youruci s p r i n g
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James N. Danziger
2009 Extraordinarius award honoree Speaking up: Alumnus creates new fellowship, page 24
UCIAA Turns the big 4-0! In March, the UCI Alumni Association celebrated 40 years of service to UCI and the alumni family with former association presidents (pictured below), volunteers, scholars and friends.
From left: Martha Newkirk, Al DeGrassi, Rick Evans, Fred Sainick, Salvador Sarmiento, Chancellor Michael V. Drake, Steve Capps, Andreana Souleles, Michael Gollong and Jenny Doh. Laurel Hungerford Photography.
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y uruci Spring 2009 Issue
www.alumni.uci.edu
10 BASEBALL FIELD GETS A NAME Athletics to honor former chancellor
12 KEIRSTEAD GOES TO WASHINGTON
Faculty member discusses stem-cell research at Capitol
13 VOCATION BECOMES OCCUPATION Studio Arts alumna starts decorating business
16 INTRODUCING ...
The 2009 Lauds & Laurels recipients
24 SPEAKING UP
Alumnus creates graduate fellowship in languages
31 GOOD NEWS
COMMENTARY: Dean Andy Policano launches blog to talk about good economy news
4 5 8
PUBLISHER’S LETTER UCI NEWS ATHLETICS
25 28 30
CLASS NOTES UCIAA MEMBERSHIP UCI CALENDAR
Publisher Jorge E. Ancona
Cover photo by Joan Marcus courtesy of SHN.
Editor Michelle Williams
Jorge E. Ancona Executive Director
Administrative Intern Writer Diana Thai
Allison Dolan Associate Executive Director
Contributing writers Mark Aydelotte, Marc Ballon, Kathy Bold, Allison Dolan, Fumi Kimura, Bob Olson, Lesly Martin, Andy Policano, Michael Reza, Bill Ross, Blake Stone, Stacey Shackleford and Heather Wuebker
Michelle Williams Associate Executive Director
Graphic Design Intern Katrina Dikitanan Your UCI is published quarterly for members of the UCI Alumni Association and friends of the University of California, Irvine. You can reach the association by phone: 949-UCI-ALUM (824-2586) or toll free 888-824-2466; by fax: 949-824-7383 or by e-mail: alumni@uci.edu.
UCI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION STAFF
Kristie Kee Director of Programs and Chapters Helen Little Director of Finance and Administration Michael Reza Director of Membership and Marketing
Jeff Minhas ‘04 Programs Coordinator Blake Stone ‘05 Alumni Relations Coordinator www.alumni.uci.edu | page 3
UCI Alumni Association BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Jenny Doh ’91 President-Elect Salvador Sarmiento ’73 Secretary/Historian Cathy Stites ’92 VP Advocacy Ed Raskin ’02 VP Development Anne Rosse, M.A. ’90
letter from the publisher Happy Birthday, UCIAA! Four decades ago, alumni from the youngest University of California campus came together and formed an organization that today represents more than 112,500 Anteaters. During those early days on campus, few could imagine the impact those new graduates or the thou-
VP Finance Rick Evans ’69
sands to follow them would make.
VP Membership Kent Yamaguchi ’83, ‘84
But at the association, we would expect nothing less from
VP Programs Jen Cole-Gutierrez ’97 VP Scholarship Johanna Wilson ’98 VP Volunteer Relations David Fanous ’03
Anteaters. This year, for the 39th time, UCIAA will honor members of our extended family at our signature event, Lauds & Laurels. This timeless tradition recognizes the accomplishments of our alumni, colleagues and mentors; people who are a testament to the impact not only UCI had on them but the impact they themselves have on the broader community.
DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE
Beginning on page 16, we will introduce you to each of this year’s recipients; giving
Michael Adams ’04
you the abridged version of their story. This year, again, our nominators and selec-
Rebecca Kanter ’00
tion committee outdid themselves in recognizing truly amazing Anteaters. We hope
Christine R. Lee ’90
you enjoy meeting them here and welcome you to join us on May 14 for our tribute.
Manfredo Lespier ’81
Event details can be found on page 14.
Dennis Nguyen ’94 Serafina Raskin ’02 Rita Santangelo ’86
Our outstanding people don’t stop there. On page 24, you will meet an alumnus who is leveraging his own success to build a better future for UCI students by creating a
Salvador Sarmiento ’73
new fellowship to support first-year graduate students. And we have the story of Neil
Sabra Smith ’92
Sahota, an alumnus who is leveraging his network to mentor current students, on
Brett Williamson ’86
page 27.
CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVES
Our strength comes from you; our members, our friends. Your passion to get in-
African-American Chapter Cosmos Eubany ’00 ICS Chapter Farshad Farhand ’94 Santa Ana Alumni Chapter Charles Dobson ’70, MS ’79
volved and make a difference, individually and collectively, keeps the association vibrant and relevant. It’s been a great 40 years, and we look forward to celebrating our 50th birthday with you.
EX-OFFICIO Chancellor’s Designate Tom Mitchell, Vice Chancellor
Best from campus,
UCIAA Executive Director Jorge E. Ancona, Assistant Vice Chancellor ASUCI Representative Megan Braun AGS Representative Carrie Carmody Student Alumni Association Aylin Zafar
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Jorge E. Ancona Assistant Vice Chancellor, Alumni Relations Executive Director, UCI Alumni Association
the wire:
news from the community also earned the top Sea Scout rank of quartermaster and the Venturing Silver Award – the highest honor bestowed in the scouts’ adventure program for older youths.
Undergraduate presents Boy Scouts ‘Report to the Nation’ at U.S. Capitol Boy Scouts of America chose UCI undergraduate Ruben Hipolito from among 3.5 million scouts nationwide to represent the organization at the Capitol in March. Hipolito, assistant scoutmaster of Huntington Beach Troop 1134, and
Researcher asks teens: r u drinking? Candice Odgers will get a rare glimpse into preteen decision making about drugs and alcohol via an unconventional research tool: text messaging. Using cell phones to follow kids in real time, Odgers will determine settings in which they’re most likely to encounter these substances and help officials develop more effective intervention programs and public health policies.
five other distinguished scouts met with President Barack Obama and Congress to deliver the Boy Scouts’ Report to the Nation, an annual summary of scouting’s accomplishments. Hipolito represented the nation’s Sea Scouts, a coed nauti-
cal program for 14- to 21-year-olds.
Odgers will give the smartphones to 200 children ages 10 to 13 attending Costa Mesa and Santa Ana schools and send them-via text-two surveys daily. The study will begin this summer and is expected to last five years.
in real time.”
“Typical substance abuse research involves interviewing kids once a year and asking them to recall their actions and decisions,” Odgers says. “This effort will help us understand their world
Hipolito, a 20-year-old Midway City resident, has moved swiftly through the ranks of scouting, becoming an Eagle Scout at age 12 – five years before most garner the required 21 merit badges. He has
New drug may stop cerebral palsy Two compounds developed by UC Irvine and Northwestern University scientists prevented cerebral palsy in pre-clinical animal trials, giving hope that a new drug for humans may be on the horizon. Cerebral palsy is caused by an injury to the brain before, during or shortly after birth, although it typically is not diagnosed until after the age of one.
“If it wasn’t for scouting, I would not have had direction or known what I wanted to do,” Hipolito says. “Scouting has exposed me to hiking, archery, motorboating, chemistry, farm mechanics – all kinds of things.” He holds two state records in archery, a skill he honed in scouting and at UCI and plans to attend medical school to become a pediatrician after earning his bachelor’s in biological sciences and Spanish. Approximately 750,000 children and adults in the U.S. have a form of cerebral palsy, and most were born with the condition. Caused by loss of function or structure in neurons, the disease affects body movement and muscle coordination. In developing the potential drugs, UCI’s Thomas Poulos and Richard Silverman of Northwestern produced something pharmaceutical companies so far have not highly selective com-
pounds that inhibit the enzyme found in brain cells that produces nitric oxide but do not affect similar nitric oxide-producing enzymes found in other cells. Poulos, Chancellor’s Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, and colleagues produced crystal structures that showed how the compounds synthesized by the Silverman lab block the formation of nitric oxide thereby preventing cerebral palsy.
Students win ‘Crazy Green Idea’ contest Two UC Irvine students, Kyle Good and Bryan Le, recently won the $25,000 X PRIZE Foundation’s “What’s Your Crazy Green Idea?” video contest, for which they proposed developing an “ultra capacitor,” an alternative energy storage method far greener than today’s rechargeable batteries. The X PRIZE Foundation, an educational nonprofit, offers cash prizes to inventors who come up with the answers to crazy green idea challenges and other breakthroughs benefitting society. Entrants in the “What’s Your Crazy Green Idea?” contest submitted a twominute YouTube video
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news wire identifying an energyand environment-related problem that, if solved, could greatly enhance humanity. Good, a film and media studies student, took charge of the video production while Le, a chemistry major, focused on the science behind their entry, dubbed “The Capacitor Challenge.”
UCI researchers find way to fight cocaine addiction UC Irvine pharmacological researchers have discovered that blocking
a hormone related to hunger regulation can limit cocaine cravings. Their findings could herald a new approach to overcoming addiction.
caine cravings.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter essential to the normal functioning of the central nervous system. It also is associated with feelings of Led by Shinjae Chung pleasure and is released and Olivier Civelli, the in the brain during eatstudy identified how ing, sex and drug use. the melanin-concenHeightened levels of the trating hormone works neurotransmitter have with dopamine in the been detected in the brain’s “pleasure center” nucleus accumbens of to create an addictive drug addicts. response to cocaine The study is the first to use. The researchers detail the interaction of further found that MCH and dopamine in blocking MCH in these cocaine addiction and brain cells limited coshow that it occurs in the
nucleus accumbens, a portion of the forebrain believed to play an important role in addiction and feelings of pleasure and fear.
UCI receives $2 M to study brain region linked to autism UC Irvine neuroscientists have received $2 million to study a brain region associated with language abilities. Study findings could lead to clinical research and treatment of developmental and psychiatric disorders from schizo-
selectivity allowed it to field a class mirroring that of top law schools. UCI’s first class has a median grade point average of 3.65 and a median LSAT score of 167. That puts it on par with the top 20 law schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
First law class set; 4% get in The School of Law has admitted its inaugural class, accepting only 4 percent of its applicants and making it the most selective of any law school in the nation. UCI accepted 110 of a total of 2,741 applicants to fill its 68 first-year page 6 | spring ‘09 your uci
positions. By comparison, Yale at 7 percent, and Stanford at 9 percent, are the only other law schools with singledigit acceptance rates, according to the most recent data available from the American Bar Association.
UC Irvine received more than 40 applications for each of its openings in its first class. As of April 15, all 68 openings were filled, with half of those accepted before the school hosted its first Admit Day on April 3. The law school’s high
“We are extremely pleased to have fielded such a high-caliber inaugural class,” says Erwin Chemerinsky, founding dean. “Along with a faculty that was ranked in the top 10 in the nation in a recent study, this will allow us to be considered among the best law schools in the country from the very start.” he says.
phrenia to autism. Cognitive sciences professors Gregory Hickok and Kourosh Saberi hope to gain a greater understanding of the overall function of the planum temporale, located within the auditory cortex. In the human brain, the planum temporale is found in both left and right hemispheres. Studies have shown that professional musicians with perfect pitch have an asymmetric left planum temporale. Schizophrenia has been associated with an enlarged right planum temporale, while a lack of normal asymmetry in both hemispheres has been found in people with autism. UCI researchers plan to map the planum temporale’s functional organization. Using specialized MRI technology, they will observe the brain activity of subjects performing tasks that involve auditory and motor skills.
UCIAA scholar wins Goldwater Scholarship Maryjane Vennat, a UCI Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship recipient, was recently recognized as a 2009 Goldwater Scholar.
Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of mathematics, science, and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.
The EPA Region 9 Environmental Achievement Awards program recognizes individuals and organizations based on their ability to collaborate, meet stated goals and develop projects that others can replicate.
The Scholarship Program honoring Senator Barry M. Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.
UCI’s sustainable transportation program promotes walking, biking and the use of scooters, carpools, vanpools, car-sharing services, shuttles and public transportation. The EPA lauded the comprehensive program for eliminating more than 39 million vehicle miles and 19,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and for saving the university community more than $21 million annually.
The two-year scholarship will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. Vennat is currently a sophomore biology and English major.
EPA honors UCI for green efforts UC Irvine’s effort to reduce congestion and improve air quality through sustainable transportation programs was recognized with an outstanding achievement award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
UCI to study how gaming can improve workplace collaboaration UC Irvine has received a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study how emerging forms of communication, including multiplayer computer games and online virtual worlds such as “World of Warcraft” and “Second Life” can help organizations collaborate and compete more effectively in the global marketplace. Virtual world environments and other technology-enabled forms of communication are gaining popularity as organizations worldwide are decentralizing. To grow and promote efficiency, companies need to develop long-
UCI commuters average 1.87 riders per car, the highest average vehicle ridership for any employer of comparable size in Southern California. The EPA has designated UCI as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters. Through technology, infrastructure improvements, policies and educational outreach, the sustainable transportation program aims to develop a culture of environmentally conscious commuters.
says Richard N. Taylor, director of UCI’s Institute for Software Research, which is conducting the three-year study. “This grant will determine how emerging technologies can be used to support serious group work.”
distance, collaborative communication methods. The researchers plan to help in that arena, using innovations such as large-scale multiplayer online games, social networking, and file and media sharing. “Many technologies have come out of computerbased games, and their concepts appear to have real potential,”
To gain real-world perspective, Taylor and UCI researcher Walt Scacchi are collaborating with five organizations from aerospace, telecommunications, transportation and electronics industries as well as the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. The companies already are experimenting with the technologies in group planning, decision-making and training.
Body clock regulates metabolism between the body’s day-night patterns and metabolism to creating new treatments for cancer, diabetes, obesity and related diseases. UC Irvine researchers have discovered that circadian rhythms – our own body clocks – regulate energy levels in cells. The findings have far-reaching implications, from providing greater insights into the bond
In addition, Paolo Sassone-Corsi, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Pharmacology, and his colleagues found that the proteins involved with circadian rhythms and metabolism are intrinsically linked and
dependent upon each other. Circadian rhythms govern fundamental physiological functions in almost all organisms. These essential timetracking systems in our bodies anticipate environmental changes and adapt to the appropriate time of day. Disruption of these rhythms can profoundly influence human health. www.alumni.uci.edu | page 7
sports news
Golfers named Big West Players of Year By Stacey Shackleford UCI Athletics
UC Irvine’s Jane Chin and John Chin have been chosen as the Big West Conference Players of the Year in women’s and men’s golf, respectively.
Junior Lauren Collins sets UCI school record in the high jump. Photo courtesy of UCI Athletics
Track & Field sends seven to NCAA Regionals Seven UC Irvine track and field athletes achieved qualifying times/marks as of April 16 for the NCAA West Regional in Eugene, Ore., May 29-30. Junior Lauren Collins set a school record in the high jump with a mark of 6 feet at the All-UC Meet at Anteater Stadium Feb. 28. She also broke her own UCI record in the heptathlon with a total of 5,549 points at the Northridge Invitational March 19-20 to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships at Fayetteville, Ark., June 10-13. Junior Alisha Misaita broke her own school mark in the shot put with a toss of 51 feet, 9 ¾ inches in
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Jane Chin, a senior from Huntington Beach (Marina HS), has recorded seven top-10 finishes this season. She was medalist at three tournaments --- the Kent Youel Invitational in Hawaii, the Price’s “Give ‘Em Five” Invitational at Las Cruces, N.M., and the Coast BMW Intercollegiate at Monarch Dunes in San Luis Obispo. Other UCI women’s players recognized were junior Patty Chawalitmetha, sophomore winning the event at the Cal/Nevada Championships at UCLA March 29. Senior Candice Chavez’s time of 16:39.87 in the 5,000 meters at Cal State Fullerton’s Ben Brown Invitational March 7 and senior Lauren Chramosta’s finish of 10:40.7 in the 3,000-
Hillary Packard and freshman Joy Trotter, who were named to the AllBig West second team. John Chin, a junior from Temecula (Temecula Valley HS), has six top10 finishes in 2008-09. He was second at the Anteater Invitational at El Niguel Country Club and the Del Walker Intercollegiate at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach.
meter steeplechase at the Big West Challenge Cup April 10 also met qualifying standards for the NCAA regional. Senior Julian Eison won the high jump with a mark of 7 feet, onehalf inch at the Cal/Nevada Championships March 28, tying him for the second-best jump in school history.
This is the second straight year that John Chin has been named the Big West Player of the Year. He was medalist at the 2008 conference championship and finished 14th in this year’s event. Senior Sean Shahi was named to the 2009 AllBig West second team and Roberto Francioni was selected as co-Freshman of the Year.
Freshman Charles Jock won the 800 meters in 1:49.18, the fastest time at UCI in 21 years, at UCI’s Spring Break Invitational March 21. Junior Matt Lahti won the hammer throw with a lifetime-best mark of 203 feet at the Big West Challenge Cup for the No. 3 mark in UCI history.
Shortstop named Lowe’s Senior CLASS award finalist
DID YOU KNOW? Oklahoma City Thunder officials say Scott Brooks ’87 will continue as the team’s head coach after being promoted from assistant to interim coach when P.J. Carlesimo was fired following a 1-13 start.
UC Irvine’s Ben Orloff has been named a finalist for the 2009 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The CLASS award, an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: classroom, community, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards that a senior season can bring. Orloff, a four-year shortstop, boasts an 188-consecutive game start streak and recently became UCI’s all-time leader in runs scored and holds 150 thus far. He tops the team with 48 hits, 10 stolen bases and 11 sacrifice hits. He is currently ranked 45th in the country in the “Toughest to Strikeout” category and has been fanned just nine times in 132 at-bats.
Sam Presti, the team’s general manager, said on April 16 that Brooks is a good choice for head coach because he is a good communicator, has a passion to help players and works to foster accountability and selfless play. He took over on Nov. 22.
Fans can vote online at: www.seniorclassaward.com Polls close May 31
The finalists have been placed on the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award baseball ballot for a nationwide vote concluding May 31. Fan balloting, available on the award’s official website www.seniorclassaward. com, will be combined with votes from coaches, media and sponsors to determine the recipient of the award. Fans also can vote via text by sending the words “Text Code” to 839863.
The finalists were chosen by a media committee from a list of 30 candidates based on qualities that define a complete student-athlete. The 2009 finalists joining Orloff are: Scott Bittle (Mississippi), Brian Cloud (Texas Tech), Grant Escue (Bradley), Nick Faunce, (Kansas), Nate Freiman (Duke), Jason Haniger (Georgia Tech), Brandon McArthur (Florida), Matt Nohelty (Minnesota) and Adam Warren, (North Carolina).
A native of a Lathrop, Calif., Brooks spent six years as an NBA assistant coach with the Thunder (2007-2008), Denver Nuggets (2003-2006) and Sacramento Kings (2006-2007) following an 11-year NBA career. Brooks graduated from UC Irvine in 1987, where he led the team with 23.8 points per game as a senior.
Sports Calendar BASEBALL May 16-17 * UC Davis 19 UCLA 22 * at UCSB 23-24 * at UCSB 29 NCAA Regional June 5 NCAA Super Regional
1 p.m. 6 p.m. 2 p.m. 1 p.m. TBA TBA
13 College World Series Omaha, Neb. MEN’S GOLF May 14-16 NCAA Regional TBA 25-30 NCAA Championship Toledo, Ohio
WOMEN’S GOLF May 19-22 NCAA Championships TRACK AND FIELD 15-16 Big West Championships TBA 29-30 NCAA West Regional Eugene, Ore. June 10-13 NCAA Championships Fayetteville, Ark. Anteater Athletics Online: http://ucirvinesports.cstv.com * Big West Conference Games
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UCI’s campaign nears halfway point By Mark Aydelotte University Advancment
Last October, the University of California, Irvine announced its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign. Our campus has joined with people throughout the community to raise $1 billion over the next six years to provide the margin of excellence for our medical center, the new law school and other major initiatives that will transform our campus and region. In 2005, UC Irvine completed a campuswide discussion about our priorities and aspirations, and set a strategic vision. Now we have refined that plan in partnership with our community, our students and alumni, and our donors. Our “Shaping the Future” campaign is an expression of the vision we share for UC Irvine. The campaign is focused on three hallmarks of the university: health, leader-
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ship within the global community, and energy and the environment. We at UC Irvine believe our future is only as vibrant as our collective health and wellbeing. That is why we are pioneering globally acclaimed research that can mark a new milestone in treatments and cures for diseases that have caused suffering and hardship for far too long. In our work in energy and the environment, we believe our shared future is boundless, but the planet’s resources are not. That is why we are leading and applying research in advanced energy technologies that will enable the world to do more with less – more clean, affordable energy with a smaller carbon footprint. We envision a shared future that is increasingly interconnected. That is why we are working to shape a new generation
“The fact that so many of our community friends are supporting the great work of our campus is very encouraging.” Thomas J. Mitchell, UCI Vice Chancellor of well-rounded leaders who create global opportunities balanced by a respect for local cultures, values and rights. “The fact that so many of our community friends are supporting the great work of our campus is very encouraging – even during difficult economic times,” said Thomas J. Mitchell, vice chancellor of university advancement. “Perhaps nothing speaks more effectively about the value we place on having a university of the first rank than this successful campaign effort.” The total number of gifts to UC Irvine over the past four years is close to 100,000 investors to date. That level of community support outpaces the support shown at other major universities.
The overall goal of the campaign is to ensure the UC Irvine earns recognition as one of America’s top-10 public universities. The UC Irvine Foundation Board of Trustees and prominent alumni, along with many others in the community, have already contributed $466 million to the Shaping the Future campaign. They believe in UC Irvine’s ability to make a lasting impact in people’s lives, and they wanted to make a statement about how important the future of this great university is to them. A full list of the more than 70 initiatives of the campaign is available at www.UCIFuture.com. More than 50,000 people have viewed the campaign Web site since it
went online last October, and it has become one of the most popular resources for people to see what’s new and next at UC Irvine. UC Irvine is becoming known as a university that is focused on the future, and our forwardlooking research is highlighted in publications like Newsweek and National Geographic as well as in national news broadcasts. Our faculty and students choose not to be defined by problems we might face … and now, more than ever before, we are defined by the good work we do and what we aspire to become. Private giving to UC Irvine continues to produce innovations and support programs that impact the world, including: • Commercially viable fuel cell vehicles continued on page 26
UCI to name ball field after Ralph Cicerone
On May 19, 2009, the University of California, Irvine and the UC Irvine Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will honor Ralph J. Cicerone, UCI’s fourth chancellor, by naming the baseball field at Anteater Ballpark “Cicerone Field” during a pre-game dedication ceremony.
Cicerone, a lifelong baseball fan, supported UCI’s efforts to resurrect the Anteater’s Division I baseball team during his tenure as chancellor from 1998 to 2005. When the baseball program was cut in 1991 due to severe state-budget cuts, he led the charge to bring baseball back to UCI by generating support from the community and on campus. In 2000, UCI announced the return of NCAA Division I baseball to the campus – an announcement that marked a new era in the 30-year history of UCI baseball. In 2005, Cicerone left UCI to become president of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. The baseball team, too, continued its upward tra-
Widget helps Anteaters know latest campus, campaign news Track the latest trends in energy technology, medicine, the environment, global competitiveness and more at www.UCIFuture.com where you also can get your very own widget. The UC Irvine Shaping the Future widget is a great way to share information with your friends and family on MySpace, Facebook and other social media. You also can embed the widget in your blog or Web site. Just click the “share button” at the bottom of the widget, log on to your favorite social network and start using the UC Irvine Shaping the Future widget. A widget is a unique source code that allows content to be added and shared from one Web site to another. Widgets are one of the fastest growing marketing platforms on the Internet.
jectory and helped raise UCI’s national profile in the process. In 2008, Cicerone and his wife, Carol, a former professor of cognitive sciences at UCI, earned the universities highest honor, The Medal, for their lasting contributions that continue to shape the future of the campus and community. Since the program’s resurrection, UCI has advanced to the postseason in four of its seven seasons, reaching the Super Regionals twice and capping a historic run in 2007 by finishing third at the College World Series in Omaha. The program has also enjoyed indi-
vidual success, amassing 30 All-America honors as well as producing UCI’s first-ever Big West Pitcher of the Year in 2007. This year, the Anteater Baseball team has continually improved in the rankings over the last few weeks and, at press time, had reached #1 in the nation.
Most widgets are designed to be easily grabbed and placed on personal Web spaces like; Facebook, iGoogle, MySpace, Friendster, Live Spaces, Netvibes, Blogger, TypePad, Pageflakes, Freewebs, etc. Some widgets also can be downloaded and used on individual computer desktops. Another exciting thing about widgets is that most of them have the ability to be updated and tracked dynamically from one source file! (Example: If a widget were to be placed on a thousand Facebook pages the content would be automatically changed on all thousand pages when the main source file is updated. This allows widgets to stay current without the webmaster having to go in and update each one individually). So check out how UCI is shaping your future, and get the widget at: www.UCIFuture.com
Cicerone Field Dedication May 19 at 5:30 p.m.
Join Chancellor Michael V. Drake, M.D. and Athletic Director Mike Izzi prior to the start of the UCI vs. UCLA baseball game for the naming of Cicerone Field. Ralph and Carol will be there for the presentation, unveiling and first pitch. To purchase game tickets, call the Bren Events Center box office at 949-824-5000 or visit: www.ticketmaster.com
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UCI faculty member briefs Congress on stem cell research Message: Stronger academia-industry relationships necessary UC Irvine’s Hans Keirstead – the neurobiologist behind what will be the world’s first human embryonic stem cell clinical trial – presented “Expanding Stem Cell Research: Finding Cures and Changing Lives” to Congress in March. Keirstead’s message in Washington, D.C. was to emphasize the ongoing need for collaboration between academia and industry. “This union is critical to moving new therapies from the laboratory to the clinic,” he said. Keirstead was joined by Robert Klein, a spinal cord-injury research advocate, and Thomas Okarma, Geron Corp. president and chief executive officer, for the, Capitol briefing. Geron will conduct the clinical trial for Keirstead’s spinal cord-injury therapy developed at UC Irvine, which in testing has allowed paralyzed rats walk again. page 12 | spring ‘09 your uci
“This trial was approved only after rigorous safety testing and consultation of countless experts in the field,” says Keirstead, co-director of UCI’s Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center and faculty member at the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which seeks new treatments for spinal cord injuries. “Any benefit to the patient, even an incremental one, would be a resounding victory.” Earlier in the month, President Obama lifted federal funding restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research, clearing the way for additional money to flow to this fast-growing field, which one day could produce a treatment or cure for people with cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, or other life-threatening disorders. In laboratory tests, Keirstead and his colleague, Gabriel Nistor, developed a technique for prompt-
ing human embryonic stem cells to develop into oligodendrocyte cells. These are the building blocks of myelin, the biological insulation for nerve fibers that is critical for maintaining electrical conduction in the central nervous system. When myelin is stripped away, through injury or disease, paralysis can occur. Injected into rats with spinal cord injuries, the precursor cells turned into oligodendrocytes and migrated to the injured area of the spinal cord. As the cells wrapped around damaged neurons, new myelin tissue formed, allowing electrical conduc-
tion to resume and the rats to walk again. This success, published in the Journal of Neuroscience in 2005, was the subject of dozens of media stories, including a “60 Minutes” segment. According to Geron, patients eligible for the phase-one trial must have a certain type of spinal cord damage and be willing to receive injections 7-14 days after injury. Geron has selected up to seven U.S. medical centers that may participate in the study. UCI has a robust stem cell research program that has received more than $52 million from the California Institute
for Regenerative Medicine. UCI’s scientists are pioneers in regeneration, large-scale production of specialized cells with very high purity, and methods for treating damaged tissues. UCI recently broke ground for a four-story building dedicated to stem cell research. When finished in 2010, the building will house the stem cell center, dozens of laboratory-based and clinical researchers, a stem cell techniques course, a master’s program in biotechnology with an emphasis on stem cell research, and programs and activities for patients and public education.
Left is a photo of an arch built and shipped to Hawaii’s Big Island for a destination wedding designed by alumna Larrissa Redher (pictured right). Story by Allison Dolan
Alumna creates Inviting Larrissa Rehder ’03 is a graduate of the studio art program in the School of Humanities and is the owner of Inviting Occasion Inc., an event design company that specializes in couture, one-of-a-kind special occasions. Recently, Rehder transformed the UCI Student Center into a blue & gold oasis for the UCI Alumni Association’s 40th Anniversary celebration. Your UCI sat down with Larrissa to talk about other events that she has done and how her UCI experience plays a role in her success.
Q
WHEN DID YOU GET STARTED IN EVENT DESIGN? Professionally, in 2005. I had been working on friends family’s events since I was in high school. It was my unofficial “job” in the family. After college, my sorority “big sis” asked me to help with her wedding and I discovered a new world. The arts education I received at UCI was invaluable. I try to infuse many of my events with art - whether it be in theme or design. My painting background also comes in handy as I provide most clients with watercolors of my ideas to help them visualize the spaces we propose. Interestingly enough, the way I even present my work has been influenced by my time at UCI. My professors stressed the importance of presentation, portfolios, and documenting your work. Many times I can be found running around an event with a camera around my neck trying to capture the details for my portfolio.
Q
WHAT EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WHILE A STUDENT HELPED SHAPE YOUR CAREER? Yes, my time in Alpha Chi Omega sorority definitely helped. I loved decorating for Preference Night during recruitment. We would transform our common area into a magical place with a shoestring
Occasions
budget, which forced us to get really creative. Something that I still do today. I’m known for taking everyday objects, like packing peanuts, and using them in designs, turning ping pong balls into a chandelier, taking empty soda and water bottles and fashioning them into whimsical flowers for a green event. I don’t want to depend just on what the design stores have to offer. I like to get people thinking about what you can do with a little creativity and imagination. It’s easy to make a beautiful space with a big budget, but we don’t always have that luxury.
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DO YOU HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF AN EVENT WHERE YOU HAD SOMETHING GO TERRIBLY WRONG BUT NO ONE WAS THE WISER? Luckily, we haven’t had a situation like this occur. I like to think it’s my awesome team and detailed planning! I’d say the most difficult event I worked on was a destination wedding on the Big Island of Hawaii. Logistically, it was complicated and the shipping proved to be challenging, especially when shipping custom Lucite columns. The wedding turned out beautifully and at the end of the day all the headaches concerning shipping disappeared when I saw the look on the Bride and Groom’s faces: Pure joy. continued on page 27 www.alumni.uci.edu | page 13
UCIAActivities
A n n ual Meet i n g @ C a l i t 2 Th ursd ay, J un e 9 6 p.m., Free See the latest UC Irvine research at an exclusive “behind the scenes” event at UCIAA’s Annual Meeting where the 2009-10 Board of Directors also will be conferred. Learn about technology being developed at UCI: • Doctor visits via your Internet connection • Bionic technologies to help those with vision, hearing or speaking disabilities detect a potential hazard
Lauds & Laurels: Thu r sday, M ay 1 4, Hilton I r vine Reception: 6 p.m., Dinner & Ceremony: 7 p.m. Help UCIAA pay tribute to this year’s outstanding Lauds & Laurels honorees at the May 14 awards ceremony. The association will bestow its highest honors on 18 individuals who continue to demonstrate heartfelt dedication and commitment to the university. For nearly four decades, Lauds & Laurels has honored more than 600 distinguished individuals for their accomplishments and contributions to the university.
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The generous participation of alumni and friends in the Lauds & Laurels program allows UCIAA to award more than $80,000 annually in scholarships to meritorious undergraduate and
Hors d’ oeuvres and beverages will be served at this free event. R.S.V.P. is required: www.alumni.uci.edu
Pag ean t of t h e M aste r s Wed n esd ay, J ul y 2 9 James N. Danziger will be honored with UCIAA’s highest honor, the Extraordinarius, at the 39th annual Lauds & Laurels ceremony.
Meet this year’s recipients beginning on page 16.
• Computing technology to improve anyone’s dancing abilities
graduate students so they may pursue their education at UC Irvine. Individual tickets are $250; 10-person tables also are available. For information or reservations, call 949824-2586 or visit the UCIAA Web site: www.alumni.uci.edu
7 p.m. wine & cheese reception 8:30 p.m. performance $55 UCIAA members; $65 General admission Enjoy 90 minutes of “living pictures”, incredibly faithful art re-creations of classical and contemporary works of art with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces, during Laguna Beach’s most famous attraction. UCIAA has secured 80 loge-level seats to this performance for our Anteater family. This event sells out each year, reserve your seats early! R.S.V.P. is required: www.alumni.uci.edu
GETTING GETTING INVOLVED INVOLVED HIRE AN ANTEATER VOLUNTEER Alumni are invited to apply for a variety of positions on the UCI Alumni Association Board of Directors or one of the association’s volunteer committees. Service will begin in the 2009-10 fiscal year starting July 1, 2009. Serving on the UCIAA Board of Directors or one of its seven standing committees is a meaningful way to help your alumni association and to be a representative voice for our alumni family. Board and committee members should have a sincere interest in helping the association grow its programs, reach out to increased numbers of alumni and help promote the association’s mission of enriching the lives of alumni and engaging them in a lifelong advancement of UC Irvine. Time commitments vary, though each committee member is asked to commit to a minimum of one meeting per quarter and attend select UCIAA events. UCIAA membership is a pre-requisite and fun is guaranteed. For information on becoming a volunteer and to download an application, visit: www.alumni.uci.edu
In an effort to combat the challenging employment outlook for UCI’s Class of 2009, Chancellor Michael V. Drake, M.D., announced the newly created “Hire UCI Anteaters” initiative in April 2009 in an effort to provide access and resources to alumni looking to recruit new UCI alumni in this tough economic climate. The UCI Class of 2009 will graduate more than 4,500 students by June 30. Those students will be facing a 22 percent decline in college graduate hiring, as forecast by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. “Nothing is more vital to our University of California, Irvine mission than creating the next generation of leaders,” explains Drake. “As a member of the 112,000-strong UCI alumni family, you can make a significant difference by employing new graduates and referring your network to our newly launched ‘Hire UCI Anteaters’ initiative.” To learn more about recruiting talented Anteaters from UCI, visit the UCI Career Center Web site at: www.career.uci.edu Click on Employer Services to see all recruiting options including ZotLink, UCI’s online job listing service.
ICS to celebrate 40 years of computing
MENTORING OPPORTUNITY UC Irvine schools are seeking alumni and friends to help mentor current UCI students. Mentors are asked to simply share their knowledge and direct experiences with assigned student mentees. If you are interested in volunteering your time, please contact the schools listed to the right.
Biological Sciences mentors Alyssa Cruz: alyssac@uci.edu
Physical Sciences mentors www.physsci.uci.edu/mentor or Anne Reese: breese@uci.edu
Social Ecology mentors www.socialecology.uci.edu/mentor or Patricia Devoe: pdevoe@uci.edu
The Bren School of ICS would like your feedback on planning an alumni event celebrating 40 years of ICS. You can take part of this by filling the survey available online at: https://eee.uci.edu/survey/icser. ICS also is creating a commemorative book and would like to include stories from you. Is there a story you would like to share? Did you find lightning in the labs on a rainy day? Did a special professor help you through a difficult time? Send your story to: alumni@ics.uci.edu.
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39th an
Modern day explorer
Professor James N. Danziger earns UCIAA’s highest honor By Heather Wuebker School of Social Sciences
If political science research professor Jim Danziger had been born centuries ago, he might have been an explorer. He has, after all, visited more than 50 countries – 14 just this past year alone while serving as a core faculty member aboard a 590-foot cruise liner for the Semester at Sea program. His research into the unchartered territory of information and communication technologies some 25 years ago has proven invaluable given the pervasiveness of both in our lives today. His textbook, “Understanding the Political World”, now in its ninth edition, is considered pioneering for its world view approach to teaching introductory political science. And he has, on more than one occasion during his 37-year tenure at UCI, been hailed as a trailblazer for his ability as an administrator to garner consensus among competing crowds.
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This year, Danziger’s careerlong university-wide contributions earned him the 2009 Lauds & Laurels Extraordinarius. Considered the association’s most prestigious honor, the award recognizes “those extraordinary individuals who support the university’s fundamental missions of teaching, research and public service.” “If the Lauds and Laurels Extraordinarius Award is intended to reward one who
nnual Lauds & Laurels ‘best exemplifies the spirit and purpose of UCI’, Jim Danziger fits that description perfectly,” says Manuel Gomez, vice chancellor for student affairs who worked closely with Danziger when Jim was dean of UCI’s division of undergraduate education. “Jim’s defining quality is his passion for optimizing the whole university experience for students,” he says, a passion which led Danziger to create the UCI branch of the UCDC Washington Academic Internship Program which he still directs today, along with development of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. “Jim is one of those rare individuals whose devotion to students has led him to make contributions at every level of the university, from leadership roles in administration to his very popular and thought-provoking lecture classes for undergraduates,” says Barbara Dosher, School of Social Sciences dean. In his administrative roles as division of undergraduate education dean, chair of the UCI academic senate, and department chair, he was
known for his collaborative leadership style.
“His administrative positions were challenging posts in which he became well known to faculty and staff across campus for his articulate defense of educational quality and his commitment to undergraduate education,” says Meredith Lee, German professor emerita and former division of undergraduate education dean. That same passion and commitment has not wavered in his nearly four decades of service on the UCI campus. Through the many courses he has taught, including UCI’s largest introductory political science course which he has taught for nearly three decades and one he continues to teach despite his official retirement in 2007, Danziger estimates he’s reached more than 18,000 students. “I love teaching the intro course because I get to show students the full range of what political science is all about, the way political scientists think and the nature of the contemporary political world,” he says.
His experiences and anecdotes from traveling all over the world are an integral part of his lessons and global perspec-
He came to UCI in 1972 where he has spent his entire career.
sure working with so many wonderful students,” he says.
“[He was responsible for] driving in me a passion
Equally rewarding, he says, is the research side of his work, which shifted more than 25 years ago from organizational decision-making and British politics to include the new area of information and communication technologies.
“Jim’s defining quality is his passion for optimizing the whole university experience for students.” Manuel Gomez Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs tive teaching philosophy, something he not only teaches his students, but puts into practice for himself. His worldly view of politics comes from his interest in British politics, a topic the Los Angeles native studied after completing his undergraduate degree at Occidental College and spending two years in Britain on a Marshall scholarship. It was there, he says, where he discovered two loves – travel and his future wife, Lesley. When he returned to the states to further explore political science in graduate school, earning a Ph.D. from Stanford, he focused on British politics so he could, as he somewhat jokingly says, “find anyway I could to get back to Britain.”
that persists to this day for learning, for teaching, for writing, and for excelling in everything that I apply myself to,” says Phillip Rudolph ’80, senior vice president and general counsel for Jack in the Box, “Perhaps most importantly, he instilled and fostered an insatiable curiosity – a hunger for learning.” Danziger’s efforts as a teacher have been widely recognized, most notably with the Lauds & Laurels Distinguished Teaching Award in 1979, the inaugural Academic Senate Distinguished Faculty Lectureship Award for Teaching in 1987 and the Teaching Excellence Award for Social Sciences from UCI’s Division of Undergraduate Education in 2005. “It’s really been a plea-
“When I first got into this field, it was quite undefined and many political scientists looked at me like I was a little crazy to take an alternative study route in this unchartered area,” he says. One of his first published studies which came out in the 1977 issue of Public Administration Review looked at the way new technology was being used by local governments. It was named Best Article of the Year by the prestigious journal. When asked if he plans to make any changes since he is now retired, the modern day explorer says he plans to travel a bit more, but he won’t stray far from campus for too long. “I’ve been doing what I love for the past 37 years and I don’t see that changing.”
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Lauds & Laurels
MaryJo Lang ‘74, Claire Trevor School of the Arts path wasn’t always in a straight, pre-determined line.
You might say MaryJo Lang ‘74 has an ear for sounds. After all, that’s what a Foley does – provide sound effects for films by enhancing the “boom” of that explosion or the “clip clop” of those horses’ hooves. And just like those horses’ hooves, her career
After graduating from UCI, Lang took a job for Disneyland in its wardrobe department and had the opportunity to work on the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics when the games came to Los Angeles. During those months, she made a number of contacts in Hollywood, started working on wardrobe in low budget films and TV, and never went back to Disneyland. A short time later,
another of her Olympic contacts introduced her to the movie world of sound. She was intrigued – and needed a job – so she signed on as a runner or go-fer. There are no classes or schools to learn how to Foley; the only way to train was by apprenticing and working your way through the ranks. That’s just what she did! Today, Lang is at the top of her field – and one of the few women in this male-dominated world. She has worked on some of the biggest blockbusters in the industry,
John Tracy, Ph.D. ‘87 Henry Samueli School of Engineering John J. Tracy, Ph.D. ’87, senior vice president for engineering, operations & technology and chief technology officer at The Boeing Company, is responsible for defining and implementing corporate strategies for attaining and maintaining technical and functional excellence, as well as providing strategic direction to more than 100,000 Boeing employees. Tracy also serves on the
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company’s Executive Council. He received a Ph.D. in engineering at UC Irvine in 1987, a master’s degree in physics from California State University, Los Angeles in 1981, and a bachelor’s degree in physics from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 1976. Since earning his Ph.D., he has been an active alumnus of The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, serving on the
Engineering Advisory Board and assisting the school in developing strategic relationships with industry. Tracy is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Royal Aeronautical Society. In 2007, Tracy received The Henry Samueli School of Engineering’s Outstanding Alumnus of the Year award.
including “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and the soon-to-bereleased “Transformers II” and “Terminator 4”. “You have to have a passion for anything you want to do in the entertainment industry,” says
Lang. “It’s a relationshipbased industry; you have to meet as many people as you can because you never know who’s going to have the contacts you need to move forward.” Sound advice from the sound expert.
Jose Solorio ‘93 School of Social Ecology Driven by the desire to improve his family’s standard of living, Assemblyman Jose Solorio ’93 pursued the American dream. In his search, he discovered the importance of an education. Utilizing this golden key, Solorio opened numerous doors of opportunity to reach his spot as the 69th Assembly District’s representative today. Solorio presses for California legislation that improves education, public safety and healthcare. Elected as student body president by his peers not only in high school, but also in college, Solorio fought for lower student fees, increased financial aid, campus environmental issues and important social
dilemmas. Today, Solorio holds strong to his values and passions. Authoring a law to reduce the skyrocketing prices of college textbooks is just one of his many endeavors. Solorio’s contributions are not limited to the State Assembly. He also takes part in the Advisory Board for UCI’s Department of Planning, Policy & Design, the Orange County Public Affairs Association, the UCI Alumni Association and the Harvard Alumni Association. When asked why he is dedicated to so many involvements, Solorio oftentimes refers to his inspiration, Cesar Chavez. “The end of all education should surely be service to others.”
Sam W. Downing ‘67 School of Social Sciences Sam W. Downing, president and chief executive officer of Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, remembers the buzz that surrounded UCI’s launch in 1965. A Newport Beach resident and transfer student from Orange Coast Community College, he was one of UCI’s inaugural 1,500 students. He majored in economics where he studied the impacts of social, political and economic policies on society with a focus on underserved populations. He graduated in ‘67 going on to complete his M.B.A. at California State University, Long Beach and at UCLA where he earned a master’s in public health in 1971. The following year, he was hired as assistant hospital administrator for SVMHS where he has been ever since, taking the reigns as president and CEO in 1985. In his 37-year career with SVMHS, Downing has been credited with leading what was once a small rural hospital in an agriculturally dominant area of California to a nationally recognized 269-bed advanced healthcare center with
many satellite facilities. His interest in and commitment to technology-driven healthcare research led SVMHS in 1998 to become the only community hospital in the United States to have a Space Act Agreement for research with NASA. His efforts to advance access among rural populations have crossed international borders through his volunteer work with Assist International and Rotary International. Downing, his wife and a team of physicians, specialists and technicians travel annually to remote places in the world installing medical equipment and training local medical providers on how to operate the equipment. Their work has ranged from building a small hospital in South America to setting up advanced ultrasound equipment and intensive care unit monitors in rural areas of Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia.
Christina Giguiere, M.A. ‘03 Department of Education After she earned her M.A. in Teaching and Multiple Subject Credential Program, Christina Giguiere, M.A. ’03 became a first and third grade teacher at Irvine’s Turtle Rock Elementary School where she helped design a research-based curriculum and provided leadership to faculty and staff in the area of technology. For parents and students, she created a family literacy and math
program. Acknowledging important distinctions, Giguiere also implemented a differentiated language arts, math, science and social studies program for advanced learners and students with special needs. Currently, Giguiere is the Academic Coordinator of the Multiple Subjects Teacher Credential Program, the same program she graduated from just a few years ago. Under her mentorship
and counseling, Giguiere works with more than 90 students, each an elementary school teacher hopeful, every year. Taking the candidates under her wing, she provides direction for these student teaching assignments and help link their university education to field experiences. Giguiere, playing an integral part in the personal development and training of new school teachers, ultimately secures field placements for these individuals in local schools.
David Feign, Ph.D. ’80 Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences David Feign’s involvement with computing began in 1949, the very beginning of the revolution. Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree from City College of New York in 1944, he went to work for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor to the NASA space program. There, Feign, Ph.D. ’80, helped set up a wind tunnel for dynamic aircraft stability research.
He later went to work for Boeing, where he programmed the FADAC computer – the first digital computer for field artillery. And he was part of the team that worked on the first Space Shuttle, where he was charged with writing flight-control programs for the Shuttle’s computer system. Feign revolutionized space flight-control and provided the building blocks that modern-day
programmers use today. He matriculated into UCI in 1964 to pursue his doctorate in computer science, where he helped the ICS department design its computer center. Here he developed a requirement to accept passwords at individual computer terminals and send back asterisks instead of the actual characters entered; a technology today that one couldn’t imagine being without.
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Lauds & Laurels
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Ali Malik
Outstanding Student Athlete Jon Steller, UCI Men’s Volleyball Men’s volleyball player Jon Steller was named an All-American last season, but his proudest moment came earlier this year. “I am not a big awards guy, so it was nice to earn the All-America honors last year, but my proudest moment was when I got the phone call from the Dean telling me I was admitted into UCI’s medical school,” Steller says. “To see all the years of hard work pay off was like seeing my dreams come true. I think I still haven’t realized it all yet.” Medical school may not be the only post-graduate work Steller is interested in tackling. “I am also considering getting my M.B.A. at UCI because I would like to open my own non-profit business someday.” Steller’s not-for-profit aspirations stems from traveling to Mexico and the Ukraine to do mission work. In Mexico, he conducted a walk-in treatment for patients fitting them for glasses and testing blood/ glucose levels for diabetes. He worked with orphans and children on the streets of Ukraine, treating those who suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome and other illnesses. “It was fun to take some of the kids to McDonald’s or to organize a soccer game with them. Serving others is great because we are able to lean something about ourselves,” Steller explains. page 20 | spring ‘09 your uci
A fourth-year history major with a minor in religious studies, Ali Malik is a student of life, history, religion and the globe.
fall quarter working at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars through the UCI Washington D.C. Academic Internship Program.
Malik’s work extends far beyond the theoretical boundaries of the classroom. He studied Arabic in Damascus through UCI’s International Opportunities Program and most recently spent the
Most indicative of Malik’s application of the knowledge he’s obtained is his work with the Olive Tree Initiative, a campuswide project designed to increase awareness of the highly volatile political
situation in the Middle East and the importance of creating peace in the region. His work with the Olive Tree Initiative earned him one of two $10,000 XIV Dalai Lama Endowed Scholarships this year, recognizing students with a demonstrated commitment to ethics and leadership on campus and in the community.
Outstanding Graduate Student Kathy H. Rim Political science graduate student Kathy Rim says she often felt a disconnect between the history she read about in textbooks growing up and her own history as a Korean American. “I didn’t feel like we learned much about Asian American history at all,” she says. She has been working to fill that gap since. As an undergraduate at UCI, Rim majored in Asian American studies. Now, as a graduate student, she is contributing to the ground-level research on the Asian
American population that is being written into new textbooks. “It’s really exciting to be part of the research being done on my own community where, until recently, little had existed,” she says. Rim studies the political behavior and participation of Asian Americans, a group which, despite growing numbers throughout the U.S., has historically experienced low voter turnout. Her research has been published in the Asian American Policy Review as well as a book chapter on engaging immigrant
groups. She also has articles forthcoming in American Politics Research, Social Science Quarterly and Urban Affairs Review. “I have never seen this level of successful scholarly productivity from a graduate student, never mind one only in her fifth year of study,” says Mark Petracca, political science department chair. Whether it is working with fellow graduate students or supporting educational pursuits of Cambodian students, Rim creates opportunities for others every chance she gets.
Outstanding Service
Outstanding Faculty Prof. Donald R. Blake
Outstanding Staff David Leinen In every organization, there are those go-to people who, day in and day out, can be counted on to make sure things run smoothly. For 25 years, Dave Leinen has been “that guy.” Whether it’s making tough decisions in order to manage the School of Social Sciences’ budget and staff – a job he has consistently done for the past 10 years as assistant dean of the largest academic unit on campus – to serving up hot dogs and hamburgers to hundreds of incoming freshmen, Leinen can always be counted on to
be there with, according to UCI’s director of institutional research, “a smile on his face and a cheerful word for everyone.” When Leinen began his career at UCI in 1984, it was “intended to be temporary,” he says with a laugh. The Iowa native was coming off a successful college baseball career as a pitcher and a two-year run in professional baseball. He headed West with plans to become a firefighter, leaving the Midwestern plains, but not the hardworking down to earth mind-set he developed from summers spent working on his grandpar-
ents’ farm. In a show of humor for which Leinen is known across campus, he notes that while his career path may have deviated following his hire into UCI’s accounting office rather than the fire department, he’s still found a way to put his interest to use. “I love the people aspect of my job, finding ways to bring everyone together to solve problems, and sometimes that involves putting out fires,” he says, adding, “although, if not careful, one can create some fairly serious water damage trying to extinguish a small fire.”
Professor Donald Blake is the world’s leading expert for making accurate measurements of trace gases in the atmosphere, especially volatile organic compounds. His developed techniques produce accurate analysis of more than 200 separate compounds every 20 minutes without interruption. His techniques have earned UCI’s geosciences programs national acclaim. In addition to academic recognition, his work has a profound impact on human health. He discovered that substantial portions of Mexico City’s smog pollution results from propane used as cooking fuel, a source that had not been taken seriously. More recently, his research group has employed analytical techniques to expand into the field of noninvasive diagnostic medicine, utilizing comprehensive breath analysis tests to assist with disease diagnosis and treatment. Despite the enormous time and effort that achieving this level of success and recognition takes, Blake often teaches academic sections of freshman chemistry and his commitment to diversity and mentorship to underrepresented science students is legendary.
Outstanding Community Service Pamela A. Kelley ’89 For Pam Kelley ’89, the desire to give back to the UCI community stems from her early experiences as an Anteater which began nearly 25 years ago. An Orange County native, Kelley was the first in her family to go to college. Her experience as an undergraduate
political science major, she recalls, was a turning point in her life. “I benefited greatly from the quality mentorship and education I received from the social sciences faculty,” she says. Graduating in 1989 with honors, Kelley attended Yale Law School. During her third year, she co-taught a seminar on
Women and the Law. In 1992, she returned to California, her law degree in tow, and began working for a Los Angelesbased firm. It wasn’t long before she made her way back home to UCI as a teacher. Today, she impacts the UCI student community on a daily basis and her efforts in the classroom
earned her the Social Sciences’ Excellence in Teaching Award in 2001. Her most notable work, however, is the UCI Law Forum, an undergraduate program she helped found in 2001 in order to help students develop the critical writing and advocacy skills necessary for successful careers in law and public policy.
Her passion for serving others has extended beyond UCI and her work as a private practice attorney to her involvement in the Orange County community. At Camp Pendleton, she developed a civics class for active duty combat Marines recovering in the Wounded Warrior Center to encourage educational aspirations. www.alumni.uci.edu | page 21
Lauds & Laurels
Rudolph Baldoni, D.O., M.D. ‘61 School of Medicine A 1961 alumnus of the UCI School of Medicine, Rudolph Baldoni’s, D.O., M.D. ’61 early life experiences seem to have guided him toward a medical career. Tenacious and inquisitive, he zipped through high school in just twoand-one-half years. A childhood illness combined with the suggestion of a high school science teacher helped Baldoni, at age 16, enter St. Bonaventure University where he excelled academically. He paid tuition and fees by working three jobs in the school’s dining hall. Beginning as a dishwasher, he was soon supervisor of all the student dining rooms. Taking a page from his father’s career, he sold real estate on weekends and took summer jobs at IBM in his hometown. A Korean War veteran, Rudy was the first noncommissioned officer performing as an operating room technician at Walter Reed Army Hospital under the tutelage,
and subsequent lifelong mentoring, of Brigadier General Anna Mae Hayes, first female general in the United States. After the military, Rudy enrolled in the California College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons in Los Angeles and went on to start his own osteopath practice. After nine years, he went into residence at the University of Southern California and became an anesthesiologist. He also invested in real estate, became a founder of the former Mercy Hospital, as well as Mission Viejo and Fountain Valley Regional hospitals, and was elected Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Orange County. He fondly recalls his interview with federal officials when elected bank board chairman. “I didn’t have any previous experience to qualify me for the job. So, the officials decided that if everyone liked me enough to elect me chairman, they must have a great deal of confidence in my character and in my ability to learn!”
See page 26 to meet the rest of the 2009 UCIAA Lauds & Laurels honorees.
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Distinguished Alumni
Colette Atkinson, M.F.A. ’90, Ph.D. ’98 School of Humanities After earning both her M.F.A. and doctorate degrees from UCI’s School of Humanities, Colette Atkinson, M.F.A. ’90, Ph.D. ’98 found quick success having her poetry, essays and reviews published broadly. Now as an academic coordinator and educator working at UCI’s International Center for Writing and Translation in the School of
Humanities, she provides inspiration and advice to many future writers. In the course of her work, Atkinson has interacted with writers, translators and academics of different cultures and backgrounds all while helping UCI’s ICWT achieve international recognition. One project which drew much acknowledgement would be the Casa Ro-
mantica Reading Series. Linking UCI and the community, Atkinson, the founding committee member of this program, introduces poets of national and international stature to the residents of Orange County. Now, as the series is in its fifth year, it continues to assist young up-and-coming poets with workshop offerings and exposure to experienced poets.
Roy Q. Beven ’74, M.Ed. School of Physical Sciences Dedicated to the improvement of teaching, Roy Beven ’74 has built a 35-year career out of the experiences he took from UCI in the 70s. Armed with a B.A. in physics and a California Teaching Credential, Beven uses both to inspire thousands of students. Upon graduating from UCI, Beven immediately began teaching physics, mathematics, geology and computer technology. He was responsible for creating the physics and AP physics curriculum at the numer-
ous schools at which he taught. In the classroom, he used innovative ways such as “fender bender” automobile accidents and common sports to teach students the physics of motion. He turned basic principles of science into fun concepts that were easy to grasp including his dramatic physics demonstration of lying on a bed of nails while a cement block was broken on his chest. Outside of the classroom, Beven helped students find their pas-
sions through extracurricular activities, getting involved as a wrestling coach and an advisor for both Eagle Scout programs and studentinterest clubs. As one of the first science teachers in Orange County to become part of the California Science Project, a development team created to support K-12 science teaching, Beven served as associate director of the program where he created further opportunities for teachers to improve student learning.
pioneer. She spent six weeks under his care, during which Dr. Chang injected her tumor with specially engineered non-replicating viruses that carry a cancer-fighting protein gene. In the end, the gene therapy worked. Ordonio-Carter’s cancerous tumor shrunk to such an extent that doctors could now operate on her.
Guardian angel Patient Keaulani Ordonio-Carter lives with pancreatic cancer By Marc Ballon UCI Healthcare
In early 2005, Keaulani Ordonio-Carter decided to go on a diet. At first, she had great difficulty shedding pounds, but the weight soon “literally began melting off real fast,” in her words. Ordonio-Carter also began feeling nauseous, especially when she ate. It turns out she had advanced pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancers. An oncologist gave her three to
“Dr. Chang is my guardian angel. He saved my life.” Keaulani Ordonio-Carter four months to live. The end seemed near after a surgeon had aborted an operation, because Ordonio-Carter’s cancer had wrapped itself around the vein which connects her intestines to her liver. Ordonio-Carter’s tragic story would have likely ended there if not for the intervention of Dr.
Kenneth Chang, director of the H.H. Chao Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center (CDDC), a leader in the treatment and diagnoses of pancreatic and other cancers. After learning of her condition, Dr. Chang invited Ordonio-Carter to participate in a clinical trial for an experimental gene therapy he helped
A few weeks later, Dr. David Imagawa, a senior member of the CDDC and medical director of the UC Irvine Medical Center’s hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery program, removed 40 percent of OrdonioCarter’s pancreas and 20 percent of her stomach. Today, the Santa Ana resident feels better than she has in years and enjoys outings to her favorite fabric and crafts stores. Little by little, she has reclaimed her life, and even plans this summer to visit her two sons and grandchildren in Seattle and Oklahoma City. That Ordonio-Carter has survived pancreatic cancer for so long is nothing short of a miracle, and a testament to the exceptional and compassion-
ate care she received at UC Irvine Medical Center. Even though OrdonioCarter still undergoes chemotherapy once every three weeks, she feels “grateful for every day I have, even the bad ones.” She also feels grateful to one particular physician who made a difference. “Dr. Chang is my guardian angel,” she said. “Without that gene therapy, I wouldn’t be here. He saved my life.”
TUNE IN Dr. Kenneth Chang was recently featured on CBS’ “The Doctors,” explaining a new treatment for Barrett’s esophagus, the abnormal change in the cells of the lower end of the esophagus thought to be caused by damage from chronic acid exposure
Visit the UCI Medical Center’s Web site to watch this episode: www.healthcare.uci.edu/
www.alumni.uci.edu | page 23
Speaking up
Alumnus whose degree in Chinese language serves him well to help others By Michelle Williams UCI Alumni Association
Dennis Nguyen ’94 carries forward the same guiding principles learned from his parents at a very young age. “Although we were a working class family, my parents always stressed the importance of getting an education,” Nguyen says. “Because of our Confucian cultural roots, education was always an important thing for us.” And, now, Nguyen has created a fellowship so that other students will have the same opportunities he did. In March, he established a $100,000 endowment which will help underwrite educational costs for a first-year graduate student at UC Irvine studying Chinese language and literature. “Each of us at UC Irvine has a responsibility to help create an environment where all of our students can grow and become successful global citizens. Dennis’ remarkable gift is a testament to his commitment to the university, our students and the future of our global community,” says Jorge E. Ancona, executive director of the UCI Alumni Association. “He is a valued member of our board of directors
page 24 | spring ‘09 your uci
and a tireless advocate for the university. We are flattered that he has entrusted us to serve as custodians of his endowment.” The Dennis Nguyen Graduate Chinese Literature Fellowship will be awarded to outstanding graduate students with financial need in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures. The department, housed within UC Irvine’s School of Humanities, focuses on the study of the literatures and cultures of East Asia with a focus on China, Korea and Japan. “This fellowship is a vital recruitment tool in the department’s ongoing efforts to attract the best and brightest students to UCI,” says School of Humanities Dean Vicki L. Ruiz. “Need-based fellowship funding such as this is especially critical in ensuring both access and opportunity.” After completing his degrees at UC Irvine, Nguyen went to Taiwan and then to mainland China to continue language studies in Mandarin Chinese. He then earned a master’s in International Relations from Johns Hopkins UniversitySchool of Advanced International Studies and a Juris Doctor from the University of Min-
From Left: Vicki L. Ruiz, Humanities dean, Dennis Nguyen ‘94 and Jorge E. Ancona, UCIAA executive director. Laurel Hungerford Photography.
nesota. He is completing an executive master’s of business administration degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. “I feel very indebted to UC Irvine,” says Nguyen, who earned bachelor’s degrees in both economics and Chinese language. “It was my focus on Chinese language that allowed me to fulfill the career I have today. My experiences, starting at UC Irvine, led me to investment banking and private equity investment in China.” Nguyen serves as cofounder and chairman of New Asia Partners, a Shanghai and Hong Kong-based private equity firm, which invests in Chinese companies spanning the consumer
retail, health sciences and alternative energy industries. His work has him shuttling between Newport Beach, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, London and most recently, Minnesota, where Nguyen has been appointed an adjunct professor at University of Minnesota Law School. There, he will begin teaching financial analysis to law students in the fall. That new endeavor will have Nguyen and his family relocating to Minnesota for several months out of the year. But regardless of what city he calls home, Nguyen is like any other dad when he returns: A chauffeur for his three children and their inter-
ests. He’s an assistant coach on his son’s Little League baseball team and spends time helping his fourth-grade daughter with her Girl Scout projects. Despite a partial relocation to the middle of the country and a growing list of responsibilities, Nguyen isn’t done giving back to his alma mater, a place he says has made incredible strides. “The quality of students who are matriculating is incredible,” says Nguyen. “They are head and shoulders above me. I wouldn’t be able to get in if I applied now. “I want to get even more involved in the community, especially here at UC Irvine, and find ways to give back.”
alumni notes Submit class notes via e-mail to alumni@uci.edu
CLASSNOTES cific American Literature Award for her latest novel Hiroshima Dreams.
Brandon Brown [PhysSci. ’99] wed Alejandra Cabral on August 9, 2008 in Riverside. They are currently beginning a year long research project together in Peru for a PhD program at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Marriage Michelle Cowin [Art M.F.A. ‘05] wed Henry Mensah on March 14 in New York. 1970s Mike Lidsky [SocSci. ’70] is the special assistant to the deputy administrator for Planet Protection and Quarantine where he works on employment law and biotechnology issues. Bruce Bouchard [Arts ’71] has been named the new executive director of the Paramount Theatre, the most recognized theater in Ruthland County, VT. James Norwood [Arts ’72] has recently become part of the School of Humanities faculty at the University of Minnesota.
Carl Ware [BioSci ’74, Ph.D. ’79], has been selected by the San Diego Science Festival as one of the “Nifty Fifty” of San Diego. Ware heads the division of molecular immunology at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology. Jim Miller [SocEco ’75] was recently elected chair of the Contractors State License Board. Bill Gekas [Arts ’78] is the director of performing arts for the new arts program at Westwood College in Anaheim. 1980s Allison Brown [Arts ’81, M.F.A. ’85] is currently directing episodes for the new Starz TV series, Crash. Kelly Easton [Arts ’85] won the 2008 Asian Pa-
Margaret McGurr [Arts ’89] has been appointed the Associate Ticket Services director at South Coast Repertory. 1990s Bart McHenry [M.F.A. ’94] was recently promoted to full professor at Azusa Pacific University where he is the chair of the Department of Theater, Film, and Television. Charlie Huston’s [M.F.A. ’95] eighth novel, Every Last Drop, was published September 2008 – it is the fourth installment of the Joe Pitt Casebook series. Sean Shahabi [SocSci. ’96] became a partner at Hodel Briggs Winter LLP, a law firm located in Irvine on February 1. PIMCO, one of the world’s leading fixedincome managers, has announced that Joe Fournier [M.B.A. ’99] has been promoted to the position of executive vice president. 2000s Jeremy Stolle [Arts ’00] is performing on
Broadway in Phantom of the Opera. In addition to performing in the ensemble, he is understudying the two male leads: Raul and the title role of The Phantom. Naisha Covarrubias [SocSci. ’02] has joined Ellis, Coleman, Poirier, La Voie & Steinheimer, LLP as an associate attorney. Her practice focuses on employment law, commercial law, general civil litigation and complex litigation. JP Group appointed Christian Anguiano [BioSci. ’06] as its philanthropic director. Mat Stovall [Arts ’08] recently joined Mattel Toys, designing for the Hot Wheels gallery.
In Memoriam Kevin Parsons [BioSci. ’75], an avid researcher for Lambert Eaton Mayasthenic Syndrome (LEMS), passed away February 27 from LEMS. He was 55. Christopher Barnes [Arts ‘75], 53, passed away on March 21. Barnes flew for American Airlines for more than 23 years and spent his last eight years as an international captain on the 767. Dr. Robert C. Combs passed away February 9 in Santa Rosa at age 96. He was associate dean for continuing medical education and clinical professor of surgery at the School of Medicine from 1968-80.
Earl F. Arbuckle, III [Eng. ’72] has been named one of six honorees to receive the 2009 Broadcasting & Cable Technology Leadership Award. As VP of engineering for Fox Television Stations, Inc., Arbuckle has most recently been responsible for the digital conversion of the 27 owned and operated Fox television stations across the country. www.alumni.uci.edu | page 25
Lauds & Laurels
Distinguished Alumni
Daniel Boehne ’99, D.D.S., School of Biological Sciences
Born to champion tandem surfers, Steve and Barrie Boehne, Daniel Boehne ’99 grew up in the waves of Dana Point. He spent his weekends and vacations working in his family’s business, Infinity Surf, a surfboard manufacturer. It was only two years after learning from his father how to shape surfboards before then 13-year-old Boehne began shaping the boards of champion surfers. In his free time, Boehne participated in various
surfing competitions and through the years, his accolades in the waves soared. In 2006, Boehne won the National Scholastic Surfing Association’s Masters Division. He was twice invited to Billabong Pro Teahupoo Trials in Tahiti, the most prestigious event on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour. Boehne had the background to become a competitive surfer, and numerous surfing magazines recognized him as a talented surfboard designer. However, when it came time to choose a career, he chose neither. Although many of his friends turned professional surfers, Boehne
chose to go to college. As a biology major at UCI, Boehne initially didn’t know what to make of his science studies. A humanitarian mission to Mexico later, he realized how dentists can have an immediate impact on the welfare of people. As a plus, being a dentist would allow Boehne to work with his hands, something he had been interested in since his surfboardshaping days. Boehne attended the UCLA School of Dentistry, finishing his graduation requirements seven months early. During the summer of 2007, Boehne led a mission to the island
of Sumba in Indonesia. Volunteering as a dentist, Boehne corrected the several-years-old toothaches that plagued some villagers. That same year, at age 30, Boehne was appointed the instructor of the Endodontic Technique Course at UCLA School of Dentistry. Currently, Boehne is the endodontic specialty resident at the Veteran Affairs Long Beach Hospital, one of the most selective postdoctoral programs of its kind in the country. Simultaneously, Boehne balances another job where he operates a local surfboard shaping business that provides jobs for friends and community members.
Lisa Locklear, M.B.A. ’84 The Paul Merage School of Business Lisa Locklear, M.B.A. ’84 serves as senior vice president and chief financial officer for Ingram Micro North America. She is responsible for leading the finance organization, supporting the business operations, and planning and strategy for the $13 billion region. page 26 | spring ‘09 your uci
She joined Ingram Micro in 2003 as vice president, finance, North America. Locklear’s career in finance spans two decades, starting in public accounting with Price Waterhouse in Orange County and then moving to The Walt Disney Company in its consumer products and theme
parks divisions. As an active participant in Finance Executives International, the Dean’s Leadership Circle in the Paul Merage School of Business, and other local organizations, she enjoys sharing her experiences working in large companies as well as her strategies for success. Locklear
continued from page 10
• cultural awareness in an increasing global economic and cultural community • The world’s first human clinical trial of stem cells • Clean energy technology that saves millions of dollars while protecting the environment • New, less invasive, cancer treatments • Important infrastructure projects such as our new university hospital, completed early and under budget These things happen because many friends and alumni of UC Irvine give generously to support the university. They happen because government leaders choose to invest in the University of California.
is the treasurer and executive officer of the board of directors of the Orange County United Way and a sponsor of their campaign at Ingram Micro each year.
And they happen because we’ve created an incredible university community of worldclass faculty and students.
Locklear is a C.P.A. and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis.
Learn more about how our donors are shaping the future of UC Irvine at www.UCIFuture.com.
IBM MentorMe program lets IBM’ers, students mingle in cyberspace For Neil Sahota ’97, ’00, M.B.A. ’03 it’s who you know, not what you know. “Every job that I’ve ever gotten was through someone I know, and I can honestly say that what you know isn’t as important as who you know.” An IBM project manager by trade, Sahota uses his professional skill set and extensive network to help UCI students and alumni connect. A member of the UCIAA Membership Committee, Sahota says he found a home at the association because of the like-minded company. “Today, very few people reach out to students and alumni to let them know what opportunities are available to them to grow both professionally and personally. Through UCIAA, I have the chance to work with people who feel the same way and are willing to dig in and commit their time to giving back to the UCI community,” Sahota says. And to give back, Sahota is always on the lookout for new projects. In his latest venture of connecting with students,
“When I was a student, my biggest challenge was I didn’t know what I didn’t know.”
continued from page 13
Q
DO YOU GET BACK TO CAMPUS MUCH TO WORK ON EVENTS?
Neil Sahota, UCI alumnus
Sahota is helping to launch IBM’s MentorMe Networking program, a Facebook application that pairs students with IBM volunteers across the globe to help students learn about prospective careers and get guidance from professionals who work in every field imaginable at IBM. The MentorMe program is part of IBM’s Academic Initiative program, a program dedicated to building relationships between IBM and universities to promote mentorship opportunities and research for current college students. “When I was a student, my biggest challenge was that I didn’t know what I didn’t know,” explains Sahota. “There were no mentorship opportunities like this for me so I couldn’t leverage the experience and knowledge of others.” Sahota earned bachelor’s degrees in physical sci-
ences, computer sciences and mathematics, as well as his M.B.A. from UCI, and still finds himself on campus regularly. He volunteers as IBM’s University Ambassador to UC Irvine as well as mentor for IBM’s Extreme Blue summer internship program. Through those programs, he works with students from universities across the country to develop the technology, marketing plan and business plan for products and services. “My goal is pretty simple,” says Sahota. “I want to build a strong relationship between IBM and UCI to provide solid, lasting benefits for students, faculty, alumni, UCI staff and, of course, IBM.” To complete his personal mission, Sahota actively seeks out UCI campus partnerships. He’s a member of the UCI Chancellor’s Club, and has worked with the Paul Merage School
of Business, the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology and the UCI Career Center to not only help students, but build joint research relationships, find educational opportunities and support existing campus programs.
Yes, I worked on the Medal Gala in 2007. This was a very special event for me, since I was a recipient of a Regents Scholarship. It was great to be able to give back to UCI and help honor such wonderful people. We also worked on the Donald Bren Hall Dedication, many events with ICS and the UCIAA 40th Anniversary celebration.
Q
For a guy who travels 80% of the time for work, that’s a pretty big commitment. “I volunteer to make sure that students have the best opportunity to succeed,” Sahota says simply. To find out more about the IBM MentorMe Networking program on Facebook, visit Facebook and search “IBM MentorMe”. If you are interested in mentorship opportunities or volunteer opportunities with UCIAA or other campus organizations, check out the Get Involved section on page 15.
IS THE ECONOMIC SITUATION SERIOUSLY HAMPERING YOUR INDUSTRY? Yes, but not in the way that you might assume. We are still an extremely busy studio. People still want to celebrate life’s milestones; they just want to do it in a more fiscally responsible way. They are asking us to get creative, but not in a showy, over the top way. I’ve been hearing “casual elegance” a lot lately. They are also cutting their guest lists for a more intimate experience. To see more of Redher’s work, visit: www.invitingoccasion.com/ www.alumni.uci.edu | page 27
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS Membership Rates
My member story. As a volunteer, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand the effect that my lifetime membership has on alumni and students alike. I have seen the smiling faces of alumni and their families at Homecoming. I have talked to the amazing UCI students who have received scholarships from the alumni association and have heard their words of gratitude. I have felt my sense of pride grow and grow after reading about the incredible achievements of faculty, staff, alumni and students nominated for Lauds & Laurels honors. Kent Yamaguchi ’83, ’84 Director, Santa Ana Zoo Vice President, UCIAA Membership
Annual
Life
Alumni
$50
$500
Student
$30
$400
Recent Grad*
$30
$400
Associate
$55
$600
To learn about our joint membership options and installment payment plans, contact UCIAA at: 949824-ALUM (2586). * Recent graduate is defined as having graduated in the last two years.
My membership really does matter and so does yours. As a nonprofit organization, UCIAA relies heavily on membership dues to not only provide the programs and services I’ve mentioned here, but countless other alumni and student programs sponsored by UCIAA. Thank you for your membership and support!
Tell us your story Let us know why you are a member or how your membership has benefited you and your story may end up profiled in a future issue. Be sure to send along a recent electronic photo: uciaamembership@uci.edu.
Blue + Yellow = Green Help UCIAA save paper by updating your e-mail address. This simple act
will not only allow us to communicate with you in a more eco-friendly manner, but in a more timely and effective method as well. E-mail us today at: alumni@uci.edu with your name, class year, e-mail address and alumni I.D. number (which can be found on the back of this newsletter) to help UCIAA and your environment.
page 28 | spring ‘09 your uci
Color some fun!
Alumnus Keith Brandt ’83 from Kansas City, Mo. sent us the following puzzle. See page 30 for one solution. INSTRUCTIONS: Using the colors blue, yellow and white assign them to numerials 1 through 13 so that no two numbers of the same color add up to a third number of the same color. For example, if 2 and 3 or both white, then 5 cannot be white.
Set for Life!
The following alumni became life members of the UCI Alumni Association between October 16, 2008 through April 15, 2009. UCIAA would like to thank all of our members for their continued support. Salvador-Patric Abiera
Christopher Jularbal
’67, Ph.D. ’70
Meeta Agarwal
Meghan Karavidas
Eugene Powell
Tiffany Arnold
Indra Kartawidjaja ’02
Anshu Prakash
Ken Baba
Jenae Kartawidjaja ’01
Lenn Ramirez
Kelly Barnhart
Jackie Krone
Usman Rana
Michelle Bauer
Daniel Lahana
Rose Raymond
UCIAA Bank of America card holders can enjoy a free arts & culture getaway through Bank of America’s Museums on Us program.
Majelane Bautista
Matthew Lahana
Samantha Renzi
Dhruu Bhakta
Jessica Lee
Timothy Reynolds
Alana Lefkowitz
Matthew Rhead
On the first full weekend of each month, show your ID and your Anteater-branded Bank of America ATM, debit or credit card for free admission to more than 100 national and 20 California museums. Revel in the Great Masters, explore jungle habitats all for free.
Gregory Brand ’77 Anthony Brock
Jonathan Lim
Kirsti Rinkus
David Buchanan
Jon Little
Rose Roberts
Shylke Budiman
Lamar Loh
Heidi Rom
Leanne Chan
Jason Luna ’08
Katherine Ruether
Nita Charlton ’90
Ruel Macaraeg
Jay Shah
Allen Chen
Amy Maguire
Kushagra Shah
Kelvin Chuang
Joshua Massatt
Elizabeth Sullivan ’96
Shawnee Deist
Fritzie Mercado
Elise Tarkman
James Dimarogonas
Mohammedali Merchant
Jane Terry
Thomas Eng
Danielle Mesrobian
Sofia Ernst
Robert Miller
Beverly ThompsonGracia ’94
James Garritson
Shabnam Moghbeli ’08
Naomi Gerbatsch
Michelle Montenegro
Bernadette Geronimo
Robert Mrse ’99
John Griswold ’78
Peter Nguyen
San Francisco Museum of the African Diaspora de Young Museum Legion of Honor Contemporary Jewish Museum
Rajesh Gupta
Son Nguyen
Christopher Hagan
Christian Ong
Andrew Hatfield
Cynthia Orozco ’06
San Jose San Jose Museum of Art The Tech Museum of Innovation
Sven Hauksson
Marissa Osato
Christopher Helstern
Deven Patel
Santa Ana Discovery Science Center
Jordan Hettinga
Sarina Patel
Kuo-Hsiang Hsu
Gerardo Perez
Lonnie Hudgins M.S. ’89, Ph.D. ’92
Michael Perlongo
Adventures start here
If you don’t currently have a Bank of America Anteater checking account, visit an Orange County branch office or go online to learn how to get yours: www.bankofamerica.com/myexpression_banking
Participating California museums Anaheim MUZEO
Riverside Riverside Art Museum
Davis Explorit Science Center
Sacramento California Museum for History, Women and the Arts Crocker Art Museum
Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art and Science Long Beach Museum of Latin American Art Los Angeles L.A. County Museum of Art Autry National Center of the West Palm Desert The Living Desert Palm Springs Palm Springs Art Museum
San Diego Birch Aquarium at Scripps The New Children’s Museum
For the most current list of museums, and any restrictions, visit: http://museums.bankofamerica.com/ UCIAA receives financial benefits from Bank of America who provides this program. These benefits fund alumni programs and activities.
Curtis Jensen M.D. ’76 Joseph Joyce
Karen Phan Thomas Pine Mary Polk M.A. ’66, M.F.A.
Jose de Jesus Torres ’03 Monica Trigoso Nadia Verde Andy Verdin Roxana Vosough Pin-Jan Wang Mon Wu Hsiao-Wei Yang ’06 Tiffany Young ’07 Shen-Tzu Yu Lia Yuen Tania Yuen Yunfei Zhang Qiushi Zhu www.alumni.uci.edu | page 29
AROUNDTHECIRCLE
Events taking place on campus and in the community For a comprehensive listings, visit: today.uci.edu/calendar
MAY Wednesday 13 School of Law. Chancellor’s Chair investiture, lecture and reception. Virtual Worlds, Virtual Property: Copyright and Paratext in Computer Gaming. 4 p.m., Calit2. Free, R.S.V.P. required. More: 949-824-2921.
List: Food & Wine Galore (Online). $275. Registration required. More: 949-8245414. Critical Theory Institute. 2009 Wellek Library Lectures. 5-7 p.m., Calit2 1100. Continues May 19 and 21. More: 949-824-5583.
University Club Forum. Butterflies of Iguazu Falls, Argentina. 11:15 a.m., University Club. $11.50-$13.50. R.S.V.P. required. More: 949824-7960.
Tuesday 19 Humanitech. Humanities and technology: The past ten years, the next ten years. 11:30 a.m., HIB 135. More: 949-824-7445.
Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellows Series. My Pace Provokes My Thoughts: Poetry and Walking with Edward Hirsch. 7:30 p.m., Doheny Beach, Student Center. More: 949-824-5011.
Wednesday 20 Women’s Studies. PUBLIC: A keywords roundtable discussion. 4 p.m. Bio Sci III, 1404. More: 949-824-7968
Thursday 14 Anatomy and Neurobiology. Human motor function: A connectivity approach. 10 a.m., Tamkin Hall F-108. More: 949-824-2583. Film and Media Studies. Film historian Lucia Saks presents screening South Africa’s truth and reconciliation commission: A moral urgency of the spectacle of torture? 6 p.m., HIB 135. More: 949824-7418. Saturday 16 Music. UCI Choir Concert. Joseph Huszti, conductor. 8 p.m., Winifred Smith Hall. Free. More: 949-824-2787. Monday 18 Extension. A Sommelier’s Secret Guide to the Wine page 30 | spring ‘09 your uci
Engineering. A Network of Software Defined Radios. 5 p.m., McDonnell Douglas Auditorium. More: 949-8244821. Thursday 21 Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics. Engineering microbial metabolism for production of drugs and fuels. 11 a.m., Calit2 Auditorium. More: 949-8249979.
Saturday, May 30-31 AISA. 8th Annual Pow Wow. 10 a.m., Mesa Court Lawn. Continues May 31. More: 949-824-6251.
Engineering. Semantic computing. 5 p.m., McDonnell Douglas Auditorium. More: 949-824-4821. UC Irvine Healthcare Community Education. Newborn Care. 6-8:30 p.m., UCI Manchester Pavilion, 200 S. Manchester Ave., Suite 840, Orange. $20. Registration required. More: 877-824-3627. Wednesday 27 University Club Forum. The Ten-Year Capital Improvement Plan for UC Irvine. 11:15 a.m., University Club. $11.50-$13.50. R.S.V.P. required. More: 949-8247960. Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies. Economic Statecraft, the Six-Party Talks and Nuclear Proliferation. 12:30 p.m., SST 777. More: 949-824-3344. Microbiology & Molecular Genetics. The Mitochondrion of Trypanosomes: More complex than you might think. 4 p.m., Tamkin Hall F-114. More: 949-824-7669.
Chicano/Latino Studies. A Roundtable on Public Health. 4 p.m., Doheny Beach B. Free. More: 949824-7180.
Thursday 28 International Studies Public Forum. Negotiating from Weakness in International Trade Relations. 3:30-5 p.m., SSPA 1100. More: 949-824-8687.
Friday 22 Social Ecology. Green development conference: A search for solutions, business, science and the university. 9 a.m., Beckman Center. Free. More: 949-824-9336.
Friday 29 Drama Mainstage. Little Women. 8 p.m., Claire Trevor Theatre. $9-$18. Continues through June 6. More: 949-824-2787.
dimensional challenges of cyber crime investigations. 5 p.m., McDonnell Douglas Auditorium. Free. More: 949-824-4821.
JUNE Monday 1 Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion. Bottom of the Pyramid Conference. 1:30-6 p.m., Student Center. Continues through June 2. More: 949-824-2284.
Biological Sciences. The SCID-hu Thy/Liv mouse: Bugs, drugs and beyond. Noon, Natural Sciences I, 1114. More: 949-824-9314.
UC Irvine Healthcare Community Education. Diabetic Diet. 4-6 p.m., UCI Manchester Pavilion, 200 S. Manchester Ave., Suite 840, Orange. $20. More: 877824-3627.
Friday 5 UCI Symphony Orchestra. Here and Now. With Stephen Tucker, conductor. Pre-concert conversation 7 p.m., concert 8 p.m., Irvine Barclay Theatre. $9-$13. Also June 6. More: 949-8242787.
Tuesday 2 Gender, Work and Family Research Group. Older Adults’ Strategies for Protecting, Repairing, and Expanding their Social Relationships: Evidence and Questions. Noon-1:30 p.m., SSPB 4206. More: 949824-6800.
Saturday 6 2009 Commencement. Graduate Student Commencement. 3:30-5:30 p.m., Bren Events Center. More: 949-824-4611. Friday 12 2009 Commencement ceremonies. June 12-14. More: commencement@uci.edu.
Wednesday 3 University Club Forum. National Choreographers Initiative. 11:15 a.m., University Club. $11.50-$13.50. R.S.V.P. required. More: 949824-7960.
Wednesday 17 Social Sciences Dinner Club. Planes, Trains and Automobiles. 6 p.m., University Club Library. $40. R.S.V.P. More: 949-824-1659.
Engineering. MultiSolution to puzzle, page 28 1
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IN CLOSING
Good News UCI Dean Andy Policano launches blog to guide you through “gloom & doom” recession news government is investigating and prosecuting prominent executives. The public’s attitude toward business leaders is largely negative. The government itself is becoming more intrusive.
COMMENTARY For most of us, the current global economic recession exerts a powerful influence in our daily lives as we struggle to understand the cause of the crisis, the implications for our future and how to make wise decisions for our families. As a macro economist, I study historical trends and watch many economic indicators. While we are enduring a period of significant challenge, I am the first to urge us to keep this recession in perspective, and to remember that recessions do have common causes and patterns. And, perhaps most importantly, you can find good economic news in the midst of the challenges. I recently launched a blog, entitled “Economic Good News,” for the specific purpose of provid-
ing the perspective you won’t find on the major media networks and Web sites. My intention was to uncover and point to indicators and reports that do not fit within the current negative buzz. While it is critical to acknowledge that some sectors of the economy – and many workers within those sectors – have been hit very hard, it is possible to uncover signs of a turnaround. First, however, let’s look at historical perspective. Consider the following description: “Immigration is fueling dramatic changes in society. New technologies are changing people’s everyday lives. Business consolidators and their Wall Street advisors are creating large new combinations through mergers and acquisitions, while the
Much of this is stimulated by an expansion that involved borrowers and creditors overreaching in their use of debt, lowering the margin of safety in the financial system.” Does that portray an accurate description of what we Americans are observing right now? You would probably agree that is does. However this paragraph is actually adapted from a description of the “Banking Panic of 1907”. In fact, not only did a similar set of circumstances occur in 1907, but between 1814 and today, the U.S. economy has experienced no less than 14 episodes of banking panics. In many ways, our current financial crisis is really nothing new, even though the impact of this crisis on the global financial system is significantly greater than in previous panics. But the effect on the macro economy, while painful, will be much less than experienced in the past and certainly much
Follow Dean Policano’ blog: http://economicgoodnews.blogspot.com/ less than what occurred during The Great Depression. We have many safeguards in our system which, when combined with significant reactions by the Federal Reserve System and Congress, will eventually move the economy back on an upward path. While the U.S. economy will certainly survive the current financial morass, long-term growth in the U.S. is likely to be slower while inflation and interest rates are likely to be higher during the next decade than in the past 10 to 20 years. So, how should you best prepare? 1) Keep an eye on several indicators that will help you decide when the economy is about to hit the bottom and turn around. Several that I follow on my blog include: • Manufacturers’ Orders • Factory Index • Employment Hours • Leading Economic Index • The TED Spread • Housing Inventories 2) As you diversify your portfolio keep in mind that it will be very likely
that in three to five years, we will be facing some combination of higher taxes, higher interest rates and higher inflation. Bond purchases today should likely be shorter duration, waiting for a rise in interest rates to lock in higher rates over longer duration bonds. Also, faced with the prospect of higher income tax rates in the future, Roth IRAs and other mechanisms for paying taxes now rather than later, should be considered. 3) Increase your savings as appropriate based on a smaller than expected social security benefit, a higher cost of long-term health care and slower income growth. 4) Always be a student of history. The list of indicators provided above can be very helpful in predicting major changes in economic activity. The fact that the world economy repeats cycles over and over again provides ample credence to this well known observation by Edmund Burke: “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” www.alumni.uci.edu | page 31
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Rip’em ’Eaters! Peter the Anteater made some new friends while relaxing at UCIAA’s Hospitatilty Tent during Wayzgoose in April.