UC Davis News: General Interest

UC Davis West Village a global model for sustainable urban planning

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:46:00 -0700

UC Davis West Village overcame funding constraints, delays, regulatory changes, a housing market collapse and other challenges to become the nation’s largest planned zero-net energy community, according to a new report on sustainable, low-carbon developments.

The pioneering development is one of four case studies featured in the current issue of the journal Planning Theory & Practice.

The report, “Exploring the Challenges of Environmental Planning and Green Design: Cases from Europe and the USA,” highlights UC Davis West Village as a model for new town construction and an example of how progressive planning and creative partnering can lead to new possibilities in energy conservation.

The UC Davis case study was selected from among several international green design projects submitted for inclusion in the report.

“Our inclusion shows that West Village is a global example of an eco-district and of net zero energy development,” said case study co-author Stephen Wheeler, a professor in the UC Davis Landscape Architecture program.

Situated on 130 acres just west of the main campus, UC Davis West Village opened in 2011 to roughly 800 students living in 315 apartments. Eventually, the community will include 343 for-sale homes for faculty and staff and be home to an estimated 4,200 residents. The project also includes a village square; recreational, study, retail and office facilities; and the first community college center located on a University of California campus.

UC Davis West Village is designed to produce as much energy as it consumes in the course of a year. Highly energy-efficient design, photovoltaic solar panels and a planned waste-to-energy biodigester are expected to make the community meet that goal. UC Davis West Village also features bicycle and bus transportation, streets oriented to maximize passive solar design, on-site drainage, and relatively high residential density, all of which embody many goals of sustainable development, the report says.

UC Davis West Village overcame several challenges during its decade-long planning process.

While the university administration recognized a need for affordable, local housing to attract students, faculty and staff, the Davis community had historically resisted new developments, particularly those displacing agricultural lands.

To ease initial community concerns, the university held public workshops and eliminated direct street access from UC Davis West Village to surrounding city neighborhoods. Campus planners also secured and preserved farmland five miles west of campus, between Davis and the neighboring town of Dixon, to mitigate loss of agricultural lands at the new community.

The challenges continued when an unsuccessful lawsuit by a neighborhood group delayed selection of a developer.

Then the housing crash, beginning in 2008, presented new uncertainties. Developer Carmel Partners of San Francisco now plans to construct homes only when pre-sold, which could slow future build-out of the neighborhood.

Regulatory incentives discouraged the large-scale community solar “farm” that planners originally preferred, causing them to erect a system of combined rooftop and parking lot photovoltaic panels instead.

Though initially a challenge, the slow-growth culture of the Davis community became an asset. “The strongly pro-environment views of Davis residents encouraged planners to make the project highly green in order to gain community support,” the report says.

Davis residents had long supported bicycle and pedestrian transportation, energy-efficient development, and compact development. Village Homes, built in the 1970s and located roughly a mile from UC Davis West Village, had set a positive example of ecological suburban development. When zero-net energy emerged as a concept in the design process — well after the original plan was approved in 2003 — the Davis community was ripe for it.

The strongest advantage that UC Davis West Village planners had, the report says, was the university itself. UC Davis owned the land, provided a built-in market for the development, and, as a state agency, was exempt from the need for local planning approval. It was able to establish clear development guidelines and secure $7.5 million in state and federal planning grants to study zero-net energy systems.

The university was also able to draw on its faculty, research centers and community and business partnerships to create UC Davis West Village. Among others, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, Energy Efficiency Center, California Lighting Technology Center, and Western Cooling Efficiency Center all contributed expertise toward helping the project approach zero-net energy.

Yet constructing UC Davis West Village would not have been possible without private investment, the report says. While the university invested roughly $17 million to bring utilities to the border of the site, San Francisco-based developer Carmel Partners agreed to invest about $280 million in the project. The developer also took advantage of tax credits and incentives available only to the private sector, and brought financial analysis and construction experience to the energy efficiency and renewable power investments.

Wheeler hopes that others seeking to replicate the community’s efforts will have fewer hurdles to overcome now that UC Davis West Village has helped paved the way.

“The first examples of anything new will be the most difficult,” said Wheeler. “It may take special leverage to make them happen. But then you can work to try to mainstream it.”

Wheeler's co-author is Robert Segar, assistant vice chancellor for campus planning and community resources at UC Davis.

The other case studies in the paper include a large renovation project in Alingsas, Sweden; a comparison of low-carbon developments in Stockholm, Sweden, and a car-free suburb near Freiburg, Germany; and the carbon-neutral Aldo Leopold Legacy Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

When, where and how wood is used impact carbon emissions from deforestation

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:20:00 -0700

A new study from the University of California, Davis, provides a deeper understanding of the complex global impacts of deforestation on greenhouse gas emissions.

The study, published May 13 in the advance online edition of the journal Nature Climate Change, reports that the volume of greenhouse gas released when a forest is cleared depends on how the trees will be used and in which part of the world the trees are grown.

When trees are felled to create solid wood products, such as lumber for housing, that wood retains much of its carbon for decades, the researchers found. In contrast, when wood is used for bioenergy or turned into pulp for paper, nearly all of its carbon is released into the atmosphere. Carbon is a major contributor to greenhouse gases.

“We found that 30 years after a forest clearing, between 0 percent and 62 percent of carbon from that forest might remain in storage,” said lead author J. Mason Earles, a doctoral student with the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. “Previous models generally assumed that it was all released immediately.”

The researchers analyzed how 169 countries use harvested forests. They learned that the temperate forests found in the United States, Canada and parts of Europe are cleared primarily for use in solid wood products, while the tropical forests of the Southern Hemisphere are more often cleared for use in energy and paper production.

“Carbon stored in forests outside Europe, the USA and Canada, for example, in tropical climates such as Brazil and Indonesia, will be almost entirely lost shortly after clearance,” the study states.

The study’s findings have potential implications for biofuel incentives based on greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, if the United States decides to incentivize corn-based ethanol, less profitable crops, such as soybeans, may shift to other countries. And those countries might clear more forests to make way for the new crops. Where those countries are located and how the wood from those forests is used would affect how much carbon would be released into the atmosphere.

Earles said the study provides new information that could help inform climate models of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the leading international body for the assessment of climate change.

“This is just one of the pieces that fit into this land-use issue,” said Earles. Land use is a driving factor of climate change. “We hope it will give climate models some concrete data on emissions factors they can use.”

In addition to Earles, the study, “Timing of carbon emissions from global forest clearance,” was co-authored by Sonia Yeh, a research scientist with the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, and Kenneth E. Skog of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

The study was funded by the California Air Resources Board and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

UC Davis to offer about 600 summer courses

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:26:00 -0700

UC Davis will offer about 600 summer courses -- from high-demand science and writing courses to the explorations of personal finance and introductory sculpture -- beginning June 25. And they are open not only to university students but also to the general public and some high school students.

Summer Session I runs from June 25 to Aug. 3, and Summer Session II goes from Aug. 6 to Sept. 14; registration continues through June 29 for Session I and Aug. 10 for Session II.

Offerings also include classes on the presidency, the scientific study of war, and hip hop in urban America, along with instruction in Chinese, Japanese and Spanish.

Mary Wall, director of Summer Sessions at UC Davis, said many students take summer courses to complete a series of major prerequisites that can be tough to get into during the school year. These include chemistry, biology, statistics and calculus.

Top high school students often take calculus and introductory science courses. To be eligible, students must have completed their junior year and have their school principal or counselor verify that they are capable of handling university work.

Courses and class schedules are posted on the Summer Sessions website.

Last year, more than 14,600 people enrolled in 580 courses.

Fees, based on the 2011-12 academic year, are $271 per unit for UC students and $340 for non-UC students; for each session enrolled, there is an additional campus-based fee of $292, mostly for student services and uses of facilities.

Those other than continuing UC Davis students must submit an application.

Limited financial aid for Summer Sessions is available to UC Davis students who filed a 2011-12 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form; financial aid applications are due June 18 for Summer Session I, and July 30 for Summer Session II.

Applications for on-campus housing for Summer Sessions are due June 15 for Summer Session I and July 27 for Summer Session II.

Study: Prepare grad students for work beyond academia

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:26:00 -0700

Universities need to work more closely with business, nonprofit and government sectors to better prepare graduate students for careers beyond academia, according to the report for a national project that a UC Davis dean helped guide.

Jeffery Gibeling, dean of Graduate Studies, was part of the 14-member commission that produced the report “Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers,” recently released by the Council of Graduate Schools and Educational Testing Service.

The report challenges universities -- and especially their graduate faculties -- to help students explore career opportunities outside of academia and then prepare them for success in those arenas.

“We talk about graduate education as a ‘pipeline’ to the professoriate,” Gibeling said, “but having students head into business or government should not be viewed as a ‘leak’ in the pipe.

“There are many different opportunities available,” he added, “and when students take them, they are able to work in areas of their interest and share a wealth of knowledge,” Gibeling said.

By 2020, 2.6 million new or replacement jobs will require a graduate or professional degree, according to the report. But the nation won’t be able to tap graduate students unless universities, business and other sectors better collaborate.

The Pathways report calls on university officials to:

track career outcomes and job placements of their graduates;
make stronger career counseling services available;
connect graduate students with graduate alumni;
broaden the focus of graduate education to include development of more professional skills; and
build more opportunities for graduate school faculty members and students to engage with industry, government and other sectors.

The study found that employers wanted more emphasis in graduate school training on business savvy and teamwork, communication and problem-solving. Employers also suggested that more graduate students need to be taught to innovate, apply their subject knowledge to other areas, and think like entrepreneurs.

At UC Davis, a joint administration and Academic Senate task force is envisioning the future of graduate education at UC Davis, and Gibeling is preparing a proposal to expand professional development opportunities for graduate students.

One opportunity already in place is the yearlong UC Davis Business Development Certificate Program, which teams MBA students with engineering and science graduate and postdoctoral students to develop the commercial potential of cutting-edge research.

UC Davis has almost 4,200 graduate students in 90 programs in addition to its undergraduate and professional students.

The Pathways study surveyed individuals who took the GRE General Test (ETS’s admissions test for graduate and business school) between 2002 and 2011. Graduate school deans were surveyed as well, and interviews were conducted with executives and senior hiring managers in business and government.

UC Davis plans 13 commencements, will graduate first nursing students

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:25:00 -0700

Thousands of students from the University of California, Davis, will participate in 13 commencement ceremonies this spring, including the first class from the new Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.

Commencement season begins Thursday, May 17, and concludes Sunday, June 17.

Guest speakers will include:

Goodwin Liu, an associate justice of the California Supreme Court, at the commencement for the School of Law on May 17;
Marie V. McDemmond, president emeritus of Norfolk State University in Virginia, at the commencement for the School of Education on June 13;
James C. Davis, president of Chevron Energy Solutions, at the commencement for the Graduate School of Management on June 16; and
Secretary General Chris Buijink of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation for the Netherlands, at the commencements for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences on June 17.

For more about speakers, visit: http://commencement.ucdavis.edu/speakers.html.

Commencement dates, times and locations are as follows:

May 17 — School of Law at 2 p.m. at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts;
May 19 — School of Medicine at 10 a.m. at the Mondavi Center;
June 13 — School of Education at 4 p.m. at the Mondavi Center;
June 14 — Graduate Studies at 4 p.m. in the ARC Pavilion;
June 15 — College of Biological Sciences at 9 a.m. in the ARC Pavilion;
June 15 — School of Veterinary Medicine at 10 a.m. at the Mondavi Center;
June 15 — College of Engineering at 3 p.m. in the ARC Pavilion;
June 16 — College of Letters and Science at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the ARC Pavilion;
June 16 — Graduate School of Management at 10 a.m. at the Mondavi Center; and
June 17 — College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the ARC Pavilion.

In addition, the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing will hold a special celebration of its first graduates at 12:30 p.m. on June 14 at the UC Davis Conference Center, before students participate in the Graduate Studies commencement. About 25 nursing students are candidates for a Master of Science degree.

Established in 2009, the nursing school admitted the first students to its master’s and Doctor of Philosophy programs in fall 2010. The school focuses on preparing graduates as educators, researchers and leaders to promote health, advance quality of care and safety, and shape policy.

The School of Law will award 23 Master of Laws and 202 Juris Doctor degrees at its ceremony, and the School of Medicine will award 108 Doctor of Medicine, four Master of Health Informatics and 24 Master of Public Health degrees.

Estimates of degrees to be awarded at the other ceremonies will be available in June. In 2010-11, UC Davis conferred 8,350 degrees.

Tickets are required for all commencement ceremonies except Graduate Studies, and they are distributed to graduating students by individual schools and colleges.

UC Davis will offer live and on-demand webcasts of each of the commencements at http://commencementvideo.ucdavis.edu/.

Campus tech incubator graduates first tenant

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:16:00 -0700

Hear this: Dysonics, a startup based on audio technology research conducted at the University of California, Davis, is the first company to "graduate" from the UC Davis College of Engineering's fledgling high-tech business incubator, the Engineering Translational Technology Center, also known as ETTC. After less than a year of incubation, Dysonics secured $750,000 in funding from angel investors, enough to set out on its own.

“We are very pleased to see Dysonics, our first ‘graduate,’ exit with a solid financing round under its belt,” said Harris Lewin, vice chancellor of research at UC Davis. “We are proud of the pioneering research conducted by Professor Ralph Algazi and his colleagues in the College of Engineering that made this successful spin-off possible,” he added. “UC Davis has a long track record of translating cutting-edge research into technologies with strong commercial potential, and we expect to see many more such new ventures being formed from the quality research being pursued by our faculty.”

The Engineering Translational Technology Center was established in 2010 to help technology startups, based on intellectual property developed at UC Davis, attract support from external financial investors. The ETTC provides member companies with campus space close to the college’s laboratories as well as support, mentorship and introductions to potential investors and strategic partners.

Members are selected for admission into the business incubator through a review process that includes an assessment of the commercial potential of the faculty research and its readiness for commercial development.

“Within the incubator, professors can stay close to their research and teaching while they develop their ideas, and students can get experience in translational technology research," said Bruce White, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC Davis, director of the ETTC and former dean of the College of Engineering. “The center identifies and nurtures promising research in the college, then supports faculty in the early stages of turning their academic research into commercial products.”

Dysonics was founded in 2011 by Algazi of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Robert Dalton Jr., an alumnus with a master's degree in engineering from UC Davis, and Richard Duda, a former research scientist at UC Davis.

The company, which has relocated its headquarters to San Francisco, is developing products for reproducing three-dimensional, immersive sound over headphones. The technology is based on UC Davis patents stemming from years of work conducted in Algazi's laboratory at UC Davis.

“The experience of hearing sound involves more than reproducing some acoustic vibrations at their source," Algazi said. “The shape of the head and ears, motion of the listener, and the acoustics of the room all play a role in the experience.” Algazi's research has explored how to capture and reproduce these nuances, for a more realistic, immersive listening experience.

Dysonics plans to market its technology initially to mobile device users seeking a richer, more engaging listening experience and new ways to interact with their content on their devices. Companies can also use the Dysonics technology for better audio quality for existing media and to develop new audio products and services.

Two other companies are currently being nurtured in the incubator. These are PutahGreen Systems, which makes software to dramatically reduce the energy needed to run networks by consolidating data traffic at less busy times, and Inserogen, which aims to grow vaccines for animal and human diseases in tobacco plants. Several other campus startups are being evaluated for potential admission into the ETTC.

The ETTC is one of several initiatives being undertaken at UC Davis that are designed to foster entrepreneurial activities and translational research on campus and facilitate effective technology transfer and new company creation as a means of achieving the university’s mission of service to people and society. Since 2004, more than 40 new companies have been spun off from UC Davis research. The university held 375 active patents at the end of the 2011 fiscal year.

White House hails blind chemistry grad student as “Champion of Change”

Mon, 07 May 2012 09:10:00 -0700

Henry "Hoby" Wedler, a graduate student in chemistry at the University of California, Davis, will be one of 14 individuals honored today (May 7) at the White House as Champions of Change for leading the way for people with disabilities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

“STEM is vital to America’s future in education and employment, so equal access for people with disabilities is imperative, as they can contribute to and benefit from STEM,” said Kareem Dale, special assistant to President Obama for disability policy. “The leaders we’ve selected as Champions of Change are proving that when the playing field is level, people with disabilities can excel in STEM, develop new products, create scientific inventions, open successful businesses, and contribute equally to the economic and educational future of our country.”

Wedler, who is blind, is working toward his Ph.D. in organic chemistry. Inspired by programs offered by the National Federation of the Blind in high school and with encouragement from professors, colleagues and others, Wedler gained the confidence to challenge and refute the mistaken belief that STEM fields are too visual and, therefore, impractical for blind people.

Wedler is not only following his own passion; he is working hard to develop the next generation of scientists by founding and teaching at an annual chemistry camp for blind and low-vision high school students. Sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind, the camp's goal is to demonstrate to these students, by example and through practice, that their lack of eyesight should not hold them back from pursuing their dreams.

Wedler was nominated by Douglas Sprei of Learning Ally, a nonprofit formerly known as Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. The organization allowed Wedler to excel in school.

The Champions of Change program was created as part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different sector is highlighted and groups of champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to serve and strengthen their communities.

To watch this event live, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/live at 1:30 p.m. ET, 10:30 am Pacific Time today (May 7).

UC Davis academic associations award prizes for faculty teaching, research, service

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:04:00 -0700

The UC Davis Academic Senate and Academic Federation have announced their 2012 teaching and research prize recipients.

The senate each year presents Distinguished Teaching Awards and Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Awards. The federation honors its members for Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Research.

ACADEMIC SENATE

Distinguished Teaching Award: Undergraduate

• Frances Dolan, professor, Department of English — Teaching is central in her work and in her own scholarship. Describing her as a “dazzling lecturer” and mentor for students, English professor Margaret Ferguson said: “Whether teaching a course of 200 or mentoring a single MURALS (Mentorships for Undergraduate Research in Agriculture, Letters and Science) student, Fran pays extraordinary attention to the details of pedagogy; she is interested not only in introducing students to new texts, genres and critical questions, but also in strengthening their ability to read closely and to ask big questions of what they read.”

• Ari Kelman, associate professor, Department of History — He shines at the front of a lecture hall in a way that few others do, said David Biale, professor and chair, Department of History. “Working largely without notes, responding frequently to student questions without losing the thread of his own thought, he proceeds through a lecture, crafting a clear narrative and analysis as he goes along.” He added: “While he sometimes ventures into theater — his lecture on the caning of Sen. Charles Sumner is legendary — students appreciate his lectures most for their combination of sophistication and accessibility.”

• David Osleger, lecturer, Department of Geology — He has “an exceptional ability to get students involved in the course material,” his faculty colleagues wrote in nominating him. In evaluating his classes, students use words like “fascinating,” “fun” and “enlightening.” For many students, taking a general education geology class from Osleger led them to either take more geology classes, or to become geology or natural sciences majors. Osleger also is committed to recruiting students, especially from underrepresented groups, into natural sciences and geology, and mentoring undergraduates on career choices in geological sciences.

• Jay Stachowicz, associate professor, Department of Evolution and Ecology — He is a motivator, engaging and entertaining in the classroom, and “an incredible mentor,” encouraging students to participate in his lab. “He teaches students more than just the skills needed to run different marine ecology experiments,” Natalie Caulk, Elise Hinman and Kristen Kelley wrote in a nomination letter. “He teaches the process of scientific inquiry.” Faculty colleagues Artyom Kopp and Rick Grosberg said Stachowicz’s research experience energizes all of his classes: “His teaching embodies all that a great research university stands for.”

Distinguished Teaching Award: Graduate and Professional

• Richard Sexton, professor and chair, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics — He is a master of his subject matter, communicates well and is remarkably adept at maximizing classroom participation. In addition, he has played an integral role in curriculum development, especially earning praise for master’s-level macroeconomic theory, which he began teaching in 1994 and later expanded into a two-course sequence. Those courses now attract students from many other disciplines. Sexton pioneered the incorporation of industrial organization concepts into instruction on agricultural market analysis.

• Richard Tucker, professor of cellular biology and human anatomy, School of Medicine — He is the primary instructor for the single largest course in the four-year curriculum: “Gross, Radiologic and Developmental Anatomy,” which includes foreign terminology and physically demanding laboratory sessions. Students laud his caring and motivational style, “fantastic ability to present a large amount of developmental information in a short period of time,” and his knowledge of the material, which he “can explain at any level of detail the moment demands.”

Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award

• Liz Applegate, senior lecturer, Department of Nutrition — She puts as much effort into public service as she does to her teaching, notably Nutrition 10, which draws rave reviews, owing to her philosophy of making nutrition and fitness education actionable and pertinent. Off campus, she gives countless lectures and workshops to a broad range of community groups, particularly those comprising underrepresented populations — people who are disabled or chronically ill, for example. She also works with state and national organizations, and youth sport groups. In addition, she is a valuable resource for the media.

• John Largier, professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, and the Bodega Marine Laboratory — He has played a notable and sustained role in service to the public by providing scientific advice on matters related to the health of marine and coastal environments via media events and interviews, membership on assessment and advisory teams, participation in working groups and on task forces, and presentations at public meetings. His efforts are across the spectrum from service intended to spur development of science beyond the university, to the application of science in policy, advising agencies and informing the public.

• Mark J. Mannis, professor and chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, and director, Eye Center — Recognized for his efforts to increase the number of high-quality ocular tissues available for transplant, as well as the number of ophthalmologists and technicians trained in the latest corneal transplant and eye-banking methodologies — thus restoring sight for tens of thousands of people with blinding diseases around the globe. Starting 30 years ago, Mannis and the UC Davis Medical Center turned the Lions Club’s fledgling eye bank into the well-established Sierra Eye and Tissue Donor Services.

• Robert K. Washino, emeritus professor, Department of Entomology — Throughout his academic career and now in retirement, he gives freely of his time and expertise to local, state, federal and international agencies, as well as the private sector. He served on U.S. Department of Agriculture and California Department of Food and Agriculture task forces targeting such insects as the Africanized honeybee and Mediterranean fruit fly. He added breadth and depth to such organizations as the Entomological Society of America and the World Health Organization.

ACADEMIC FEDERATION

Excellence in Teaching

• Eric Mann, lecturer, Department of Microbiology — His faculty colleagues said he is enthusiastic about his teaching and strives to stimulate his students to think independently. In their evaluations, students praise his clear lecture style, meticulous organization and remarkable sense of humor. His extensive work in curriculum development included a revamp of introductory microbiology to meet the needs of preprofessional students, and a reorganization of the MIC 101 labs so they could be offered in the summer. His dedication is astounding, said his colleagues, noting that he supervises lab instruction 18 hours a week in a typical quarter.

• John Rundin, lecturer, Classics Program — He is described as being abundantly generous to students inside the classroom and out, keeping an open door for those in need of assistance in one of the most difficult subjects: Latin. “His office is next to mine, so I can hear him patiently explaining Latin forms or grammar — never losing his sense of compassion and his conviction that every student can grasp the language — and also offering encouragement and advice,” wrote Emily Albu, associate professor and Classics Program director. “I see the academic results in the number of students who continue to a classics major or minor.”

Excellence in Research

• Wei Yao, assistant adjunct professor, School of Medicine — Her most recent work, published in Nature Medicine earlier this year, involved the development of a novel technique (using the molecule LLP2A-Ale) to enhance bone growth — offering a potential treatment for osteoporosis. Nancy E. Lane, who holds the Endowed Chair in Healthy Aging and Geriatric Medicine, said Yao has made a number of seminal scientific discoveries at UC Davis. “The scope of inquiry, the importance of the topic matter, the methodical construction of a unified approach to the questions and the gratifying results all speak for themselves,” Lane said.

Lighting innovator assumes first Rosenfeld Chair in Energy Efficiency

Thu, 03 May 2012 08:50:00 -0700

Michael Siminovitch, director of the California Lighting Technology Center, has been named the first Arthur H. Rosenfeld Chair in Energy Efficiency at the University of California, Davis.

The designation honors both Siminovitch, a professor of design whose work is revolutionizing lighting throughout California, and Rosenfeld, considered the “father of energy efficiency.”

“I am absolutely delighted that Michael has received this recognition,” said Jessie Ann Owens, dean of the Division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies, which encompasses the Department of Design. “He is a visionary leader and the perfect person to inaugurate this chair.”

Siminovitch has directed the CLTC since it was established in 2003, under the UC Davis Department of Design. It has since become one of the most respected lighting research centers in the United States. Working with industry partners, utilities, government agencies, and others, CLTC is dedicated to advancing energy-efficient lighting and daylighting design.

High-efficiency lighting developed at CLTC now illuminates buildings statewide, as well as UC Davis parking lots and garages, the Richmond Department of Public Health and other state agencies, higher education campuses outside UC Davis, such as California State University-Long Beach, and Raley’s supermarkets.

The lighting retrofits at UC Davis are part of the university’s Smart Lighting Initiative co-developed by Siminovitch to reduce the campus’s electricity use for lighting by 60 percent by the end of 2015. When the initiative is complete, the campus is expected to reduce its carbon footprint by about 10,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent and save an estimated $3 million each year. The CLTC also advised developers of UC Davis West Village, the nation’s largest planned zero net energy community.

CLTC is part of the UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center, of which Rosenfeld is a founding advisory board member. Rosenfeld is currently a professor emeritus of physics at UC Berkeley, co-founder and former director of the Center for Building Science at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and retired California Energy Commissioner.

“We’re thrilled to recognize both Art Rosenfeld and Michael Siminovitch — two extraordinary people who are doing good things for California and the world,” said Nicole Biggart, Chevron Chair in Energy Efficiency, director of the Energy Efficiency Center, and professor in the Graduate School of Management.

In the 1970s, Rosenfeld was one of the first in the nation to propose that conserving energy was cheaper and smarter than building new power plants and finding more nonrenewable energy sources. His contributions to energy efficiency are so profound that a new unit to describe energy saved — the Rosenfeld — was named after him in 2010.

While working as a student researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Siminovitch was mentored by Rosenfeld, whose ideas left a deep impression on him.

“He was an enthusiastic champion of this thing called energy efficiency,” said Siminovitch, recalling those early years. “At the time, he was one of the few in the country linking technology, design and human behavior all together with energy efficiency. The California Lighting Technology Center is based on those cornerstones, which I learned from him.”

Like Rosenfeld, Siminovitch is intent on using science and design to make an impact. In addition to teaching the next generation of lighting designers and helping to develop new energy-efficient technologies, he has helped to shape public policy in California. He often advises regulatory agencies, manufacturers and architects, all with a focus on bringing energy efficient technologies to the public. His efforts to make adaptive lighting a standard in building design helped shape changes to Title 24 codes and standards.

“The Rosenfeld Chair is about the can-do culture of UC Davis and the California Lighting Technology Center — a culture of innovation and cooperation,” Siminovitch said. “We’re creating real change and moving ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace by working collaboratively with industry.”

The new chair was endowed by more than 70 individuals and organizations. Major donors include Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Sempra Energy, Southern California Edison, the California Clean Energy Fund, Chevron, ClimateWorks Foundation, Exelon Corporation, Goldman Sachs, Power Integrations Inc., and Wendy and Eric Schmidt. A full list of donors is online at: http://eec.ucdavis.edu/events/rosenfeld_donors.php.

The endowment will help the chair holder promote the EEC’s mission to develop and commercialize energy-efficient technologies, teach future leaders in energy efficiency, and conduct critical policy-supporting research.

Siminovitch is a graduate of Carleton University in Canada and received his master’s degrees in both industrial design and architecture from the University of Illinois. He earned his doctorate degree in architecture and human factors engineering from the University of Michigan.

New university librarian to lead digital transformation

Thu, 03 May 2012 08:25:00 -0700

MacKenzie Smith, an academic research library leader specializing in information technology and digital knowledge management, has been chosen to lead the University Library at the University of California, Davis.

She will officially assume her new post as university librarian on June 1.

Smith, who was chosen through a national search, will lead the library’s integration of digital resources and information technology to serve the academic community into the future. The library is ranked by the Association of Research Libraries as one of the top 75 research libraries in North America.

"I am extremely pleased that Ms. Smith will be joining us shortly,” said Ralph Hexter, provost and executive vice chancellor at UC Davis. “Her expertise and vision will help us transform the library into an academic hub that promotes the innovative use of digital information resources in discovery and learning for the future." The university librarian reports to the provost.

“I am excited to join UC Davis at this time of unprecedented opportunity for libraries in the digital environment,” Smith said. “UC Davis is uniquely positioned to become a 21st century library that demonstrates how much more can be achieved for its students, faculty and the public of California.”

Smith, who now lives in Berkeley, has helped lead technology strategy for libraries at MIT and Harvard University. Most recently research director for MIT Libraries from 2011-2012, she led cutting-edge research projects in digital libraries and archives; Web applications for scholarly communication; and digital data curation in support of e-science.

As associate director for technology at the MIT Libraries from 2002 to 2011, Smith oversaw the libraries’ technology operations and strategic planning. She led the development of an open source software platform for digital archives and created a digital library research program on applied technology for libraries and archives.

At Harvard University Library from 1997 to 2002, Smith served as digital library projects manager and then digital library program manager. There, she oversaw the design and implementation of a multiyear program to build a first-generation digital library for Harvard.

Smith also consults widely in the library field, most recently for the Association of Research Libraries to design and lead a new E-Science Institute, helping research libraries to develop strategic plans to support digital research data curation.

Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1984 and a Master of Arts in library and information science from the University of Chicago in 1986.

At UC Davis, the university librarian is responsible for the leadership and administration of the UC Davis General Library. It comprises Shields Library, the Carlson Health Sciences Library, the Physical Sciences and Engineering Library, all in Davis, and the Blaisdell Medical Library at the UC Davis Health System campus in Sacramento.

Responsibilities include oversight of library operations, leadership of a staff of more than 120, responsibility for an annual operating budget of $24.7 million, and fundraising.

The university librarian is a member of the Council of Deans and Vice Chancellors, the UC Davis Academic Senate and its library committee, the Campus Council for Information Technology, the UC University Librarians Group and the Board of the Regional Library Facilities.

Smith will succeed Randolph Siverson, an emeritus distinguished research professor of political science. He has served as acting university librarian since Dec. 1, 2010.

Smith will receive an annual base salary of $225,000.

Beer foam examined In new book by UC Davis brewing expert

Wed, 02 May 2012 13:33:00 -0700

Foam capping a glass of beer is not just a frothy byproduct of the brewing process but a key component of beer quality and consumer satisfaction, writes highly acclaimed brewing scientist Charles Bamforth of the University of California, Davis, in a new book, “Foam.”

“Foam,” published by the American Society for Brewing Chemists, is the first in what Bamforth plans as a six-volume series. “The Practical Guides for Beer Quality” series is intended to help brewers, retailers and consumers ensure excellence in their beer.

Foam, notes Bamforth, is of utmost importance to beer quality when the beverage is consumed from a glass, rather than from a can or bottle.

“Despite my frequent protestations that the only civilized way to sip beer is from a glass, I am prepared to admit that there are drinking occasions when the informal approach is relevant — when fishing, for example,” Bamforth writes. “I do not fish,” he adds.

Bamforth goes on to share research findings from several consumer perception studies on beer foam conducted in California, England, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Scotland and the Czech Republic. Findings from those studies include:

U.S. consumers favor a good head of foam on their beer;
Most beer drinkers don’t like excessive foam;
Many consumers find that foam makes beer look colder; and
Men tend to appreciate foam more than women.

Throughout the remainder of the 72-page, paperback book, Bamforth examines the more technical aspects of beer foam. These include physical and chemical factors of foaming; the impact of raw materials, processing and dispensing on foaming; measuring foam; and how to address foaming problems.

“Anyone who wants to know how to pour the perfect pint will find the answers here,” Bamforth says.

The book also includes a discussion of “gushing,” that sudden, uncontrolled release of foam when the beer can or bottle is opened. Bamforth advises that “beer does not take well to shaking,” and dispels the myth that gushing can be prevented by simply allowing the beer to stand and settle.

The new book is available for $39.95 from the American Society for Brewing Chemists’ online store at http://www.asbcnet.org/.

Bamforth, who is the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences, began his work in the brewing industry in 1978.

In 1999, he joined the faculty at UC Davis, where the brewing science program is the oldest and most acclaimed of its kind in the United States. It has been an integral component of the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology since 1958, graduating hundreds of students who have gone on to careers in the brewing and brewing-supply industries throughout North America and beyond.

Before coming to UC Davis, Bamforth was the deputy director-general of Brewing Research International and research manager and quality assurance manager of Bass Brewers.

In addition to his faculty appointment at UC Davis, Bamforth also serves as a special professor in the School of Biosciences at the University of Nottingham, England, and is a fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, the Society of Biology, and the International Academy of Food Science and Technology. And he is editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists.

He has written numerous books on beer and brewing including “Beer Is Proof God Loves Us,” published in 2010.

More information on Bamforth’s books is available at: http://foodscience.ucdavis.edu/bamforth/BookLinks.html.

Genome scientist elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Wed, 02 May 2012 11:05:00 -0700

Harris Lewin, vice chancellor for research and professor of evolution and ecology at the University of California, Davis, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors given to a scientist or engineer in the United States. Including Lewin, 21 UC Davis faculty are members of the academy.

"I'm delighted that the academy has chosen to recognize Harris Lewin's work and achievements," said Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. "As vice chancellor for research, his experience in building research collaborations across disciplinary boundaries is invaluable as we take our research enterprise to the next level."

"I am grateful to all those institutions, and the individuals within them, who enabled me to maximize the extraordinary opportunities presented by more than 30 years in science," Lewin said. "In particular, I must thank the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for allowing me the freedom to explore and to create; my family and mentors; and the many graduate students, postdocs and staff who are the primary reasons for my success.

"Special appreciation goes to my colleagues here at UC Davis, who exemplify excellence at every level, and who have supported me in my transition to the faculty and administration."

Throughout his career, Lewin has been deeply involved in interdisciplinary research that has the potential to move from the laboratory to the marketplace, where it can help solve real-world problems. As a graduate student at UC Davis, he discovered genetic factors linked to disease resistance in cattle, leading to a patent on a screening test for cattle resistance to leukemia viruses. After graduating from UC Davis in 1984 with a doctorate in immunology, he moved to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he was founding director of the Institute for Genomic Biology. He is widely known for his work in mammalian genomics, especially in livestock, and he played a leading role in the sequencing of the bovine genome.

Lewin returned to UC Davis in 2011 as vice chancellor for research. In that position, he oversees the Office of Research, which is responsible for organizing and promoting research on campus; managing grant applications; and overseeing intellectual property, technology transfer and efforts to translate UC Davis discoveries into new companies and products. Lewin's office is also responsible for interdisciplinary Organized Research Units, research programs and facilities, such as the Institute for Transportation Studies, John Muir Institute of the Environment, Biotechnology Program and the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory.

Lewin is holder of the Robert and Rosabel Osborne Endowed Chair and Professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology, one of the top ranked departments in the country. He is also a member of the UC Davis Genome Center where he has a laboratory and is continuing his research on genome evolution.

In 2010-11, UC Davis received $684 million in funds to support research. According to a survey by the National Science Foundation, UC Davis ranks 16th in the nation in university research and development expenditures.

Katehi has set a goal of increasing the campus’s research budget to $1 billion, and Lewin has taken steps to help achieve that goal, including streamlining processes in the Office of Research and offering more support for interdisciplinary groups of faculty seeking to apply for large, multimillion-dollar grants.

The Office of Research recently announced the Interdisciplinary Frontiers Program, which will award grants of up to $1 million to faculty in science, engineering, arts and humanities as "seed money" to launch projects that can later compete for funding from external sources.

In 2011, Lewin was co-recipient of the prestigious Wolf Prize in Agriculture for his work on genetics, genomics and disease resistance in cattle. He also is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Lewin and 83 other new members will be inducted into the National Academy of Sciences next April during its 150th annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit honorific society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furthering of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Established in 1863, the academy has served to "investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art" when called upon to do so by any department of the government. For more information, or for the full list of newly elected members, visit http://www.nasonline.org/.