May 8, 2008

UC MERCED WINS $4.36 MILLION IN CIRM FUNDING FOR STEM CELL INSTRUMENTATION FOUNDRY
Major Facilities Grant supports lab complex to create custom devices for stem cell research

MERCED - The University of California, Merced, has been chosen as the location for a Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The facility, anticipated to cost about $7.5 million total, will be supported with $4.36 million from CIRM through its Major Facilities Grant program. UC Merced officials anticipate the foundry will be housed at the university's facility on the former Castle Air Force Base.

"CIRM recognized a unique opportunity in funding the Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry at UC Merced," said UC Merced Chancellor Steve Kang. "Creating this facility here boosts UC Merced's long-term goal to transform the San Joaquin Valley's economy, health care access and education as we offer more students a UC education and plan a medical school to serve the region."

CIRM announced award recipients in the Major Facilities Grant program today in San Francisco. UC Merced's proposal was approved as one of the "Special Programs" grants - the category for projects costing $5 million to $10 million.

CIRM announced award recipients in the Major Facilities Grant program at a press conference today in Los Angeles. UC Merced's proposal was approved as one of the "Special Programs" grants - the category for projects costing $5 million to $10 million.

UC Merced will build a unique facility that will enable investigators at UC Merced and elsewhere in California to apply sophisticated technologies to understand how stem cells make decisions.

"This is a critical step in developing strategies to guide stem cell decisions for regenerative medicine " said Dean Maria Pallavicini of the UC Merced School of Natural Sciences. "The Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry will offer scientists on campus and throughout California access to advanced instruments, techniques and collaborations for single-cell analysis - including opportunities to co-develop customized instruments, such as lab-on-a-chip, using online tools so that they can rapidly adopt cutting-edge research technologies.

"The facility exemplifies the close interactions and synergies between scientists and engineers in UC Merced's interdisciplinary environment. Concepts for the facility proposal were developed jointly by stem cell faculty the Schools of Natural Science and Engineering, the Stem Cell Consortium."

Pallavicini is an internationally recognized stem cell researcher specializing in studies related to breast cancer and leukemia. She and Michelle Khine, an assistant professor in the School of Engineering who specializes in the design and building of devices, are the primary architects of the UC Merced's Major Facilities Grant application to CIRM. Pallavicini also leads planning for UC Merced's medical school.

"UC Merced is particularly well suited for a collaborative effort like the Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry that we proposed," said Khine. "Because we are such young institution, it's up to us to shape the culture of this place. By creating such a facility, we can catalyze a paradigm shift in the way science is done. By marrying cutting edge technology development with one of the most important fields of biomedical research, we can forge a new, more efficient path to discovery."

The Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry at UC Merced

Pallavicini said the foundry will build on UC Merced's strengths in stem cell biology, innovative instrumentation design and interdisciplinary research. The facility will also offer service and training to participating scientists statewide.

UC Merced faculty members who plan to participate in the Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry along with Pallavicini include the following:

* Professor Michelle Khine (School of Engineering), who specializes in designing and developing advanced microsystems for stem cell differentiation using "lab-on-a-chip" techniques.
* Professor Kara McCloskey (School of Engineering), who investigates mechanically induced stem cell differentiation toward endothelial cells (the cells that line blood vessels).
* Professor Wei-Chun Chin (School of Engineering), who researches Ca2+ signals that influence the development of cardiac cells, with potential applications for repairing cardiac tissue.
* Professor Marcos García-Ojeda (School of Natural Sciences), who studies how changes in the microenvironment induce bone marrow stem cells to become lymphocytes.
* Professor Jennifer O. Manilay (School of Natural Sciences), who examines interactions between developing stem cells and their environments in the thymus and bone marrow.
* Professor Michael Cleary (School of Natural Sciences), who studies how stem cells commit to become brain cells in a Drosophila (fruit fly) model.
* Professor Michael Colvin (School of Natural Sciences), who uses mathematical and computational modeling to address questions in biology, such as stem cell fate decisions.

UC Merced already uses an innovative, shared-space approach with many of its important laboratories, including a genomics facility, the Atul Roy Family Genome Center of Excellence, and an imaging and microscopy facility, both of which support stem cell research. This "Core Lab" model maximizes efficiency and encourages collaboration among faculty members. The Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry is expected to proceed using a similar model.

The proposed facility would include two clean rooms, specialized spaces for cell imaging and culture work, and support and office space.

About CIRM and the Major Facilities Grant Program

CIRM's Major Facilities Grant program was launched in August 2007 as a two-part application process. In fall 2007, CIRM's Scientific and Medical Research Grants Working Group evaluated the scientific merit of 17 proposals submitted in response to the request for application. On Jan. 16, the Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee (ICOC) approved Part 1 of the applications, inviting 12 institutions to advance to the second and final part of the application process. Part 2 of the application focuses on the technical aspects of an applicant's building program, how the scientific program aligns with the CIRM's objectives, and why the program represents a good value for California taxpayers' investment. The review was conducted by the 10-member Scientific and Medical Research Facilities Working Group made up of real estate experts, patient advocates and the chairman of the ICOC. This meeting was open to the public.

Since April 2006, when CIRM awarded its first scientific grants under the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, the Institute has funded 156 grants totaling nearly $260 million for investigator-initiated research and training to 22 California nonprofit and academic institutions. The first grants directed $37.5 million for training 169 pre-doctoral, post-doctoral and clinical fellows at 16 nonprofit and academic research institutions. In 2007, the ICOC approved 73 Leon J. Thal SEED Grants totaling more than $46 million to bring new ideas and new investigators into the field of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research; 28 Comprehensive Research Grants totaling nearly $72 million to support mature, ongoing studies on hESCs by scientists with a record of accomplishment in the field; 17 Shared Research Laboratory Grants totaling more than $50 million; and 22 New Faculty Awards of more than $54 million to encourage the next generation of clinical and scientific leaders in stem cell research.

WHO: More than 700 middle and high school students Advisers and families
UC Merced School of Natural Sciences faculty, staff and students serving as volunteers
WHAT: Northern California Regional Science Olympiad Competition
WHEN: Saturday, April 26, 2008
8:45 a.m. - about 4 p.m.
WHERE: UC Merced campus
5200 N. Lake Rd., Merced
WHY: Competing in science events for the chance to attend the national finals

Students from all over Northern California will converge on UC Merced for intense competitions in science events. Spectators are welcome at the following competitions (all others are closed):

Tower Building, Room 105 Classroom Building, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Boomilever, Room 110 Classroom Building, 8:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Robot Ramble, Room 113 Classroom Building, 8:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Balloon Glider, Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium, 8:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Wright Stuff, Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Scrambler, Dr. Lakireddy Auditorium, 8:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Trajectory, Quad, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Electric Vehicle, 2nd-floor Science and Engineering Building atrium, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Robo Cross, Room 377 Science and Engineering Building, 8:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Closing Ceremonies, Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium, 2:30 p.m.

Journalists who wish to interview participants are encouraged to do so in the gym between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.

Parking will be available in the Lake Lot near campus entrance. Displaying a valid press credential in the windshield of your vehicle will excuse you from paying parking fees.

For more information:
http://www.norcalscienceolympiad.com/ http://naturalsciences.ucmerced.edu/ (Click " School Events" on the left menu)

April 11, 2008

Talk With Your Hands: UC Merced Will Host Gesture Symposium
Sigma Xi, the scientific research society, sponsoring invited speakers April 24; event is free and open to the public

MERCED - How do we gesture, and why? What is the role of gesture in everyday communication? How did gestures evolve in human language - before speech, or after? What areas of the brain are activated with gesture?

Internationally renowned experts will discuss these and related questions at the first-ever University of California, Merced, Sigma Xi Spring Symposium on April 24 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. The event will take place in the California Room in the Valley Terraces housing complex on campus.

Professor Teenie Matlock, Vice President of UC Merced Sigma Xi and Cognitive Science faculty, organized the event and will kick off the lectures with an overview on gesture research. Three invited gesture experts will also present their research at the symposium:

Professor Sherman Wilcox, a linguist from University of New Mexico will speak about from the evolution of gesture in human communication. Professor David Corina, a neuroscientist from UC Davis, will talk about the areas of the brain that are engaged in gesture and sign language. Dr. Daniel Casasanto, a psycholinguist from Stanford, will address how we gesture for ourselves and others in everyday conversation.

" We plan to make this symposium an annual event, with different scientific research topics every year," Matlock said.

The event is free and open to the general public, and refreshments, including chocolates, will be served.

Sherman Wilcox is Professor of Linguistics and the Chair of the Linguistics Department at University of New Mexico. He is one of the world's leading experts on sign languages and gesture. He is the author of several books on the primacy of gesture in human communication, including " Gesture and the Nature of Language" and " The Gestural Origin of Language" , as well as numerous articles on cognitive linguistics, evolution of language, gesture, sign language interpretation, deaf culture, and sign languages. His sign language research has examined several languages, including American Sign Language, Italian Sign Language, and Catalan Sign Language.

David Corina' s work concerns the neural processing of language. He draws on comparisons from signed and spoken language processing as a means to elucidate core neural systems involved in human linguistic communication. Corina uses many techniques in his studies, including, behavioral, neuropsychological, functional imaging, cortical stimulation mapping and electrophysiology. He is a leading authority on sign language and neurolinguistics, and had published numerous pioneering articles. He is currently a professor in the departments of Linguistics and Psychology at UC Davis, and a member of the Center for Mind and Brain.

Daniel Casasanto integrates methods from cognitive and developmental psychology, linguistics, and cognitive neuroscience to explore connections among talking, thinking, perceiving and acting. He obtained his PhD in the Brain and Cognitive Science department at MIT. He is a currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford on a National Research Service Award and will begin a position as a senior investigator at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics this fall. He is the founding editor of Language and Cognition, and has published extensively on gesture and the spatial underpinnings of language.

Teenie Matlock, the organizer of the Sigma Xi symposium, is a founding faculty member in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts at UC Merced. She is co-chair of the campus' Cognitive Science Program and an affiliate faculty member in the Institute of Cognitive and Brain Sciences at UC Berkeley. Her research investigates how language influences everyday thought, including recent work on how the wording of campaign ads influences attitudes about politicians and elections. Her publications appear in journals and books in cognitive science, linguistics, psychology, and computer science.

Founded in 1886, Sigma Xi is the international honor society of research scientists and engineers, with more than 500 chapters in North America and overseas. The society publishes " American Scientist" magazine and sponsors a variety of programs that support science and engineering. The UC Merced chapter of Sigma Xi is in its first year of operation. Sam Traina is the President this year.

April 11, 2008

UC Merced, Gallo Arts Center Partnership Allows Public
to Support Students While Also Taking in a Show

Deal subsidizes ticket, transportation costs for students

MERCED - A partnership between the University of California, Merced, and the Gallo Center for the Arts allows members of the community to support cultural and artistic experiences for students.

The university will take a chartered bus of students and community members to see performances at the new arts center in Modesto. "Break! The Urban Funk Spectacular," a show highlighting the history of hip-hop dance, will take the stage later this month, and the national Broadway tour of "CATS" will make its stop in May.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Mason, Robbins, Gnass & Browning, UC Merced students will be able to see shows on April 26 and May 3 for $10 apiece, which includes transportation via chartered bus. Tickets will be available to the public at $60 apiece for "Break!" and $65 for "CATS."

"A portion of the public's ticket price will go toward subsidizing students' transportation costs," said Charles Nies, associate vice chancellor of Student Affairs at UC Merced. "This allows members of the community to enjoy a great night of entertainment while also supporting our student body."

Though purchasing tickets to the show through the university entitles community members to ride along with students to Modesto, they are not obligated to do so.

Dave Pier, executive director of the Gallo Center for the Arts, commented, "this is the beginning of a terrific partnership, which we expect to grow and blossom in the future.

"One of the primary thrusts of the center's mission is arts education, so it makes perfect sense to be working together to create opportunities for UC Merced students to participate in events taking place at the center and to connect with the world-class artists now visiting the region."

As part of the partnership, "Break!" cast members will be on campus at noon April 23 to present a street-dancing demonstration, which should further inspire students to attend the April 26 show in Modesto.

"It's an opportunity to expose students to the arts in a way that's both fun and convenient," Nies said.

Tickets may be purchased through the UC Merced Cashier's Office on the first floor of the Kolligian Library, and paid for with cash or personal check. Contact the Cashier's Office at cashiers@ucmerced.edu. Buses will leave the UC Merced Lake Lot (near the campus entrance at 5200 N. Lake Road, in Merced) at 6 p.m. April 26 and May 3. For information, contact the Office of Student Life, (209) 228-5433.

April 11, 2008

UC Merced Home to a Flurry of Activity on April 19

Bobcat Day, Fairy Shrimp Festival, Family Art Show events provide campus information and family-friendly activities for all

MERCED - On Saturday, April 19, the University of California, Merced, will host Bobcat Day, an annual campus open house, in conjunction with the third annual Fairy Shrimp Festival and the "Third Ever UC Merced Family Art Show." Students, prospective students and the general public are invited to join in the day's activities beginning at 10 a.m.

Bobcat Day provides an opportunity for newly admitted students, prospective students and their families to visit the campus, listen to separate panel discussions for parents and students, interact with faculty, students and staff, and to learn about UC Merced's various student organizations and activities. Students will have access to representatives from Academic Advising, Financial Aid, Housing, Health Services, Student Life and Recreation. This year's open house will feature general campus tours and in-depth tours of the following areas: campus housing, Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library and the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center.

For more information about Bobcat Day, visit the Admissions Web site at admissions.ucmerced.edu <http://admissions.ucmerced.edu> , or contact Alex Delgadillo at (209) 228-4625 or (866) 270-7301 (toll-free in California).

The third annual Fairy Shrimp Festival is a family-friendly event hosted by the Office of Student Life. This year's program theme, "Change Your Habits, Change Your Future" will showcase how small changes can make a big difference. A variety of artists and environmental and informational booths will be featured from noon to 5 p.m. The festival is free and open to everyone. A live band, the Super Lucky Catz, will entertain attendees from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. outside of the Yablokoff-Wallace Dining Center on Scholars Lane.

For more information about the Fairy Shrimp Festival, contact Jim Greenwood at (209) 228-2582 or jgreenwood@ucmerced.edu. You can also learn more by visiting the Office of Student Life site at studentlife.ucmerced.edu.

In addition, the "Third Ever UC Merced Family Art Show" opens April 15 and runs through May 9. UC Merced students, staff, faculty and relatives of campus employees have submitted a variety of painting, drawing, sculpture, other visual arts and everyone's favorite - children's art! The exhibition will be shown in the east wing of the Kolligian Library. Everyone is welcome to view the art during the open house events on April 19 or anytime the Kolligian Library is open. For more information, contact libraryexhibits@ucmerced.edu.

March 11, 2008

Gallos Donate Gift of Music to UC Merced
$50,000 gift allows purchase of university's first Steinway piano

MERCED - A $50,000 donation from Bob and Marie Gallo has enabled the University of California, Merced, to purchase its first Steinway concert grand piano to help support music performances, visiting scholar and artist programs, and launch UC Merced's nascent music program.

"Bob and Marie Gallo's dedication to education and their patronage of the arts are reflected throughout the San Joaquin Valley and beyond," said Hans Björnsson, interim dean of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts and acting vice provost for Academic Planning. "This extraordinary concert piano will not only provide a critical foundation for the implementation of the music program, but will expand UC Merced's ability to provide performance opportunities to faculty, staff, students and the community."

Within days of the Gallos' offer to donate the funds needed to purchase a concert grand, Björnsson traveled to Dale Erwin Piano Restorers in Modesto with music professor Kevin Fellezs. It took the duo a full day of testing concert pianos to find the one that met the university's unique needs, including range and quality of sound.

The rare vintage Steinway 'B' Grand Piano was unveiled in front of a small group with a performance of "Song for Merced," a piece composed by Professor Fellezs and dedicated to Marie Gallo. The seven-foot concert piano, made in 1952, will be housed in the Dr. Lakireddy Auditorium.

The piano will help launch the first of the campus' planned music program, beginning with a Jazz Center and respective research programs. It will open the door to student and faculty recitals, visiting artist/scholar performances and lectures, along with a full repertoire of concerts.

The Gallos have been advocates of the newest UC campus since its inception. Bob Gallo has served on the UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees since September 2003, and the couple supports the Chancellor's Associates program.

March 7, 2008

UC Merced Offers On-Campus Housing for Summer Session
8-week contract and meal plan make staying here convenient for students

MERCED - Cities with major universities can become almost ghostly when classes aren't in session, but UC Merced is hoping to change things this summer with the introduction of on-campus housing contracts for summer school <http://summersession.ucmerced.edu/> students.

This is the first year the campus has offered to open its residence halls to students in the summer time, said Leslie Santos, director of housing and residence life. Officials hope that by giving students a place to hang their hat over the summer, the university will be able to improve upon last year's enrollment of 300. In 2006, 97 students enrolled in summer session courses.

Summer school students will live in the Valley Terraces <http://housing.ucmerced.edu/2.asp?uc=1&lvl2=6&lvl3=6&lvl4=7&contentid=5> . Valley Terraces are the two- and three-bedroom apartment-like suites with a common living room and spacious bathroom. As an incentive to sign up sooner, rather than later, the university is offering a deal to early birds.

"The first 50 students who apply and pay their $150 reservation fee will get a double-occupancy room all to themselves," Santos said. "That means more space and more privacy in a shared suite."

Applications for summer housing will be available online <http://housing.ucmerced.edu/> , beginning March 10. Students opting to live on campus will get an eight-week contract for $2,525, which includes the price of the room, meals at the Yablokoff-Wallace Dining Center <http://dining.ucmerced.edu/2.asp?uc=1&lvl2=55&contentid=33> , utilities (except telephone service), cable television, high-speed Internet, activities and 24-hour access to staff in case of emergencies. The housing contract begins June 15 and ends Aug. 8.

Summer session is an exciting time for students and the community. It's the one time when UC Merced classes are open to almost anyone, regardless of academic experience, said Assistant Registrar Erin Webb.

"It's a great time for anyone to take a UC class," she said. "It's an intense session, but it's great for those interested in what our campus has to offer."

Students south of Merced have the option to take classes without setting foot on the main campus. A variety of courses will be broadcast via two-way, live videoconferencing to UC Merced's educational centers in Bakersfield and Fresno to make learning more convenient for residents in those areas.

Students enrolled in summer session through the educational centers will see and participate in the on-campus courses as they are happening.

Registration is open and will continue until classes start June 16. Students are encouraged to register early, because classes fill up.

There are two regular sessions that are six and eight weeks long, and a "special summer session," featuring two courses designed for high school students.

Courses will be offered on a variety of topics, such as genetics, advanced math, the Vietnam War, and more. Additional options will be announced shortly.

Webb said the variety of courses makes UC Merced the ideal summer education choice for high school and college students, in addition to the general public.

"We really do offer something for everyone," she said.

Summer session classes are open to anyone, but high school students need a letter of recommendation from their principal or counselor.

For more information on summer session -- including a course schedule --
visit http://summersession.ucmerced.edu ,
e-mail summersession@ucmerced.edu or call (209) 228-7734.

March 3, 2008

Glushko-Samuelson Foundation Gift Supports UC Merced Cognitive Science Program
$50,000 donation will boost visibility and benefit students

MERCED - The University of California, Merced, is quickly gaining international recognition in the cognitive science community because of its interdisciplinary approach to the study of thought and behavior. The Glushko-Samuelson Foundation has donated $50,000 to the UC Merced Cognitive Science Program to fund educational events and increase visibility on campus.

Last fall, Robert J. Glushko, president of the foundation and adjunct professor in the UC Berkeley School of Information, visited UC Merced as a guest speaker. Glushko met with cognitive science faculty members Teenie Matlock and Paul Maglio of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts and praised the university for its dedication to preparing young cognitive scientists for high-tech jobs and competitive graduate programs.

"I am very impressed with UC Merced's vision for its cognitive science program and commitment to interdisciplinary training," Glushko said. "It is training students to land real-world jobs, for instance, in high-tech companies, or to do state-of-the-art research in academia."

The Glushko-Samuelson Foundation donation will fund student travel to the annual Cognitive Science Society meeting and award prizes for outstanding cognitive science student research. It will also support the Mind, Technology and Society talk series and establish the UC Merced Cognitive Science Visitor Program, which are intended to bring world-renowned cognitive scientists to the university each semester.

"This is the beginning of many wonderful opportunities for our students, and we are very grateful," said Matlock, founding faculty member and co-chairwoman of the cognitive science group.

"The donation means a lot coming from Bob," Maglio said. "He's a pioneer in cognitive science and in document engineering, which applies cognitive science to business settings."

UC Merced's cognitive science program combines methods and approaches from philosophy, computer science, linguistics, neuroscience and psychology. Students can pursue a B.A., a B.S. or a minor in cognitive science. A Ph.D. program is in the planning process.

March 3, 2008

Donor Gives Radio Station a Boost
$6,000 gift helps UC Merced's pursuit of FCC license

MERCED - The University of California, Merced, may be one step closer to having a student-run radio station on campus, thanks to a donation from the Jane and Marc Nathanson Family Foundation.

The $6,000 gift gave UC Merced the seed funding needed to submit a non-commercial FM station license application with the Federal Communications Commission in October. The Nathanson Family Foundation's contribution helped cover the professional fees associated with preparing the FCC application.

"The FCC will only award one license in the Merced region, so the selection process will be highly competitive," said Christian Ayeni, vice president and co-founder of the campus Radio Club and junior at UC Merced. "To have the chance of being awarded the sole license, we needed professional assistance in preparing the application. We are thankful for this generous gift."

The Nathanson family has a deep history in broadcasting. Don Paul Nathanson first published Radio Showmanship Magazine in 1940 and bought his first radio station in Wyoming in 1952.

His son, Marc Nathanson, founded Falcon Communications, the nation's 10th largest cable television operator, at the age of 28. In 1999, he sold the company to Charter Communications and remains vice chairman of the company's board. He is also chairman of Mapleton Investments, LLC, Mapleton Capital Management and Mapleton Communications.

Marc's son, Adam, is the founder and president of Mapleton Communications. That company operates 40 radio stations in small and midsized markets across the Western United States, including Radio Merced's five stations.

Ayeni said the Nathanson family and Radio Merced have been very supportive of UC Merced and its goal to start a radio station.

"We believe in radio and training young men and women in this field. An FM station at UC Merced is a great way to accomplish this goal," stated Adam Nathanson.

Ayeni anticipates receiving a decision about the campus radio station's licensing later this year. In the meantime, the Radio Club and service learning class continue to concentrate on designing the physical and operational architectures needed to get the station up and running.

UC Merced to Join UC Day Advocates in Highlighting Green Practices
Newest campus' place in the " green tent" will feature natural-gas-powered car, solar energy research

MERCED - The newest campus in the University of California system will take its place among its older " sisters" on Tuesday, March 4, under a big, green tent by the state capitol in Sacramento.

The University of California, Merced, will feature a natural-gas-powered car donated by Pacific Gas & Electric and a working solar concentrator developed by Professor Roland Winston of the UC Merced schools of Engineering and Natural Sciences.

All ten UC campuses, along with the national laboratories from Berkeley and Livermore and UC' s Agriculture and Natural Resources division and some multi-campus research centers, will be advocating for the UC system March 4. That day will be the annual Alumni Association of the University of California (AAUC) Day in Sacramento, commonly known as UC Day. The event brings together UC alumni, stakeholders and friends to emphasize UC' s role in providing, high-quality, affordable education; improving California' s quality of life; and creating solutions for the state' s challenges.

This year, UC was recognized by the Sierra Club as one of the top 10 " green" universities in the United States, and therefore the system chose " UC Goes Green" as the theme for UC Day. UC plays a crucial part in protecting the environment and pioneering sustainable practices through its three missions of education, research and public services, as well as leading the way in responsible buildings and operations. UC Merced, as the newest campus in the system, has the opportunity to break new ground in each of these areas. Three of UC Merced' s building complexes are already certified Gold or Silver by the US Green Building Commissions LEED program.

Alumni, stakeholders and friends can still get involved in UC Day through the Web site www.ucday.org.

Research Week: A Growing Tradition of Discovery March 4 through 6
Student research poster competition, faculty symposium and distinguished speaker mark second annual research celebration

MERCED - To help the community understand and engage in the research mission of the University of California, UC Merced will host its annual celebration of discovery and knowledge, Research Week, from March 4 through 6.

Research Week, expanded from last year' s Research Day celebration, has been designated by the campus administration as a time when students and the general public can explore what researchers on campus are studying and begin to imagine the effects their discoveries might have.

" We host an annual research celebration to share the work of our outstanding professors, students and other researchers with the community," said Vice Chancellor for Research Samuel J. Traina. " This research fuels classroom teaching, provides hands-on experiences for students, and contributes to society through advances in fields like biomedical research, political science and environmental engineering."
The week kicks off Tuesday, March 4, with the annual student poster competition, encouraging students from freshmen to Ph.D. candidates to share their work with peers, professors and the community. Two first-place prizes will be awarded - one for an undergraduate and one for a graduate student. The poster forum begins at 10 a.m. in the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center gymnasium. The public is welcome to attend free of charge.
The same day, the Graduate Student Association presents a UC Merced Faculty Research Symposium from noon to 4:30 p.m. in the Bobcat Lair, Room 169 of the Kolligian Library. Members of the faculty will use this time to share their research interests and accomplishments with their faculty peers, students and the community. This event is also free and open to the public.
The Vital and Alice Pellissier Family Distinguished Speaker Series will bring its second guest to campus - Stanford University immunologist and geneticist Leonard A. Herzenberg, who invented the fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) that revolutionized the study of cancer cells and is the basis for purification of adult stem cells. His lecture is titled, " FACS and Flow Cytometry from 1960 to the Kyoto Prize 2006."

Leonore A. Herzenberg, also a professor at Stanford, will present with her husband in the public lecture. Her topic will be " Making Computers Serve Biology: An Immunology Perspective."

The joint lecture begins at 7 p.m., after a 6 p.m. reception, and will be free and open to the public in the Dr. Lakireddy Auditorium on the UC Merced campus.

The distinguished speaker series is another important tradition associated with Research Day. The Pellissier family, longtime residents of Merced County, has funded the series with a donation to UC Merced. When the family sold its ranch on the west side of Merced, where grandparents Vital and Alice established themselves, they decided to use part of the proceeds to create a legacy at UC Merced.

UC Merced plans for the Pellissier speaker series to continue annually, in association with Research Week.

Visitors to UC Merced for Research Week events should park in the Lake Lot near the campus entrance. A parking permit is required from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Permits cost $1 for two hours with a maximum of $4 per day. For more information, visit http://taps.ucmerced.edu.

For more information about Research Week, call the Office of Research at (209) 228-4429 or visit the Research Week Web site at http://www.ucmerced.edu/research/researchweek.

Fairy Shrimp Festival
2008 Earth Day Celebration

The 2008 Fairy Shrimp Festival / Earth Day Event will be held April 19, 2008 (12 Noon – 5 pm) on the UC Merced Campus (5200 N. Lake Rd). April 19, 2008 is also the UC Merced Bobcat Day.

The Office of Student Life would like to invite you to join us for our third Fairy Shrimp Festival / Earth Day Celebration.

We are inviting artists, environmentalists, educators, cultural groups and the community to participate in our Fairy Shrimp Festival. The Festival is open to all people looking for an opportunity to display and sell handmade and original pieces of art and celebrate Earth Day while enjoying music, crafts and activities. This year we will be holding the event on the same day as Bob Cat Day.

We will be hosting this event one weekend prior to Earth Day and celebrating the 38th annual Earth Day celebration on April 19, 2008 (Earth Day is really the 22nd). Our host clubs are the Green Club who will be working with our educational and environmental groups, The ARTS Triad club who will be hosting our arts and craft booths and the Radio club who will be hosting our information and activities stage. The event will be held on Campus and is open to the public. Please see the attached application and contact us if you have any further questions or would like an application for the event. We are currently accepting applications from artist, environmental and educational programs as well as food venders.

Arts / Crafts and Vendor Application

February 18

UC Alumna Creates Endowment To Benefit UC Merced Students

$100,000 gift will expand student scholarships

MERCED - As a UC alumna and former Los Banos High School teacher, Beverlee Sieghold Antoine knows the importance of a quality education first-hand. Antoine has chosen to leave a legacy at the University of California, Merced with a donation of $100,000 to establish the Beverlee Sieghold Antoine Scholarship Endowment Fund.

"I chose to establish a scholarship at UC Merced that will benefit the young men and women of the San Joaquin Valley," Antoine said. "It is an honor for me to be a part of this exciting new campus."

Antoine, who was born and raised in Berkeley, graduated from high school at the age of 15 and attended college with a $1,000 gift from her father supplemented by a part-time job at the campus book store. Antoine graduated from UC Berkeley with a teaching credential in 1935 and began her career teaching underprivileged adults how to read and write.

She later moved to Los Banos and taught high school English and drama for several years.

After living in the San Joaquin Valley for more than 70 years, Antoine felt inspired to demonstrate her fondness for the area and her strong belief in education with a gift to support UC Merced students.

"As a graduate of Cal and a former Los Banos teacher, I have had a lifelong passion for education," Antoine said.

The fund will provide low-income students with the opportunity to achieve their education goals through scholarships awarded annually to two undergraduate students in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts.

"Need-based scholarships are vitally important to continue to attract high-achieving students who might not otherwise be able to afford to attend UC Merced," said John Garamendi Jr., vice chancellor for university relations. "Beverlee's extremely generous gift will empower the university to further support our students."

February 12

UC Merced Physicist Garners Prestigious NSF CAREER Award for Theoretical Work on Chaos and Fractals

MERCED - Mention chaos and fractals, and most people think of colorful fractal art calendars or James Gleick' s 1988 bestselling book, " Chaos."

The scientific questions touched on by these cultural phenomena are far from exhausted, and one professor at the University of California, Merced, has new funding from the National Science Foundation to help deepen our understanding of the complicated patterns of nature. Professor Kevin Mitchell' s CAREER Award - a prestigious grant for young researchers - will support his work on chaos with a total of $400,000 over the next five years.

Mitchell' s CAREER Award is groundbreaking as only the second for the fledgling UC Merced campus. (The first was awarded to Professor Mónica Medina last year.) Mitchell has been on board as a faculty member in the School of Natural Sciences since the campus' grand opening.

" Kevin' s talent and hard work in mathematical physics certainly merit the recognition he has received from NSF," said Dean Maria Pallavicini of the School of Natural Sciences. " We' re very pleased for his success and excited to see one of our own so recognized for pushing forward the boundaries of knowledge."

Mitchell' s project, " Chaotic Transport: From Fundamental Theory to Applications in Atomic Physics," proposes using mathematical, theoretical and computer tools to examine how those extremely complex patterns might manifest in diverse systems.

" Chaos is actually sort of a misleading term for what we study, because it makes people think it' s impossible to understand," Mitchell said. " Actually there' s lots of structure in chaotic systems, beautiful structure. We just need to use the right tools to understand it."

He and his colleagues have studied the behavior of a hydrogen atom - the simplest of atoms - when it is placed in magnetic and electric fields. The magnetic field alters the otherwise-simple orbit of the atom' s single electron, introducing chaos into the system. The trajectories of the electrons in this system can be predicted using complicated fractal patterns, which Mitchell seeks to understand more deeply.

He will also work with a graduate student studying the chaotic behavior of a hydrogen atom when it is subjected to a regular sequence of kicks - such as can be applied by a pulsed electric field.

A third application varies from the hydrogen-atom model in that it involves study of the motion of entire atoms (not just their electrons) in extremely cold environments. The 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to the researchers who achieved this super-cold state of matter, called a Bose-Einstein condensate, in the laboratory. Mitchell and his colleagues theorize that small packets of ultra-cold atoms inside an atomic trap should exhibit chaotic motion analogous to that displayed by the electrons of the hydrogen atoms he is studying in his other two systems.

" This project really spans the range of my interests," Mitchell said. " It makes the links between mathematical physics and fundamental mathematical theory to applications in experimental systems."

He said it' s gratifying for a theoretical physicist like himself to see those connections.

His proposal to NSF also included an educational component - a requirement from the CAREER program that encourages scientists to ensure that their work serves the public as well as the academic community. Mitchell plans an outreach program leveraging UC Merced' s K-12 education contacts through California Teach and the Science and Math Initiative as well as his relationship with the Higher Education Consortium of Central California.

" We' ll coordinate visits by grad students, professional physicists and faculty like me to high school classrooms, sharing with students in the Central Valley that physics is not just something you have to get through in high school - it' s a field with career potential, something that real people do," he said.

He also hopes to draw groups of students to visit UC Merced for events like Research Week, coming up in early March this year.

" My goal is to widen the pipeline for Valley students coming to UC Merced," he said. " I hope that personal contact makes the difference to encourage them to pursue a career in science."

Mitchell noted that the process he underwent to receive this award was extremely competitive.

" Like a lot of junior faculty members, I' ve been working hard to bring in funding," he said. " I feel fortunate to have been successful this time. There are a lot of very talented researchers at UC Merced, and as a group we are becoming increasingly successful at bringing in major grants of this nature."

February 5

Darwin Day Lecture at UC Merced by Antonio Lazcano

MERCED - The Office of Research, the Division of Graduate Studies and the Core One course at the University of California, Merced, will sponsor a Feb. 15 lecture about the origins of life in celebration of the 199th birthday of Charles Darwin.

Antonio Lazcano of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México will visit the campus to deliver the lecture, " The Origins of Life on Earth: An Evolutionary Perspective," that day at 3 p.m. Audience members may be seated in either room 102 or room 105 of the Classroom Building at UC Merced.

Lazcano' s lecture will hark to the earliest days of life - when atmospheric, oceanic and astronomically-based factors may have come together to create what is commonly called the " primordial soup" or " prebiotic broth." Lazcano' s talk will explain how this may have created an " RNA world" that contained the seeds of life - or maybe not. He will suggest that RNA may not have been a direct outcome of prebiotic evolution, but rather the evolutionary outcome of even older, more primitive living systems.

The public is welcome, and there is no cost to attend the lecture. UC Merced is located at 5200 N. Lake Road in Merced. Guests should park in the Lake Lot near the campus entrance. Parking is $1/hour (visit http://taps.ucmerced.edu/ for more information about parking and transportation on campus).

Antonio Lazcano is head of the Microbiology Laboratory at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He has received several major awards for his contributions to science, scientific journalism, and teaching. He is the author of several books in Spanish, including " The Miraculous Bacteria," a collection of scientific essays, " The Spark of Life," a layperson-level exploration of the heterotrophic theory of the emergence of life, and " The Origin of Life," which has become a best-seller with more than 600,000 copies sold.

Darwin Day is an international celebration of science and humanity held on or around February 12, the day that Charles Darwin was born on in 1809. For more information, see www.darwinday.org.

For more information about the Feb. 15 Darwin Day lecture, please contact Professor Monica Medina at (209) 228-7863 or mmedina@ucmerced.edu, or Professor Wil van Breugel at (209) 658-6392 or wvanbreugel@ucmerced.edu.

WHO: Professor Antonio Lazcano, Universidad Nacional Autónomo de México
WHAT: Darwin Day lecture, " The Origin of Life on Earth: An Evolutionary Perspective"
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Classroom Building, Rooms 102 and 105
The University of California, Merced
5200 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA

For more information about UC Merced, please see www.ucmerced.edu.

January 29

UC Merced Receives Record Number of Applicants for Fall 2008 Semester

Applications increase by 15.4 percent over previous year

MERCED - Interest in the University of California, Merced, continues to grow, according to application statistics released today by the UC Office of the President (www.ucop.edu/news/studstaff.html).

More than 10,000 students have applied to the UC' s newest campus, which is 15.4 percent higher than last year. This gives UC Merced the sharpest gain in the UC system of applications received by the Nov. 30, 2007, undergraduate deadline, nudging slightly ahead of the Davis and Santa Barbara campuses. In fact, the number of freshman who applied to UC Merced this year - 9,084 - exceeds the total number of applicants received last year - 8,818. Over the last two years, applications to the university have increased 16.1 percent.

" It is tremendously gratifying to hear that more and more students are interested in our campus and the outstanding educational experience it provides," UC Merced Chancellor Steve Kang said. " I am confident that we will see healthy and diverse growth in our student population once again this coming year."

As of fall 2007, UC Merced had a total student population of 1,871 students. Campus officials expect to have 2,500 students enrolled in fall 2008.

SYSTEMWIDE COMPARISON

Compared to the UC system' s gain of 9 percent and 8.5 percent, respectively, UC Merced has seen growth in the number of freshmen and transfer applicants. With a 13.2 percent increase over last year, the campus has the fourth-largest gain in freshmen applicants. Transfer applications increased by almost 37.7 percent

" The increase in transfer applications is a direct result of our admissions staff working hard to develop relationships with students interested in transferring and community college staff," said Kevin Browne, assistant vice chancellor of enrollment management. " We consider this a huge vote of confidence from transfer students and our colleagues in the community college system."

The news of the rise in applications comes at a time when some UC campuses might decide to hold down their enrollments because of budget cuts. However, since UC Merced has the green light for growth, qualified applicants won' t have to be turned away.

" Every single student space in the UC system is precious," Browne said. " UC Merced is doing its part to make sure every qualified student who wants a UC education gets the opportunity to have one."

REGIONAL DATA

Combining all in-state undergraduate applications received by Nov. 30, 2007, UC Merced saw the most significant growth in those from Los Angeles (29 percent), the San Francisco Bay Area (28 percent) and San Joaquin Valley (19.2 percent).

The number of freshmen applicants rose since last year by:
23.7 percent from the Southern Central Valley (Fresno, Inyo, Kings, Kern and Tulare counties); 19 percent from the Riverside/San Bernardino area; 15.5 percent from Sacramento; and 14.8 percent from Northern Central Valley (Madera, Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties.

The number of transfer applicants rose since last year by:
70.6 percent from Orange County; 62.5 percent from the Southern Central Valley (Fresno, Inyo, Kings, Kern and Tulare counties); 44.5 percent from Los Angeles; and 42.9 percent from Sacramento.

GRADUATE DATA

As of Jan. 28, UC Merced had received double the number of applications from prospective graduate students compared to last year. More than 290 students applied for graduate programs, 162 of whom were international applicants. As of this time last year, the campus had received 120 graduate applications. There is space to grant admission to 40 graduate students for fall 2008.

" We attribute this increase, particularly in the rise of international applicants, to the increase in faculty, the growing breadth of our programs and our faculty' s heightened Web presence," said Samuel Traina, acting vice chancellor for research and dean of graduate studies.

According to fall 2007 enrollment data, there are 120 students currently seeking graduate degrees at UC Merced.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR FALL 2008 APPLICANTS
Through March 2 -- Financial aid priority application filing period for students to submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a GPA Verification Form for Cal Grants. UC Merced' s FAFSA School Code is 041271
• Feb. 15 -- Application deadline for graduate student admission
• March 1-31 -- On-time freshman applicants notified of admission decision
• March 1-May 1 --On-time transfer applicants notified of admission decision
• April 19 - Bobcat Day; campus open house for prospective students and their families
• May 1 --Deadline for freshman applicants to submit Statement of Intent to Register
• June 1 --Deadline for transfer applicants to submit Statement of Intent to Register