on students who will stay local and help the school fulfill its commitment to a population plagued by obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Unique Set-up “Our medical school is fairly unique, not just in California, but in the United States,” Olds said. “The students we take will be judged not just on how good of a doctor they are, but also whether they stay here and whether they improve the health of the community.” “THE STUDENTS WE TAKE WILL BE JUDGED NOT JUST ON HOW GOOD OF A DOCTOR THEY ARE, BUT ALSO WHETHER THEY STAY HERE AND WHETHER THEY IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE DI D YO U KN OW ? Almost 60 percent of teens and adults in Riverside County are overweight or obese, as is roughly 1 out of every 3 children in grades 5, 7 and 9. 10 | UCR Winter 2013 COMMUNITY.” — DR. G. RICHARD OLDS Admittedly, it’s a bold and risky plan. “I have enormous respect for [Olds] in terms of being willing to put himself out there like that,” said Kate Sweeny, an assistant professor of psychology. “These are hard problems to change.” Olds and his growing faculty have embraced their mission with an enthusiasm that permeates the first new public medical school built in California in four decades. “This is an opportunity that comes along once in a lifetime — to create the entire system, the clinical enterprise — from scratch,” said Dr. Michael Nduati, the school’s associate dean for clinical affairs. “It doesn’t even feel like work. It feels like I am doing something special.” If the students embrace fields like family medicine and pediatrics, and truly connect with residents of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, Olds and the founding faculty could be seen as visionaries. But if those same students end up practicing orthopedics, cardiology and plastic surgery in Newport Beach and San Diego, the school could be seen as a failure, Olds said. “Medical schools often compete for students based on things that have nothing to do with being a good doctor,” he said bluntly. “We have a different philosophy than other schools, and we may be criticized for it at some point. So we better believe in what we are doing.” A Different Type of Student UCR, of course, has been training future doctors for more than 30 years through a partnership with UCLA and what is now the David Geffen School of Medicine. More than 700 physicians have been trained through this program, starting their medical education in Riverside and finishing it in Los Angeles. The UCR/UCLA Thomas Haider Program in Biomedical Sciences admits 24 first-year and 24 second-year students and four first-year and four second-year UCLA/UCR PRIME students every year. UCLA/UCR PRIME (PRograms in Medical Education) is a five-year, dual-degree program that leads to an M.D. and a master’s degree in a specialized area focused on underserved populations. Students now enrolled in the Haider program will finish at UCLA, while students enrolling at the UCR Medical School will be the first class to complete all four years in Riverside. The UCR School of Medicine will start with 50 students. It hopes to expand to 80 students — and eventually as many as 120 — within a few years, said Neal L. Schiller, the school’s senior associate dean for student affairs and director of the Haider Program. The school will consider only students who meet the school’s entrance requirements, but it will also target certain types of students and go to great lengths to ensure it is awarding coveted spots in the program to them. In the process, Schiller said, it may reject applicants who might be accepted at larger, more prestigious, medical schools. “We are looking for a different type of student,” Schiller said. “If your aspiration is to be a hotshot researcher at a top medical school, then you are not going to be happy here. And we are probably not going to be as interested in you as other schools might be.” With about 30 times as many applications each year as there are slots, the school will be able to be selective. But with applications eventually expected to exceed 3,000 each year, how will the school determine who is most likely to go into primary care medicine in Inland Southern California? To find those “mission-oriented” students, UCR is reviewing more than 2,000 applications. UCR will offer secondary UCR Winter 2013 | 11 applications to about 800 people and interview 250 of them. Medical schools often conduct two 30-minute interviews per students, but UCR will do 12 interviews, each lasting 6 minutes, to dig deeper into how each applicant thinks. Before each interview, applicants will be able to review a prompt for two minutes before being pelted with questions. The interviews assess the student’s personality, work ethic and the kind of doctor they are liable to become. “Our interview is specifically designed to tell us who might be good for our program,” Olds said. “We’re asking questions that directly relate to our values. I can take any reasonably intelligent person and make them into a great doctor, but I’m not very good at taking mediocre people and turning them into great people.” For example, have prospective students shown a commitment to community service, anything from tutoring to health advocacy? Such a background suggests a student might have the kind of traits that will allow them as a doctor to connect with patients who need extra help getting healthy, Schiller said. “This will take longer, but it is worth it because the end product is so important for us,” Schiller said. “This idea of commitment, where your job is “HEARING ABOUT THE LACK OF DOCTORS IN THIS REGION REALLY MADE ME WANT TO STAY HERE. … WHEN YOU COME FROM A DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUND LIKE I DO, YOU ARE A LOT MORE WILLING TO GO INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES.” more than just seeing patients and going home at night, is crucial to what we are trying to accomplish.” Once students are in the program, administrators will monitor how they perform academically, how they interact with doctors they are matched with during their studies and whether their residency choices indicate they are on their way to becoming communitybased physicians. “That’s our goal, our product,” Schiller said. “And, eventually, we will be judged by that product and how we affect the health of this community. This will be an evolving process, but the mission is what drives everything.” UCR has used this particular interview process in the past two years to choose students for the Haider program. Students chosen “are more team-oriented and more serviceoriented” than those in previous classes, Schiller said. Two second-year students in the Haider program who went through that interview process — Regina Inchizu of West Covina and Joseph Elsissy of Redlands — both said they plan to return to Inland Southern California to practice once they complete their training. — REGINA INCHIZU, MED STUDENT THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: A JOURNEY 1974 1997 2003 2004 2006 UCR/UCLA Program in Biomedical Sciences is established. Students begin their medical studies at UCR and receive their M.D. degrees from the David Geffen 12 | UCR Winter at 2013 School of Medicine UCLA. The program is named for longtime supporter Dr. Thomas T. Haider, a Riverside spine surgeon. Former Chancellor France A. Córdova appoints a blueribbon panel to plan for a four-year medical school at UCR. A group of deans chaired by former Washington University School of Medicine Dean William Peck reviews initial plans for the school and provides recommendations for moving forward. Haile Debas, M.D., former chancellor and dean emeritus of UC San Francisco, is asked to create a mission and vision statement for UCR’s School of Medicine. Inchizu wants to practice family medicine in a federally qualified health center in the Riverside area, while Elsissy plans to be an orthopedic surgeon in Redlands. Not only does the interview reveal the student, they said, but also the school. “Hearing about the lack of doctors in this region really made me want to stay here,” Inchizu said. “When you come from a disadvantaged background like I do, you are a lot more willing to go into those communities.” Inchizu said she struggled through community college while working full time. But after getting into the Medical Scholars Program, her grades improved dramatically and she met the qualifications for entry into the program. The interviewers, however, knew nothing about her past struggles because they are not part of the transcript review process. “I’m a very unconventional medical student, and a lot of medical schools would have rejected me,” Inchizu said. “But they (UCR) saw who I am today, not who I was when I was a teenager.” Inchizu did not volunteer it, but Elsissy interjected to say that she is one of the top students in their class. He said he has a similar experience with the interviews. “It’s hard to peg someone off an application, in terms of what they want to do long-term,” Elsissy said. “But they really get your true character out of those prompts. For past generations, medical school was all about grades and MCAT scores, but all the great doctors I know are guys who go above and beyond for their patients.” Both endorsed the effort to center the program on students who are committed to the region. “Dr. Olds’ plan is exactly what Riverside needs,” Elsissy said. “He is targeting a subset of people who want to spend their careers here. This area is going to be much better off health-wise because of this medical school.” Care District. Riverside County stepped in, guaranteeing $20 million in county funding for the school during the next 10 years, and UCR received preliminary accreditation in October 2012. County officials say they acted because the school is crucial to solving a health care crisis in the Inland area, which has 3,000 fewer doctors than it DI D YO U KN OW ? Solving a Critical Health Care Problem Expectations for the medical school are high, but it almost didn’t happen, despite nearly a decade of work. Planning started in 2003, and UCR’s final proposal was approved unanimously by the UC Board of Regents in 2008. Former Chancellor Timothy P. White made the school UCR’s top priority. The effort stumbled in 2011, however, when the Liaison Committee on Medical Education withheld preliminary accreditation for the school, citing a lack of recurring state financial support. The school raised $10 million a year for 10 years from a variety of funders, including the University of California and the local Desert Health Compared to the rest of California, Riverside County residents commute longer, are more likely to smoke and eat fast food, and are less likely to have health insurance. — Riverside County Department of Public Health 2006 2006 2007 2008 2008 In May, UCR submits a proposal with plans for the School of Medicine to the UC Office of the President. Preliminary proposal receives the endorsement of the UC Board of Regents in November. A proposed curriculum for the medical school is drafted. Dr. Phyllis Guze is named executive director of medical school planning. UCR Academic Senate unanimously supports both the curriculum and the medical school proposal; UC Board of Regents endorses the proposal. Guze is named acting vice chancellor for medical sciences and dean in December. UCR Winter 2013 | 13 “IF WE DON’T TURN THE PUBLIC HEALTH OF THIS COUNTY AROUND, THE FUTURE CONSEQUENCES ARE PRETTY DIRE.” — RIVERSIDE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER JAY ORR needs; that number is expected to grow to 5,000 within 10 years. The region has half as many primary care doctors as it needs and is expected to have only a third of the number it needs within 10 years. Also in short supply are doctors practicing in the fields of obstetrics/ gynecology, psychiatry and general surgery. Those shortages have a direct effect on the Inland area’s health. For example, Riverside County is 53rd and San Bernardino County is 56th out of 58 counties in the state in terms of deaths from heart disease. Riverside County ranks 51st for deaths due to breast cancer in women and San Bernardino County is 50th for deaths due to chronic lower respiratory diseases. The likelihood that such disastrous health outcomes could deteriorate further is part of what spurred Riverside County to invest in the School of Medicine. “This is the biggest crisis we face as a county,” said Riverside County Executive Officer Jay Orr. “If we don’t turn the public health of this county around, the future consequences are pretty dire.” In the short term, the county will benefit from the substantial financial impact the medical school will have on the surrounding area. Studies show that every primary care physician in California creates an annual economic impact of almost $1 million; the impact is closer to $1.5 million in rural areas. “It will improve the economy, no doubt,” Orr said. “A great percentage of the doctors who train here will stay here, and there are all kinds of jobs that accompany a doctor’s practice, from nurses, the allied health positions, all that.” But the larger issue is that Riverside County sees the medical school as a key partner in averting a worsening health crisis that could sap the county’s overall economic health. The county’s Department of Public Health cites statistics showing that poor diet, lack of physical activity and smoking contribute to four chronic illnesses — heart disease, cancer, stroke and COPD, a lung disease — that contribute to 50 percent of early, preventable deaths. In Riverside County, the figure is more like 63 percent, Orr said. Worsening rates of obesity, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses also threaten the county’s overall stability. “We need not just doctors, but also health promotion and health D ID Y O U K N O W ? More than 700 doctors have been trained at UC through a partnership R with UCLA. UCR’s School of Medicine will start with 50 students and hopefully expand to 120 within a few years. THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: A JOURNEY 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Dr. G. Richard Olds, M.D., is appointed as the founding dean. Olds starts tenure; Guze becomes associate vice chancellor, health affairs and senior executive dean. Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) withholds preliminary accreditation for the School of Medicine. After raising $10 million a year for 10 years, UCR receives preliminary accreditation from the LCME in October. In August, the UCR School of Medicine will welcome its inaugural class of students. 14 | UCR Winter 2013 NATURAL COLLABORATION From anthropology to psychology, faculty members The School of Medicine will benefit not just patients; it will also bolster research opportunities at UCR is to train young physi- at UCR are eagerly anticipating the opening of the UCR cians who are committed School of Medicine. to treating the patient as “The medical school will provide a great avenue for people who are interested in health disparities,” said Robin Nelson, an assistant professor of anthropology. “There is a natural opportunity for collaboration there.” Nelson’s research in Jamaica has shown that young a whole person, not just a diseased organ.” Kathleen Montgom- Robin DiMatteo ery, a professor in the Graduate Division and professor of organizations and management (emerita) at the UCR people often are healthier when they have a trusted adult School of Business Administration, said she is impressed they can confide in, even if that adult is not a family with how medical school organizers have reached out to member. Her findings could have ramifications for the the surrounding community. “They’re looking for students who have a specific “ONE OF THE GOALS IS TO TRAIN YOUNG PHYSICIANS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO TREATING THE PATIENT AS A WHOLE PERSON, NOT JUST A DISEASED ORGAN.” — ROBIN DIMATTEO approach to how they want to practice medicine, someone who is going to have a commitment to the community, enrich the community and stay in the community,” she said. Faculty members in the Bourns College of Engineering are already collaborating with medical school faculty, said Huinan Liu, assistant professor of bioengineering. “Nationwide, almost all of the bioengineering programs have very close ties to medical schools,” Liu said. “We have quite a range of expertise from the bioengineering side, so it’s really synergistic.” Kate Sweeny, an assistant professor of psychology, is foster care system in the United States, where young studying why patients are — or are not — satisfied with people sometimes are shuttled between foster homes their medical care. She works in cooperation with the de- without the ability to develop those trust relationships. partment of surgery at Riverside County Regional Medical “We will have a lot of doctors who are trying to educate medical students about vulnerability and care and the lack of care, so it’s going to be very easy to start a dialogue there,” Nelson said. Decades of research have shown that humility and respect are crucial parts Robin Nelson Center, the county health facility in Moreno Valley. “It would not have happened at all without the med school coming along,” she said. “They (RCRMC) reached out to the faculty here and really wanted to connect with the faculty.” Sweeny noted that medical school personnel, includ- of the interaction between doctors and ing Dr. G. Richard Olds, the founding dean, have sought patients, said Robin DiMatteo, a distin- out UCR faculty members doing research on topics related guished professor of psychology. She said to medicine. she is pleased to see the approach being taken at the medical school. “UCR’s medical school has a commitment to training “It’s exciting to be part of that conversation,” doctors who not only know the physiological basis for the Sweeny said. — patient’s disease, but also the socioeconomic factors that Phil Pitchford affect the patient’s health,” she said. “One of their goals Learn more about the research of Robin Nelson, Robin DiMatteo, Kathleen Montgomery, Huinan Liu and Kate Sweeny at Kate Sweeny UCR Winter 2013 | 15 UCRMAGAZINE.UCR.EDU education programs,” Orr said. “If we don’t get our hands around this, we are never going to have enough doctors. It’s just going to get worse and worse.” In fact, federal health care reform will make the doctor shortage even more acute in the coming months as an estimated 500,000 people in the Inland area become eligible for health coverage. That coverage could help improve the health of newly insured people, but it also will inject a halfmillion people into a system that already is struggling. Problems with access and cost exist nationwide, where 40 percent of the country’s gross domestic product goes toward health care costs, Nduati said. “That’s not sustainable,” he said. “You can’t have a country spending two-fifths of its money on health care, but that’s where we are heading.” “IF THE REST OF THE NATION TAKES NOTICE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING, THAT’S GREAT. BUT IF THEY DON’T, WE REALLY DON’T CARE BECAUSE WE ARE FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY.” — DR. MICHAEL NDUATI Reaching Out Locally D ID Y O U K N O W ? Students often leave medical school more than $150,000 in debt; a loan/scholarship program at UCR could reward graduates to stay in the area. 16 | UCR Winter 2013 While the medical school cleared a major hurdle when it achieved preliminary accreditation, much work remains. Experts agree that the two biggest things that determine where someone practices are where they are from and where they do their residency. UCR is reaching out to local high schools to encourage their best and brightest students to focus on math and science and begin considering UCR and the School of Medicine for their education. The medical school must also work with surrounding medical facilities — there will be no on-campus medical center — to create local residency programs. “If we set them up in our local communities, there is a greater chance they will stay here,” Schiller said. “If they do their residency in San Diego on the beach, the chances they will come back to San Bernardino are not very good.” Watch a video of UCR’s physicians of the future at Students always will have choices, but UCR hopes to find ways to keep them local. Medical school costs more than $30,000 per year for California residents and students often leave school more than $150,000 in debt. A loan/ scholarship program could greatly reward graduates to stay in the area. “If they end up a family physician in Coachella, it’s a grant,” Olds said flatly. “If they end up as a plastic surgeon in San Diego, it’s a loan.” Nduati, the associate dean for clinical affairs, is a prime example of how UCR can benefit by growing its own students. Born in Fontana and raised in Upland, Nduati went through the Haider program, getting his bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences at UCR and his M.D. at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He also has an MBA from UCLA and a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard. In addition to his duties with the medical school, Nduati works as a nocturnist at Kaiser Permanente UCRMAGAZINE.UCR.EDU Fontana Medical Center, where he did his residency. He acknowledges with a laugh that he is sometimes seen as a poster child for what the UCR medical school is trying to accomplish. “I used to get mildly embarrassed, but I kind of embrace it now because we do need to replicate the experience of getting top-notch training and coming back to work here,” he said. At UCR, Nduati is responsible for building the clinical side of the medical school, including recruiting and appointing physicians to the faculty. He works with some of the people, including Schiller, who were his professors when he was a student. He describes himself as having “a vested interest” in the health of the Inland area. “We are recruiting people who want to make a difference,” Nduati said. “If the rest of the nation takes notice of what we are doing, that’s great. But if they don’t, we really don’t care because we are focused on improving the health of the community.” Dr. G. Richard Olds and his wife, Jackie, stand with Dr. Thomas Haider and Mrs. Salma Haider in front of the Haider Wall at the School of Medicine. A FORWARDLOOKING LEGACY The foresight of Dr. Thomas Haider and his wife, Salma, in supporting the School of Medicine has had lasting implications for UCR BY KATHY BARTON What began 15 years ago as a pledge DID YOU KNOW? of support for UCR’s medical education partnership with UCLA has helped launch a new medical school with a distinctive mission to serve the health care needs of Inland Southern California. That legacy — created by Dr. Thomas Haider and his wife, Salma — was celebrated in November with the unveiling of a tribute to their foresight in financially supporting a program that has graduated more than 700 physicians to date. The Haiders’ generosity was commemorated Every primary care physician in California with a wall installation in the entrance foyer of the newly renovated School of Medicine Education Building, and the couple were creates an annual publicly recognized at the celebration economic impact of attended by approximately 125 guests. almost $1 million. As the foundation of the UCR medical school, the UCR/UCLA Thomas Haider Program in Biomedical Sciences is a model for educating physicians orientated toward serving their communities. The school will continue that tradition with the Thomas Haider Program at the UCR School of Medicine — maintaining its charter to recruit and admit students from UC Riverside and support students through a variety of pipeline programs. The new program, according to Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs Neal Schiller, “embodies the vision of Dr. and Mrs. Haider and continues their legacy of educating physicians for distinguished medical careers in service to our local communities.” The couple was also recognized for their leadership in promoting the medical school’s establishment. “We would not be here today celebrating the opening of this new medical school … without Tom and Salma Haider,” said G. Richard Olds, founding dean of the medical school and UCR vice chancellor for health affairs. UCR Winter 2013 | 17 Growing Promise Natasha V. Raikhel is one of the most highly cited researchers in plant science. The distinguished professor, who was elected to the National Academy of Sciences for her excellence in original scientific research this year, wears many hats at UCR. She’s the Ernst and Helen Leibacher Endowed Chair in Plant Molecular, Cell Biology & Genetics and the director of UCR’s Center the N atasha V. Raikhel’ s lauded career in plant science is rooted in a serious musical education BY IQBAL PITTALWALA You were originally slated to be a concert pianist, but you chose biology over the conservatory. Why did you change your mind? I had been studying piano since I was a little girl. In my last year of specialized music high school, a teacher for my conducting class had a chat with me and questioned whether I could successfully compete as a concert pianist. I had grown up playing to receptive and appreciative audiences, but I realized that although I was a very capable student, I would probably never be one of the select few at the top. I was devastated and thought my life was over; however, I made the decision to start again. I went to evening high school, and worked as a music teacher to pay private tutors to learn chemistry, math, physics and biology. The hard work paid off and I was able to pass exams and enroll in the biology department at Leningrad State University. In retrospect, I am glad that I had a serious musical education. Studying for many years in 18 | UCR Winter 2013 for Plant Cell Biology and the Institute for Integrative Genome Biology. Raikhel recognized the importance of the genomic revolution to biology early on and pioneered the use of chemical genomics. She talks about cultivating her love for plant science and gives future scientists some advice. Can art and science live together? Should scientists take an interest in art, and artists in science? I have an incredible admiration for art and believe that the ability to love and enjoy art helps me to have a fuller, more interesting and exciting life. Both science and art require a higher level of creativity and hard work so, in many ways, scientists and artists are wired the same way. I wish there were more connections and interactions between scientists and artists at UCR. What advice do you have for young people aspiring to be scientists? a dedicated music school taught me to appreciate the arts and to be disciplined and organized. These traits have helped me in the past and continue to help me today. What has the Ernst and Helen Leibacher Endowed Chair in Plant Molecular, Cell Biology and Genetics allowed you to do? When I came to UCR in 2002 I wanted to set up a chemical biology platform for my own program and UCR’s Center for Plant Cell Biology (CEPCEB), which had just been established. I applied funds allocated by the administration for CEPCEB’s inception to establishing microscopy, bioinformatics and later proteomics cores and to updating our genomics capabilities. Using the Ernst and Helen Leibacher Chair fund, I purchased the first chemical library of 2,000 compounds and my lab performed the first chemical screen. After that I encouraged other CEPCEB members to use this small library and I purchased a library of 10,000 compounds. The rest is history. To read Raikhel’s thoughts on genomics research, the value of plants and more go to I originated from a country (USSR) and city (Leningrad) that no longer exist. When I decided to leave I was already an assistant professor at the Institute of the Academy of Science. I remember my laboratory supervisor at the Collaborating in the Genomics Building In 2009, more than 200 faculty, graduate students, and academic and postdoctoral researchers moved into the new Genomics Building, home of the Institute for Integrative Genome Biology (IIGB) and its affiliated centers. The building was uniquely constructed as the first on campus with an open lab and office design to stimulate interactivity and creativity among members of different research groups — which is key to the rapidly evolving field of genomics. Here are five ways the building makes a difference at UCR: UCRMAGAZINE.UCR.EDU institute — a member of the USSR National Academy of Science who had a chance to travel abroad — telling me I must have lost my mind to leave such a desirable position. He also said it was unlikely that I would get a job as a scientist in the United States; most likely, I would be sweeping the streets of New York and never have close friends. I immigrated with my family in 1978 with a personal fortune of $25. My husband and I had to start all over again as postdocs. I felt completely lost and wondered how I could ever make the language, scientific and social transitions required to survive and succeed in this country. But the American academic system is characterized by greater diversity and a fairer atmosphere of competition than the one I left behind. It drives one to take intellectual risks and achieve more. In America, I found a place where prestige and intellectual and economic rewards were all reasonable potential goals. I never dreamt of being where I am today, but I always worked hard and loved doing science. I want young people to see that with all the pluses and minuses, we are very fortunate to live in this incredible country. There is no other place in this world that offers an opportunity to reach for the stars: one only needs to work hard and love what he/she is doing. • The building is shared by biologists, chemists, engineers and computational scientists from nine departments, which creates an atmosphere that is inviting, inclusive, and problem-solving. • The infrastructure of shared laboratories, postdoc and student offices, meeting rooms, break rooms and lobby invites interactions, multidisciplinary collaborations and an intellectually stimulating culture. • Proximity to the core instrumentation technologies facilitates state-of-the-art research. • Multimedia 100-seat lecture hall enables active seminar series, symposia, faculty forums, student gatherings, and workshops. • Large lobby offers space for weekly informal coffee hours, poster sessions and spontaneous events. UCR Winter 2013 | 19 Live Barn From the As it evolved from folk hangout to beer-drenched dive to campus hotspot, the beating heart at the center BY ROSS FRENCH Built in 1917, the Barn holds the distinction as one of the most recognizable structures on the University of California, Riverside, campus. But that’s not what makes the Barn famous. It’s the music. Ask musicians and their fans from Southern California about great music venues in the Inland region and it won’t be long before you hear “the Barn.” It’s small; a 2,500-square-foot space with a stage that, at 320 square feet, would barely fit a gospel choir. The 300-person-capacity space evolved from a coffee shop in the ‘50s, to a rickety dive that smelled of beer and sweat in the ‘90s. During an early 2000s renovation, the Barn was transformed with fresh paint, refurbished floors and squeaky-clean interiors. One thing hasn’t changed in 50 years, however: It’s still an amazing, intimate place to see a show. “Artists and students have a unique appreciation for the history of the Barn and who has performed on our stage throughout the years,” said David Sakover, a UCR graduate and the Barn’s public events manager. “Artists feel connected to history on our stage while students’ school pride is further reinforced by 20 | UCR Winter 2013 “It was actually pretty easy getting artists to play at the Barn, based on its long and amazing history of shows.” — Bill Fold, producer knowing that No Doubt, Blink 182 or even Sublime played at a place they pass every day on their way to class.” The Barn opened as an eatery in 1955, shortly after the campus was established, with a small stage for performers. The 1956 Tartan Yearbook described it as a favorite hangout for “meet’in and eat’in.” A new stage was installed in 1968 and a regular schedule of weekend performances began. Over the next 20 years the Barn evolved, hosting a variety of events including music performances, cabarets and poetry readings. “Our location between L.A. and San Diego allowed us to do some great bookings,” said Andy Plumley, assistant vice chancellor for housing, dining and residential services who was a student from 1977 to 1982 and managed the Barn from 1986 to 1988. “We had concerts Wednesdays and Saturdays. Sundays featured a nationally recognized folk music series organized by the late Dot Harris. Thursdays featured a variety of offerings, from poetry readings to open mic, and Friday was comedy night.” It wasn’t just musicians who passed through the Barn on their way to stardom. Bill Fold, a Riverside native who has gone on to work with Goldenvoice as director/producer for the annual Coachella and Stagecoach festivals, promoted shows at the Barn in the mid-1990s with his company, 98 Posse. Fold brought in a who’s who of punk and ska bands, including No Doubt, the Aquabats, Dance Hall Crashers and Blink 182. Poet Saul Williams performed at the Barn last September. of the Barn has always been music “It was actually pretty easy getting artists to play at the Barn, based on its long and amazing history of shows,” Fold said. “By 1996 we had a great reputation and it seemed like we were turning down more shows than we were promoting.” “The Barn has always been about finding performers who were up-and-coming, unique, or getting critical acclaim,” Louis Vandenberg, KUCR station manager, said. A more recent example is the Los Angeles-based band Foster the People, which played at the Barn on Sept. 29, 2010. Ten months later, the band had a No. 1 hit single with “Pumped Up Kicks.” The video featured footage shot during their show at the Barn and has been viewed on YouTube more than 96.9 million times. Sakover, who most recently booked spoken-word artist Saul Williams at the Barn, said curating unique concert experiences for students is what helps set the venue apart. “By representing our student body, maintaining artistic integrity and keeping our ears directed to the pulse of the campus and community, the Barn will remain a very important venue to popular music as well a historical landmark on the UCR campus.” For years, there’s been a UCR legend that folk singer Bob Dylan played at the Barn. It was one of those things that everyone knew — a source of Highlander pride. It’s proven that the legendary singer played at UCR on Feb. 25, 1964, two weeks after the release of his ground-breaking album “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” But when a story in a 2004 UCR magazine declared the venue to be the Barn, alumnus Ralph A. Sorensen (’67) corrected the record: “I remember it well because the crowd lined up for the show was listening to the heavyweight fight. Just before the doors opened, the young Cassius Clay knocked out Sonny Liston. Bob Dylan opened the show with his anti-boxing anthem ‘Who Killed Davy Moore?’ The conflicted crowd cheered nonetheless. And the concert was in the gym; the number of fanatical students and faculty was much too great for the Barn!” However, eyewitness testimony wasn’t enough; we needed proof. The Tartan Yearbook from 1964 published a photo of Dylan, but no venue. That year’s Highlander issues? Zilch. Our last resort was The Press-Enterprise. The Rivera Library has all the paper’s issues on microfilm. We scanned every headline of every page, and finally, we found it. On Feb. 23, 1964, the bottom of page A-14 had a tiny ad: “Bob Dylan, singing folk poet in concert, UCR Gym, Tuesday. Feb. 25, 8 p.m. $1.50.” So Dylan didn’t play at the Barn. And, for that matter, neither did Radiohead, Tina Turner nor Elton John (Radiohead played at the Rec Center when they opened for Soul Asylum; Tina Turner appeared at the gym, Elton John at Riverside City College). But hundreds of other established folk artists — as well as up-and-comers from various genres — did play there. “The Barn will always be a unique college venue reflective of generations of music lovers,” said David Sakover, the Barn’s public events manager. “It is the audience, the UCR college students, staff and faculty who will ultimately write the future of the Barn.” ... But These Guys Did! Rock Stars Remember ... But These Guys Did! Rock Stars Remember We have a ton of memories at the Barn; I remember lighting fireworks and getting scolded by the campus administration. It was the epicenter for UCR students, going to shows and having fun. It had a funky smell, like sweat and puke and beer. — Christian Jacobs, lead singer, Aquabats The Barn was kind of like the Wild West, but it was a great place to play. It brought people together; there was always a touring act with an audience and local acts fronting the big bands bringing even more people. We played with Korn once before they broke; Sublime was in the patio and Korn was inside. — Miguel Happoldt, producer, Sublime We used to play at the Barn with No Doubt, back when they had a different lead singer, Lee. He and Gwen Stefani would share the vocals. This kid would be so enthusiastic and so cool, he would tell us, “Are you ready tonight? Did you bring your game? Cause we’re going to blow your doors down.” — Jerry Miller, lead singer, Untouchables Do you have amazing memories from the Barn? Share them and watch a video on venue’s cultural legacy on UCR Winter 2013 | 21 UCRMAGAZINE.UCR.EDU j 5 A Look at the White Legacy 5 HOW TIMOTHY P. WHITE BECAME ONE OF UCR’S MOST BELOVED CHANCELLORS IN JUST FOUR YEARS BY 22 | UCR Winter 2013 FRANCES FERNANDES Chancellor White touched his UCR constituents at every level — he brought cookies (and his dog!) to greet students at the library during finals week, and starred in the reality TV show “Undercover Boss.” A few days before he packed up his office and moved it to the Long Beach headquarters of the California State University, UCR’s eighth chancellor, Timothy P. White, walked into a meeting he called with Inland-area education and business leaders. The Federation for a Competitive Economy (FACE) had gathered to review their successes and ensure commitment to programs going forward – programs that White will no longer be shepherding. He set the tone at the meeting’s onset, talking about the moral imperative to fight for the young and the shared responsibility for addressing society’s ills through education. It’s a scene that was repeated many times after White announced in October that he would leave UC Riverside to assume leadership of the 23-campus California State University System – perhaps the largest single university system in the world. The last-minute FACE meeting typified his sense of commitment to higher education in California at all levels, and provides insight into the reason behind his unexpected move to the Cal State system — a position he did not expect to get. The UC Riverside campus has changed dramatically in his four years as chancellor, but White says that his contribution was merely to set priorities and tone. “As a chancellor you don’t do anything other than insist that we have discussions and commit to a direction and follow it through,” he says. “Detail work occurs because of faculty students and staff.” This attitude — a talent for teamwork — endeared White to those around him, and makes sense for a former jock who foresaw a career path as a coach rather than as an academic. Perhaps it was sports that taught him the balance between the team and the coach. But it’s also true that team wins and losses are credited to the coach. Early in his tenure White was determined to set team UC Riverside on a winning trajectory, and he recruited 144 people from faculty, staff, students and the community to work through needs and aspirations for every aspect of academic life to write a strategic plan. The result was a 50-page road map, “UCR 2020, The Path to Preeminence,” that incorporated the characteristics of the best academic institutions in the country, filtered through the lens of the America-of-the-future — a country like the UCR campus, where many strands of difference are interwoven to create a strong fabric. America is evolving into a country of difference rather than homogenization, he says. “The outside is the new inside.” He saw his task as showing young women and men from disadvantaged backgrounds that they are those new insiders, that UC Riverside is an exemplar of how to reach academic excellence with a diversity of people, that the campus and its students are the face of California and of a new America. The catalyst for those messages came, he says, came from his personal story. His experiences as an immigrant child — rejection by peers, denigration by teachers, even colleagues — became an inspiration for his students, many of whom also had been made to feel like outsiders. He propagated this message on a national scale through his appearance in CBS’s “Undercover Boss.” Millions of Americans were given a glimpse of a campus where the chancellor reflected the background of a diverse, often low-income student body, and where differences were embraced and valued, and where students were excelling. It was part of the compelling narrative of UC Riverside. It was a story of aspiration and success that refused to be discouraged. He faced up to the tough fiscal choices but worked even harder to keep up spirits and optimism, and imbue the campus community with a can-do attitude. “What I’m most satisfied about is not having put up the white flag and say, ‘Hang on until things get better,’” he says. “I continued to execute and narrow the focus and get things done.” And he did get things done: a medical school, a school of public policy, expanded business degrees, increased private giving, a new systemwide service center, and strategic research investment. White shrugs off praise for his successes in Riverside. “I actually feel, ‘Riverside you have done a nice job on me. I should be thanking you because you made me grow and become a better human being and a more grateful human being.’” The welcome he received, the lessons he learned and the progress he made have imbued him with the confidence to tackle the vast and diverse Cal State system. He sees CSU as an opportunity to deliver that message of inclusion, of excellence through diversity on a larger scale. The greater access to Sacramento and to Washington, D.C., offers an opportunity to improve the approach to higher education in California. And in that way he will be in the spirit of creating a more competitive economy. *** At the FACE meeting, White reiterated the obligation to reach out to parents and children with the message, “Yes, you can go to college.” He listened, modeled respect and appreciation for his colleagues, and then elegantly passed the baton to them as it drew to a close. The message was clear: I may no longer be here, but I will still be carrying on the struggle, even if from a different battle ground. jj “UCR 2020, The Path to Preeminence” incorporated the characteristics of the best academic institutions in the country, filtered through the lens of the America-of-thefuture — a country like the diverse UCR campus. jj UCR Winter 2013 | 23 FROM MIND TO MARKET: THE LA REVIEW OF BOOKS 1 I grew up reading the book review section that came with my Sunday paper. It was my introduction to literary culture. I wasn’t reading many of the books, of course, but I was introduced to a world in which people talked to each other about books, and to the idea of an ongoing conversation — 24 | UCR Winter 2013 BY TOM LUTZ The demise of the serious book review in newspapers led Tom Lutz, a professor of creative writing at UCR, to establish the Los Angeles Review of Books (lareviewofbooks.org). The nonprofit, online publication not only reviews books, it also features interviews, essays and art from more than 250 award-winning writers and contributing editors, and more than 100 artists. Editor in chief Lutz tells us how his idea became a reality. one that was directed at both current preoccupations and the culture and history of earlier eras. I knew there was a large world out there beyond my comprehension in which really smart people talked to each other about their deep, deep pools of knowledge. 2 3 Then I went to school. I got a B.A., an M.A., then a Ph.D. in literature. I read many more books and many more reviews; some academic, some mainstream. I always wished the academic ones were more accessible and could reach a wider audience. It seemed a shame to me that all of the interesting work that graduate students and professors in the humanities were doing remained unreadable to most people, including the very people who might most find it useful — serious readers. When I graduated from high school, in the middle of the countercultural revolution, I read a fair amount, much of it what I call the hippie curriculum — the Beats, Hunter Thompson, Carlos Castaneda, Aldous Huxley, a sprinkling of Eastern scripture, Richard Brautigan, the Whole Earth catalog, Buckminster Fuller — but I didn’t go to a university. I spent many years reading as an autodidact, and the Sunday book reviews remained my main source of book news and book talk. Illustrations by Colin Hayes 5 4 I was in the middle of writing a couple books, but I decided this was more important. I started asking my friends if they would help. 7 They had seen the same problems and said yes, enthusiastically. I started to send notes asking people — beginning with my colleagues at UC Riverside, and then to writers I knew through PEN USA and in Hollywood — to sign on as contributing editors. It meant nothing; really, nothing existed to contribute to yet. But they supported the idea and they were ready to step up. A few years ago I watched the print book reviews dying around the country — the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, SF Chronicle, Boston Globe and many others all cancelled their Sunday supplements. I had felt privileged to be able to write for many of them, and I thought it a tragedy for our culture that they were disappearing. I felt like giving back a bit of what they had given me, so I decided I had to do something about it. 6 Hundreds of people donated their time as writers, reviewers, editors and tech people, and individual readers donated money to keep us afloat. We published a million-and-a-half words in the last year and a half, and we now have readers in all 50 states and 150 countries around the world. Salman Rushdie praises us, as do publications as diverse as the New Yorker, Forbes, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Paris Review and Publishers Weekly. We have correspondents from Egypt, Britain, Pakistan, South Africa, Australia, Russia, and France. We feel we have a distinctly Southern California take on the A couple of important patrons — Jamie Wolf and Albert Litewka — came forward and gave us the necessary money to get started. The dean of CHASS, Steve Cullenberg, offered to help with both staff time and money. Margot Frankel — graphic designer, artist friend and poker enemy — worked on creating an innovative interface. A web company in Santa Monica, TedPerez + Associates, agreed to engineer the site pro bono. Check out the LA Review of books online at world, unafraid of popular culture or high culture, mixing it up every way we can, trying to reinvent ourselves as we go. We are also trying, in every way we can, to build a lasting literary institution. With continued luck and continued support from our readers and the literary and intellectual communities, we will manage. LAREVIEWOFBOOKS.ORG UCR Winter 2013 | 25 PAGE TURNERS Memories of the Sherman Institute, a Drinking History, Rare Photos of the Mexican Revolution and Other Page Turners These books are available for purchase at the UCR Campus Store and online at www.ucrcampusstore. ucr.edu They have been discounted up to 30 percent. 26 | UCR Winter 2013 The Indian School on Magnolia Avenue: Voices and Images from Sherman Institute Edited by Clifford Trafzer, Matthew Gilbert (’04 M.A., ’06 Ph.D.) and Lorene Sisquoc Oregon State University Press November 2012, 232 pages In 1902, the federal government opened the Sherman Institute in Riverside to transform American Indian students into productive farmers, carpenters, homemakers, nurses, cooks, and seamstresses. Indian students helped build the school and worked daily at Sherman; teachers provided vocational education and placed them in employment through the Outing Program. Despite the fact that Indian boarding schools — with their agenda of cultural genocide — prevented students from speaking their languages, singing their songs, and practicing their religions, most students learned to read, write, and speak English. Most also survived to benefit themselves and contribute to the well-being of Indian people. “The Indian School on Magnolia Avenue” is an indispensable volume for scholars and general readers in the fields of Native American studies, history, education, public policy, and historical photography. Trafzer is a professor of American history and the Rupert Costo Chair in American Indian Affairs at UCR. Drinking History: Fifteen Turning Points in the Making of American Beverages By Andrew F. Smith (’70 M.A.) Columbia University Press December 2012, 336 pages Marriages and Families in the 21st Century: A Bioecological Approach By Tasha R. Howe (’94 M.A., ’96 Ph.D.) Wiley-Blackwell September 2011, 576 pages In this book, Andrew F. Smith recounts the individuals, ingredients, corporations, controversies, and myriad events responsible for America’s diverse and complex beverage scene. Smith revisits the country’s major historical moments through booze: colonization, the American Revolution, the Whiskey Rebellion, the temperance movement, Prohibition, and repeal. The result is an intoxicating encounter with an often-overlooked aspect of American culture and global influence. Americans have invented, modified and commercialized thousands of beverages. These include uncommon cocktails, varieties of coffee and milk, and such iconic creations as Welch’s grape juice, Coca-Cola, root beer, and Kool-Aid. Smith rediscovers America’s vast literary and cultural engagement with beverages and their relationship to politics, identity and health. In her book, Howe covers all the important family issues — including parenting, divorce, aging families, balancing work and family, family violence, and gender issues — using a bioecological framework. The book also examines the state of modern families using a strengths-based approach, which allows students to evaluate the health of a family by considering the biological and cultural milieu in which it exists, rather than on its observable structure or appearance alone. An accessible writing style, coupled with numerous studentfriendly pedagogical features help readers come to a multilayered understanding of “what makes families tick,” while also challenging them to reevaluate their own assumptions and experiences. Smith is a freelance writer and speaker on culinary matters. Howe is a Fulbright scholar and professor of psychology at Humboldt State University. Islam: An Essential Understanding for Fellow Americans By Manzoor Hussain (’73 Ph.D.) Vantage Press May 2012, 364 pages Manzoor Hussain, an American Muslim, looks over the present landscape of the United States and sees fellow Americans laboring under many misconceptions about Islam — what he calls the most misunderstood religion in the West. His response is to delineate Islam from its inception through its extraordinarily rich history, making the religion’s most seemingly opaque foundations transparent. Hussain discusses Islam’s wealth of achievements in subjects as far ranging as mathematics, astronomy, law, chemistry, physics, medicine and philosophy, thereby showing how humans strive to demonstrate the ways we want and value the same things. Scholarly in its clarity and thoroughness, “Islam: An Essential Understanding for Fellow Americans” doesn’t shirk from tackling the thorniest issues of the day, all of which receive sober and thoughtful attention. Hussain teaches Islamic Studies at Noor-Ul-Iman, an Islamic high school in New Jersey. Intangibles: Big-League Stories and Strategies for Winning the Mental Game — in Baseball and in Life By Geoff Miller (’95 B.A.) Byte Level Books August 2012, 276 pages Mental skills coach Geoff Miller has spent years helping professional baseball players improve their mental toughness — both on and off the field. Now, he’s making these invaluable lessons available to everyone who loves the game of baseball. From high school to the major leagues, all baseball players struggle with competition, pressure and their own personal challenges. This book, through inspiring stories about professional baseball players in various stages of their careers, as well as hands-on tips and questionnaires, will help players evaluate and improve the mental skills that are necessary for that competitive edge. Whether you hope to be a big-league player someday, or whether you simply want to play your best game, this book is essential for all athletes who want to learn how to overcome fear, build confidence, and develop a mental framework for success. Mexico at the Hour of Combat: Sabino Osuna’s Photographs of the Mexican Revolution Edited by Ronald Chilcote Laguna Wilderness Press November 2012, 120 pages Sabino Osuna, a skilled commercial photographer, captured striking images of the first major revolution of the 20th century with his documentation of the Mexican Revolution. He was able to successfully record the battle and the people involved in it at close range. The focus of this volume is Osuna’s special collection of 427 images, currently held in the Tomás Rivera Library’s special collections at UCR. The Osuna images highlight the impact of the revolution and the importance of the personalities of the dominant class. More importantly, the images abstractly reveal the Mexican conception of national identity. The book includes essays about Osuna and his photographs by Peter Briscoe, Ronald Chilcote, Carlos Cortès, Georg Gugelberger, Eliud Martinez, and Tyler Stallings. Chilcote is a UCR professor emeritus of economics. Cat O’ Nine Tails By Ben Stoltzfus Neo Literati Press December 2012, 95 pages ”Cat O’ Nine Tails” consists of nine stories about cats and how cats have influenced certain characters. Although ostensibly about felines, the stories are also playful postmodern explorations of language, the creative process, images, sounds and cultural practices. Its settings —which range from New England to southern France, California to Cuba — are as diverse as the stories. They explore themes of vanity, bodily harm, the myth of cats having nine lives and the cruelty of boys toward cats — a cruelty that is mitigated by the linguistic weave and verbal play in which it is embedded. Beautifully written and exceedingly intricate, “Cat O’ Nine Tails” embraces the captivity of American literary fiction. Stoltzfus is a novelist, translator, literary critic and retired professor of comparative literature, French and creative writing at UCR. Miller is a partner at Winning Mind, a San Diego-based company that helps people in sports, business and the military perform well under pressure. UCR Winter 2013 | 27 HOW I SEE IT FACEBOOK FEEDBACK We asked on Facebook: Describe an aha moment that you had during your time at UC Riverside. Be our “friend” on UCR’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/UCRiverside to answer future questions! It was when I realized that time spent outside of class is equally crucial to time spent in class. I was looking for the “TBD” building freshmen year first quarter and realizing it meant “to be [disclosed]”! When I realized my professor was not going to hound me to do my homework like my high school teacher. It was when I met Professor Bronwyn Leebaw, a wonderful lecturer, powerful woman and fantastic mentor who helped me find my own voice (grounded in research and coursework) in a way that fully captured what I was thinking. The human rights classes I took with her helped me find the language to engage in work in the field. Without her, I would not be lucky enough to [be] a law student focusing on human rights. Ashley N. Koda ’05 Lisa Marshall ’11 Diane Franco ’06 Mansur Syed ‘07 Sitting on the lawn by the bell tower on a weekday, watching a band at a nooner. Knowing life wouldn’t always be this good... . Erica Benson Hallock ’92 Finals week of my freshman year, when [former] Chancellor White walked into the library wielding cookies and his dog. He really made the school feel so much tighter. Stephanie Cummings, pre-med student 28 | UCR Winter 2013 My first day of class with John Louis Beatty, professor of English history. He slowly sauntered in wearing a tweed coat. He had those huge bushy eyebrows and held a pipe in hand. He gazed at the entire lecture hall deliberately, took his lecture notes out and slowly placed them on the lecturn. I waited excitedly, pen in hand, certain I was about to hear brilliance personified. And then Beatty bellowed out: “I AM THE ONLY DAMN PERSON IN THE WORLD WHO GETS DANDRUFF IN HIS EYEBROWS!” The class erupted and I knew then that learning can be really enjoyable and to expect the unexpected from UCR professors! Charles Dulaney ‘70 My moment came before I officially enrolled at UCR. I was trying to decide on the right college. I thought, “UCR is beautiful, financially accessible, and offers the perfect program for my major ... AHA! I’m going to be a Highlander.” Haven’t looked back since. Rebecca Paredes, creative writing student It was when I discovered that the Orbach Library was a quiet sanctuary compared to the Rivera Library. I was a sociology major, so most of my classes were in Watkins, Sproul, or INTS. It was so worth the longer walk. Too bad it wasn’t open 24/7! Fred Saliba ‘11 D DANCE Revolution THE ANNUAL FUNDRAISER FOR THE GUARDIAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM BENEFITS EMANCIPATED FOSTER YOUTH GOING TO COLLEGE AT UCR, BUT THE D A N C E M A R AT H O N ORGANIZERS SAY THE EVENT HAS CHANGED THEIR LIVES AS WELL. In 2012, the UCR Dance Marathon — a six-hour dance event sponsored by the Student Alumni Association and the Golden Key International Honour Society — raised $15,000 for the Guardian Scholars Program, which amounts to half of the program’s operating budget for the year. It gave students who were emancipated from foster care before coming to UCR access to scholarships, housing, life coaching and employment assistance. The team’s organizers tell us why the Dance Marathon plays such a big part in their lives. People need to know the definition of “emancipated foster youth” and all the obstacles they have to overcome. — Nancy Matti, director of involvement As a Guardian Scholar student, I was touched and appreciative of what the [Dance Marathon organizers] were doing for us. — Serkadis Krohm, liason We’ve spent almost an entire year working on the Dance Marathon. It’s been a lot of teamwork. — Fannie Martinez, morale chair Working with others, being a leader — [I learned many] things I would have never been able to learn in a classroom. — Lynn Chang, executive director I was very moved [by the Guardian Scholars’ stories]. Once they [age out of] the foster care system [they are] thrown into the real world. Some do not have family and most do not have the money for college. This is what the Guardian Scholars Program fixes and what Dance Marathon helps to do. I’ve had [my parents’] support my entire life. It was very hard to hear that some of my peers do not have that. — Claire Cuenca, director of logistics I am honored to say I helped with an event that benefits so many individuals. ... I wonder what kind of dancing I will see! — Amanda Valdez, fundraising chair The Guardian Scholars showed me what family is about. Being a part of the Dance Marathon has helped me see that family is not just the one you are born into or raised with, but it can form at any given time ... with the truest of warmth and love for those people. — Alma Paez, sponsorship chair Watch a video recap of the Dance Marathon 2012 UCR Winter 2013 | 29 UCRMAGAZINE.UCR.EDU ALUMNI CONNECTION gh CALENDAR Attention, Bloggers! The Alumni Association is looking for contributors to the official Alumni Association Blog (alumniblog.ucr.edu). We are looking for alumni to write on current events, career tips, how to stay connected and more! If you are interested in participating in the alumni blog, please contact Nick Difilippo at [email protected]. Froukje Schaafsma-Smith “Linings: Silver and Otherwise” THURSDAY, MAY 16, 5:30 P.M. – 7 P.M. Join us for a special opening reception for Froukje SchaafsmaSmith (’86 B.A., ’87 T.C.) on Thursday, May 16, from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Alumni & Visitors Center. Schaafsma-Smith is an artist and arts educator with more than 20 years experience. Her autobiographical, narrative art has been featured in one-person and group exhibitions and is in the public collections of UCR and UCLA. Her work was featured in the Ontario Invitational Art Exhibition at the Ontario Museum of History and Art. She also received the Curatorial Award at the Members’ Art Exhibition 2012 at the Riverside Art Museum. “Linings: Silver and Otherwise” is a series of one-ofa-kind works using different media: printmaking, artist books and textiles. These works employ paper, cardboard and fabric — many repurposed, recycled and recombined — embellished with thread, pins and notions. “Linings: Silver and Otherwise” symbolically explores the ofteninvisible underpinnings that provide stability, structure and support to our lives. To RSVP for the opening art reception, please call (951) 827-2586. Travel the Globe and Expand Your Horizons Do you have a passion for exploration? Let the UCR Alumni Association help you explore your travel interests. Pack your bags and discover global treasures that will enhance your appreciation of the peoples and cultures of the world. • Black Sea and the Crimea, cruise aboard the six-star Silversea all-suite ship, June 25 to July 3. • Experience a Taste of Europe, from London to Barcelona, luxury cruise aboard the elegant Nautica cruise ship, Aug. 26 to Sept. 6. • Village Life in the Italian Lake District, featuring lakes Como and Maggiore, the Borromean Islands, and Bellagio, Oct. 5 to 13. Visit the UCR Alumni Association’s website (alumni.ucr. edu/travel) to view pricing and program details. Tour participants, whether UCR alumni or not, must be members of the UCR Alumni Association. Each member may bring 30one Winter 2013 | UCRtravel companion as a guest. MARCH 1-2 Homecoming and Parents Day There is something for everyone at Homecoming and Parents Day. Bring the whole family to campus for the special celebration! Activities include: • Scot Fest and Homecoming basketball game vs. University of the Pacific. • Back to Class program. • Poetry reading with California Poet Laureate, UCR Professor Juan Felipe Herrera. • Gluck Fellow interactive presentation: THREEWII – Music & Digital Technology. • Botanic Gardens tour. • Cooking demonstration featuring UCR chefs. • Entomology’s Bug Pet Zoo. • HEAT Music Festival. • Hike to the “C” and more! For more information and to register visit alumni.ucr.edu/ homecoming. MARCH 1-2 Alumni Reunions at Homecoming Reunions are a great time to see old classmates, renew friendships, and connect with your alma mater. Tell your classmates to meet you at Homecoming! Alumni are invited to these special reunions at Homecoming: • Pan African Theme Hall 20th anniversary alumni reunion. • CHASS Connect 10th anniversary alumni reunion. • UCR Tour Ambassadors alumni reunion. • Bourns College of Engineering Alumni vs. Faculty basketball game and reception. How to contact the UCR Alumni Association: • College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences alumni reception. • College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences alumni celebration. • Graduate School of Education alumni reception. • School of Business Administration Blues & Brews reception. For more information and to register, visit alumni.ucr.edu/ homecoming. MARCH 18-19 UC Day in Sacramento UC Day is the one time of the year when all 10 UC campuses come together to meet with elected officials on issues facing the University of California system. No other group within the university community is as effective as alumni and parents in reaching public officials and promoting the needs of UCR, and we hope you will be able join us. For more information, visit alumni. ucr.edu/ucday. APRIL 22 San Diego Alumni Reception with New Interim Chancellor Meet and network with fellow San Diego-area alumni and hear from special guest Interim Chancellor Jane Close Conoley about the latest developments taking place at UCR. Reception is free. Register to attend by April 15 at alumni.ucr.edu/events. Website: alumni.ucr.edu E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (951) UCR-ALUM or (800) 426-ALUM (2586) ’66 William Pennell was appointed to the board of directors for Pan Global Resources Inc., a Balkansfocused borate and lithium developer. His experience in minerals exploration spans 39 years, 18 of which were spent serving as a geologist with Getty Oil Co.’s Minerals Exploration Department with responsibilities in the United States, Philippines, Canada, Australia, and Ireland, where he was Getty’s representative for minerals exploration and offshore oil and gas ventures. Afterward, he began working for U.S. Borax, which was eventually merged into the Rio Tinto Group. There he led divisions that discovered economic deposits of talc (Spain), soda ash (Wyoming and Turkey), both kaolin and calcium carbonate in the United States as well as identifying economically attractive deposits of vermiculite (Uganda) and potash (Canada). He was also part of the leadership of the teams that discovered borates in Argentina, Serbia and Bolivia, and the jadar (lithium borate) deposit in Serbia, which is now in advanced studies by Rio Tinto. He retired as Rio Tinto’s exploration director for industrial minerals in 2006 and serves on the board of trustees for the University of Nevada-Reno Foundation. 70s ’71 Pam Clute (’78 M.A., ’82 Ph.D.), assistant vice chancellor of educational and community engagement at UCR, 1 How has UCR led you to where you are now? 2 What do you feel are the perks of being a college dean? gh Dr. Lawrence E. Wolinsky ’70 B.S. CHEMISTRY 3 UCR played a critical part in developing my interest in science and my passion for chemistry. In dental school, because I had the Ph.D., I was actively recruited to a faculty position at UCLA. I was one of the few people in my class who had a job before school was completed. I spent the next 31 years at UCLA and still keep in contact with people from UCR. You get to do a lot of traveling and meet a lot of interesting people. Plus you get the largest office in the building. Your degree at UCR was in chemistry. What prompted the transition to health care? I did have a fascination with dentistry as an undergrad, but I was so involved with volunteering in a chemistry lab I put dentistry to the side and focused on learning science fundamentals. It wasn’t until I did a postdoc fellowship at Scripps Clinic that I realized my real passion was in using science to advance health care. While working with cancer cells, I began to develop a close relationship with clinical problems and how chemistry could help develop technologies to alleviate disease. 4 Larry is the dean of Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas. While at UCR, he was a chemistry buff and then applied his knowledge to dentistry and periodontology, spending more than 30 years of his career at UCLA School of Dentistry. gh was honored in October as one of California’s Leading Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) at the California STEM Summit 2012 in San Diego. Eleven women were chosen for this first-ever award by the California STEM Learning Network to honor leaders in STEM fields from education, business and industry, policy, research, nongovernmental organizations and governmental agencies. Names printed in blue indicate members of the UCR Alumni Association. To update your membership, visit www.alumni.ucr.edu Does your background in chemistry play a role in your culinary endeavors, including your recently published cookbook? My inspiration for the cookbook came from my family. When my kids were growing up they were always fascinated by the amount and type of cooking I did. I told them most of my interest in cooking came from my fascination with chemistry. Being an organic chemist, I spent a lot of time working with molecules. Cooking has a lot of the same attributes as synthetic organic chemistry. You use a lot of the same processes … heating things, cooking, mixing them together. 5 What is your favorite memory from UCR? I used to play in the band known as the Plague; I played electric piano and organ and was the lead singer. That band became popular with UC Riverside students. We used to play Friday night open dances in the quad. I have fond memories of all the students dancing and singing to tunes like “Light My Fire.” ’74 Jose Medina (’84 M.A.) was elected to represent the 61st Assembly District in November. He has served as a teacher in the Riverside Unified School District for nearly three decades, and has been a member of the Riverside Community College District for nearly 13 years. He is a threetime recipient of the National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship and was awarded a grant from the Organization of American States for research on Latin America. ’78 Michael P. Huerta was officially named the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Jan. 1. From June 23, 2010, Huerta was the deputy administrator at the FAA. He became acting administrator upon the resignation of Randy Babbitt on Dec. UCR Winter 2013 | 31 CLASS ACTS 60s TAKE FIVE CLASS ACTS 6, 2011. Last year President Obama nominated Huerta to serve as the permanent administrator of the FAA for a term of five years; the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination. Feel Secure in Your Retirement What are they? Illuminated manuscripts are books created entirely by hand. The term is most usually applied to codices — manuscripts of an ancient text — proo five people may scheduled by going to library.ucr. Enjoy: Invest inalso be edu/?view=collections/spcol. guaranteed •Guaranteed life income The UCR Deferred Gift Annuity future income and UCR students. •Fixed annuity rates Melissa Conway is head of Special •Immediate & future Collections and Archives fortax thesavings UCR Libraries. Call today to explore your options. Sample Rates for income starting at age 65 CURRENT AGE 45 50 55 60 (877) 249-0181 32 | UCR Winter 2013 RATE 8.8% 7.5% 6.4% 5.5% [email protected] ’79 Mary Figueroa was re-elected to the Riverside Community College board of trustees in November. She has served on the board since 1995 and previously had the role of board president. Mary spent more than 23 years in professional service to the correctional and law enforcement communities with California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation as a correctional counselor/peace officer, and with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office as a victim/witness advocate. She has also received numerous honors, including the YWCA’s Woman of Achievement Award in 2004 and the Inland Empire Influential Latina of the Year Award in 2005 by the Hispanic Image Awards. … Roberta H. Martínez was one of 10 Californians selected to receive the 2012 Maestro Award from the Latino Arts Network of California. The award honors artists and cultural workers who have been working in their communities over years, serving the public through their endeavors in arts and culture. Roberta has served as chair of Arts and Culture and the Library Commission for the city of Pasadena and sits on the Pasadena senior center board. She also serves as the executive director of Latino Heritage, an organization dedicated to promoting knowledge of Latino experience and history through arts and cultural programs in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. Roberta, a writer, is the author of “Latinos In Pasadena (Images of Americas Series),” (Arcadia Publishing, 2009). 80s ’86 Holly J. Mitchell was elected in November 2012 to represent the 54th Assembly District. Prior to this, she served as the representative for the 47th Assembly District. She worked in the Los Angeles district office of California State Sen. Diane Watson, providing community and constituent services and serving as a policy analyst for the California Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee. ’88 Mark Takano was elected to Congress from the 41st District in November 2012. He began his teaching career in the Rialto Unified School District in 1988 in schools serving predominantly Latino and African-American students. Since 2009, he has served as adviser to the Rialto High School Gay Straight Student Alliance. In 1990, Mark was elected to the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees, where he served as board president in 1991. As a trustee, he helped oversee the transition of the district’s Norco and Moreno Valley campuses to become independent colleges. He has also served on the advisory board of the Children’s Spine Foundation and the board of the chancellor’s Asian Pacific Islander Community Advisory Center at UCR. He also has served as chairman of the Riverside Mayor’s Task Force on the Digital Divide, chairman of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus of the California Democratic Party, is a charter member of the Association of Latino Community College Trustees, a member of the Association of California Asian American Trustees and a member of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education. He is also a recipient of the Martin Luther King Visionaries Award. ’95 V. Manuel Pérez was elected to represent the 95th Assembly District in November 2012. He previously represented the 80th Assembly District, where he served as chair of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy. He also served as a member of the Assembly committees on Aging and Long-term Care; Government Organization; Health; and Veterans Affairs; and as chair of the Select Committee on the Renewable Energy Economy in Rural California. Prior to this, he served as a school teacher, a youth advocate, and a community health care director, and was a member of the board of the Coachella Valley Unified School District. ’96 Ronald (Mike) Perry owns Klatch Coffee Inc., which was named Best Coffeehouse in America at a competition in Seattle. The company has coffeehouses in Rancho Cucamonga, San Dimas and Ontario. In November, he opened a coffeehouse in the United Airlines terminal at LAX. In addition to the coffeehouses, he also sells wholesale coffee to other coffee shops. ... Jeremy Suiter is an attorney in Newport Beach. He is a shareholder at Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth and was recently named the chair of the firm’s Business and Commercial Litigation Practice Group. Prior to joining Stradling in 2007, Jeremy was a litigation associate with Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles. He has experience as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Richard W. Vollmer Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama and the Hon. Mary Beck Briscoe of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. His practice focuses on business litigation, investor disputes and professional liability. TAKE FIVE Aside from the obvious answer … I don’t know! (Laughs) I look at the people who’ve won three Pulitzers for editorial cartooning and they’re such giants that I just can’t imagine myself in that category, so I try not to think about it. Believe it or not, there are a few other awards I’d still like to win. The Sigma Delta Chi, an award given by the Society of Professional Journalists, is one. A Robert F. Kennedy award would be nice, too. And then the Herblock prize! Herb Block was the cartoonist for the Washington Post for 50 years; he was an institution and he won three Pulitzers. gh Steve Breen 2 ‘94 T.C. gh 00s ’00 Diana Balistreri married Robert Ramirez in July. Diana is an account manager for Recyclebank You always say that UCR started you off on editorial cartooning. How did that happen? The great thing about UCR was its size. It was big enough, but it wasn’t too intimidating in size and scope. I was able to work up the courage to go into the Highlander office and ask if they wanted to run my cartoons. I don’t know if I would’ve done that at a bigger school. Not only did [the Highlander] say yes, they were very encouraging and helpful. I had a great adviser at the Highlander who was an adjunct professor at UCR, Bruce Reynolds. He recommended that I start drawing editorial cartoons instead of gag cartoons. I went to the Tomás Rivera Library and I checked out a bunch of editorial cartoon books and studied microfilm and the old bound volumes of Newsweek. That’s really where my schooling came from in terms of editorial cartooning — studying the works of these great masters and going back to the dorm room at Aberdeen-Inverness and trying to create my own cartoons at my desk. ‘92 B.A., POLITICAL SCIENCE The editorial cartoonist at the U-T San Diego, Steve is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, children’s book author and app creator. He credits his days at UCR for putting him on the path to professional cartooning. The last time we talked, you said the way to top winning one Pulitzer Prize was to win another. Now that you have two (one from 1998 and another from 2009), how are you planning to top that? 3 So you had your aha moment at UCR … 4 Has technology changed the way you draw? What’s your process? 5 What inspires your cartoons? Yes, I certainly did. I remember sitting in the lounge of the Tomás Rivera Library and waiting for my editorial cartooning books to arrive, and when they came, it was like Christmas morning. It was then that I realized I wanted to draw editorial cartoons for a living, and that is what I wanted to set my sights on. Not really, except that I use Photoshop now. I used to be a purist and not put color in my cartoons. Now I prefer it. I still draw them the same way I used to, which is pen and ink on paper. I pencil it first, and then I take that rough after my editor approves it, I put it on the light table and I trace it on to another piece of paper. Then I trace it and then I start inking it. The process takes two hours. Anytime I see an injustice, that tends to fire me up and get my juices flowing. Cartoons involving the presidency always seem to be more fun, no matter who is in office. I’m the rare conservative who thinks climate change is real and man-made. Also, business and economic issues tend to leave me a little cold. I was a business major when I started at UCR and I switched to political science because I thought business was boring. I took some great political science classes at UCR; they really opened up the world of politics and international relations to me in terms of the way I looked at the world. “Steve Breen: Can’t Stop Drawing,” an exhibition of Breen’s work, is currently on display at the Alumni and Visitors Center. and serves as the president of the UCR Alumni Association’s Los Angeles Chapter. … Paul Cook was elected to represent the 8th Congressional District in November 2012. He is a retired colonel from the Marine Corps where he served for 26 years. After retiring, he was elected to the Yucca Valley town council, ultimately serving as mayor. In 2006, he was elected as a representative in the California State Assembly where he served as chair of the Assembly UCR Winter 2013 | 33 CLASS ACTS 90s 1 Join the UCR Alumni Association for Life Marisol Aviña (’01) Proud UCRAA Life Member As a first-generation college graduate, I feel very fortunate to have the education and opportunities that UCR afforded me. I am honored to be an advocate for children with special needs, foster youth, at-risk students and English-language learners through my work at the California state Capitol, helping to draft and shape policy that affects the 6.1 million students in our K-12 education system. I’m proud to participate in the annual UC Day and in the UCRAA Scholarship application readings in Sacramento. Being part of the selection process allows me to have input in how our association fees help students in financial need. Marisol Aviña is consultant to the California State Assembly Education Committee in Sacramento. Become a lifetime member of the UCRAA. To join, call (951) UCR-ALUM (827-2586) www.alumni.ucr.edu/membership 34 | UCR Winter 2013 Veterans Affairs Committee. He has also taught history and political science at Copper Mountain College, California State University, San Bernardino, and UCR. … Anthony Rendon was elected to represent the 63rd Assembly District in November. Anthony is the executive director of Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services. Plaza is a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive child development and social and medical services to more than 2,100 children and families in Los Angeles County. Prior to this, he served as adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice at California State University, Fullerton, from January 2001 to May 2008. He previously worked with the California League of Conservation Voters, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, AIDS Walk Los Angeles, and Refugio Para Niños Foster Family Agency. ’02 Roger Hernández was elected in November 2012 to represent the 48th Assembly District. Prior to this, he represented the 57th District, where he was appointed to the leadership position of assistant majority whip by the speaker of the Assembly, and was also selected to serve as chair of the Select Committee on Low High School Matriculation Rates. In addition, he served on the Committee on Banking and Finance, the Health Committee, the Utilities and Commerce Committee, and the Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife. Prior to being elected to the Assembly, he was a professor of government at Rio Hondo and Citrus Community Colleges. He served as mayor and as a councilmember for the city of West Covina. Prior to his tenure on the City Council, Hernández was elected to the Rowland Unified School Board, were he served from November 1999 through July 2003. ’04 Leonel Mojica graduated from California Southern Law school in May 2010. He opened his own law office, which specializes in criminal and family law, in downtown Riverside in July 2012. ’07 Kyle Hiner received a California Science and Technology Policy fellowship from the California Council on Science and Technology, a nonprofit organization that offers expert advice to the state government and recommends solutions to science- and technology-related policy issues. Kyle specializes in the study of active black holes and their host galaxies. … Sivashankar Krishnakumar is part of LankanCorps, an organization founded to give people of Sri Lankan heritage the opportunity to professionally engage in social, cultural and economic development activities in Sri Lanka. Sivashankar was placed with the Foundation of Goodness, where he helped organize the Murali Harmony Cup, a cricket tournament. Alumna Seshma Kumararatne ’11 is also a member of the LankanCorps. She is placed at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies, where she is involved in various research projects, including a policy paper on Sri Lanka’s engagement with the diaspora. She aspires to an international career. Are you celebrating a milestone event? Maybe you published your latest book, you got elected into office or you just turned 100. Tell us all about it, send a picture, and we’ll celebrate with you! Email us at [email protected] and we’ll include it in the next UCR Magazine. W E R E M E M B E R according to Mike Capriotti, a ’66 John Greenwood, president of Coro Southern California. October, 2012. ’90 Timothy Moody, senior associate at Behre Dolbear Group Inc. October, 2012. ’07 Kelsey Goode. November, 2012. close friend. Brown is survived by his sisters, Janet Brown of Los Angeles and Rebecca Turner of La Plata, Md. Staff Historian, artist and longtime UCR videographer James “Jim” Brown (‘77) died Dec. 13. Brown spent his entire career helping UCR maximize its communications efforts through film, videography and photography. He often worked archival video into new productions, and his deep and sonorous voice is the ubiquitous narrator of countless UCR videos. Brown produced many shows about UCR that appear on UCTV and on Charter Cable. He also made videos for organizations in the community, which included documenting the history of immigrants to Riverside’s Chinatown. Brown was an artist and sculptor; he exhibited his work in a show called “SEEBESEEN” at the UCR Alumni and Visitors Center. Brown had a gruff exterior but a tender heart, and a real love for UC Riverside and its history. His father taught at UCR, so Brown grew up in campus housing and earned his bachelor’s degree in history. Later he edited a book on Riverside County history called “Harvest of the Sun: An Illustrated History of Riverside County.” He was hired as the campus videographer in August of 1983. Brown was a fan of the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris and designated his estate go to “that small jewel of a museum,” Faculty Abdel-Hamid Zaki, a research scientist who dedicated 15 years of his life to studying the diseases of avocado trees at UCR’s Plant Pathology Department, passed away on Nov. 28. Zaki was known to his family and friends as Hamada. He was born on Sept. 4, 1938, in Alexandria, Egypt. He is survived by Louise, his loving wife of 48 years, and by his children, Salwa, Sherif and Amir, their spouses and seven grandchildren. His son Amir is an associate professor in the Department of Art at UCR. Zaki earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Alexandria, Egypt. He earned his Ph.D. in plant pathology from the University of Minnesota in 1964. After teaching at the University of Ain Shams in Cairo, Zaki and his family moved to California in 1969. It was at UCR that Zaki and his colleagues spent lunch hours playing tennis and he became an avid competitor. Following his tenure at UCR, he taught math and science at Beaumont High School until his retirement in 1999. Zaki continued to serve the youth of our community as a substitute teacher until this past spring. Throughout his life, Zaki truly enjoyed lively philosophical discussions with family and close friends. He lived a very active life and was a spirited competitor. Tennis and chess were among his favorites. His friends and family will remember him for his genuine warmth, his generosity of spirit, and his unwavering love and support. His open heart and willingness to engage in meaningful conversations will be deeply missed. Paul Dudley Wilson, 83, who was instrumental in developing the neuroscience program at UCR, died on Oct. 9, 2012, at his home in Riverside. Wilson, who joined the UCR faculty in 1969, earned his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Chicago and was initially hired at UCR as a temporary lecturer. He served as acting chair of the fledgling neuroscience department until 1990. He retired in 1993 as professor of psychology and neuroscience but continued to teach as an emeritus professor until 1996. Much of his research involved work on the retina and optical nerve. Wilson was respected among his colleagues for his wisdom, insight and patience as well as his dedication to both research and teaching. He was a favorite among graduate students, who remembered him as a kind and gentle man. After his retirement, Wilson joined the Riverside County Youth Accountability Board and was active in the LIFE Society at UCR. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Barbara; his children, Elizabeth Wilson, Peggy Cartwright and Tom Wilson; and his sister, Mary Kelsey. William W. Wood Jr., Cooperative Extension specialist emeritus, passed away on May 29 at the age of 82. He had been a specialist for the University of California Cooperative Extension based at UCR from 1964 to 1991, the last three years in the Department of Environmental Sciences. Wood was born Nov. 4, 1929, near Marysville, Calif., on a driedfruit and nut ranch. He earned a B.A. in political science from Occidental College in 1951, working during the summers as a ranch hand. After graduation he was employed with the California Almond Growers’ Exchange, the Almond Marketing Order, and the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics at UC Berkeley. While at Giannini he realized he would need advanced degrees to do the work he wanted to, and enrolled first at UC Davis and then at UC Berkeley, earning an M.S. in 1963 and a Ph.D. in 1965, both in agricultural economics. In 1964 Wood was offered a position as a specialist in the University of California Cooperative Extension, based at UC Riverside. He referred to himself as a “policy economist.” According to William Jury, “Wood’s most significant contributions ... were in the areas of land policy, water policy, and public policy education. He was the author of numerous papers on land policy, and was the foremost expert on the California Land Conservation Act (Williamson Act), serving in advisory and consulting roles to the Resources Agency of the state of California. He also provided advice, analysis and educational programs for many California counties.” Wood was Cooperative Extension’s universitywide coordinator for economics, 1971-78; program director, Agricultural Economics and Community Resource Development, 1981-88; and taught agricultural economics courses for the Department of Economics. On the occasion of his retirement in 1991, colleagues called him an “outstanding teacher” and “nationally recognized as a leader,” and that he ran “one of the outstanding extension programs ... in the U.S.” Wood is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Skipper; five children; and five grandchildren. UCR Winter 2013 | 35 CLASS ACTS Alumni SCAPE C Carol Park (’02 B.A., ’11 M.F.A.) The Documentary Filmmaker LITTY MATTHEW It is 1992. A young Korean woman stands behind a gas station cash register on a busy South Los Angeles corner. Some 50 miles away, at the Simi Valley courthouse in Ventura County, the Rodney King verdict is read. Minutes later, an angry crowd eddies outside the woman’s cashier’s booth. The police won’t come and she wonders if she’ll make it home to her children that afternoon. This image of her frantic mother is etched into Carol K. Park’s psyche. Although her mother made it home safely, Illustration by Mike Tofanelli 36 | UCR Winter 2013 the 1992 Los Angeles riots — and the violence and racism that led up to it — brought a deeper understanding of her identity as a Korean-American. A researcher at UCR’s Young Oak Kim (YOK) Center for Korean-American Studies, Park, like many KoreanAmericans, considers the riots a touchstone on the daily racism they faced. Park started helping her mother at their gas station in Compton at the age of 10. She remembers the routine taunts from customers. You don’t belong here. Go back to China. “But I’m Korean!” Park would tell them. “Before the riots, before I even worked in the cashier’s booth, I had no idea that I was anything but American,” says Park. “ I knew I had slanted eyes, black hair and spoke Korean at home. But in my brain, I was just a kid like everyone else.” But that changed as her world expanded. “Working [at our gas station] helped me see that my world is impacted by every person and every action that occurs around me — whether it’s with family or a perfect stranger,” says Park, who earned her bachelor’s degree in English from UCR in 2002. Park also worked as a journalist at The PressEnterprise publication The Business Press until 2007 and was awarded an M.F.A. in creative writing from UCR Palm Desert in 2011. Park’s experiences led her to finish a documentary with the help of the YOK Center. “The 1992 LA Riots: Reflections on Our Future” debuted in April 2012 and was screened at the Korean-American Film Festival in both Los Angeles and New York, and at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. When Park started the project, her mother didn’t want her to pursue the film, thinking it would be a painful experience for her child. “When she saw the film, she realized what I was trying to accomplish,” says Park. “My takeaway is the riots weren’t due to just one specific group or event,” says Park. “Everyone had a hand in it, including the Korean-American community. We didn’t know the neighborhood culture. We didn’t explain our culture. Koreans, African Americans and the government failed to communicate the issues that plagued us.” Park’s film concludes that if our community doesn’t address these issues, the riots can happen again. For Park, the riots were the turning point of understanding her own ethnic identity. “I am a Korean-American — “I AM A KOREANAMERICAN — NOT JUST KOREAN, NOT JUST AMERICAN.” not just Korean, not just American.” Despite its painful lessons, the riots helped her understand ethnic strife and made her want to bridge the cultural gaps. And as the Korean-American community grows, Park sees the need for academic study and preservation of the immigrant experience at institutions like the YOK Center. The historical and cultural impact of the Korean immigrant experience — picking oranges alongside Chinese and Japanese in the early 1900s, celebrating the highly decorated American colonel Young Oak Kim, explaining the “Gangnam Style” phenomenon — becomes important and provides cultural context for the changing population. “We’re responsible for each other and it’s in our hands to stop another race riot, or any other riot for that matter,” says Park. “We’re all in this together.” Watch Carol’s documentary, “The 1992 LA Riots,” on UCRMAGAZINE.UCR.EDU Health Sustainability Policy Technology LIVING THE PROMISE Real World Solutions Global impacts: By improving Guatemala’s public health outreach campaigns, UCR anthropologist T.S. Harvey helps indigenous families protect their children from disease. Explore more health impacts promise.ucr.edu Stress and Longevity Human Immune Response New Drug Discoveries California’s Newest School of Medicine UCR Winter 2013 | 37
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