UC Vice President Joseph P. Mullinix announced the names of those selected to be on the UC Housing Task Force on Tuesday. The task force will examine the current situation of housing on UC campuses and the viability of other housing options for students. It will also look for affordable solutions to housing problems facing the students, faculty and staff in the UC system.
The task force will consist of S. Sue Johnson, Ward Connerly, Tracy M. Davis, Debbie Davis, Dennis Gallagani, Larry Hershman, Patricia Kearney, Harry LeGrande, Bruce Lehmann, Sam Morabito, Patricia Neal, Steven Relyea, Jeffrey Seymour, Bruce Spaulding, Ron Stern, Carol Tomlinson-Keasey, Thomas Vani, David Warren and Mark Winnogrond.
Mullinix has specifically asked the committee to consider the demand for university-sponsored housing, to examine the current process for the construction of residence halls and apartments on campus, to study the ways in which the university can work with a third party to provide housing, and to look at ways to help students with financial housing needs.
Berkeley Undergrad May Be Next Student Regent-Designate
UC Berkeley undergraduate Dexter G. Ligot-Gordon has been nominated student regent-designate for the 2002-2003 term. Ligot-Gordon is a junior majoring in the political economy of industrial societies.
The regents’ Special Committee to Select a Student Regent has already approved Ligot-Gordon, but he awaits consideration by the entire Board of Regents in September. If selected as student regent-designate, he will be able to participate in deliberations but will not be allowed to vote until his term as student regent begins in July 2002.
Ligot-Gordon is 21 years old and is originally from Vallejo, Calif. He has been involved in community service in the Bay area, including the mentoring of high school students. In addition to his work in the community, Ligot-Gordon has also been honored by both the California State Assembly and State Senate for his community involvement.
Tracy M. Davis is the next student regent. She follows Justin Fong, who is currently holding the position, and precedes Ligot-Gordon, if he is selected.
UCSD, Caltrans Project Leads to New Highway Technology
Researchers at UCSD, in partnership with CalTrans and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, have developed new structural materials that have been applied to the Kings Stormwater Channel Bridge, a new highway bridge on State Route 86 near the Salton Sea.
The bridge, which officially opened for use May 18, is notably not completely structured with steel rebar. Instead, it is supported by structural shells made from tubes of lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, which are then filled with concrete. This is an appealing alternative to traditional rebar, because rebar is expensive and relatively hard to work with. Also, the tubes do not corrode as rebar’s steel does.
CalTrans and the university will not only apply new technology, they also plan to monitor and evaluate its effectiveness under the heavy traffic it experiences from people traveling between Mexico and Los Angeles through the Imperial Valley.
Professor Frieder Seible, chair of the Irwin and Joan Jacobs School of Engineering’s Department of Structural Engineering, designed the project.
Burbidge to Receive Founders Distinguished Scholar Award
The American Association of Women has awarded UCSD physics professor emeritus E. Margaret Burbidge the 2001 Founders Distinguished Senior Scholar Award.
The association selected Burbidge for the award because of her lifetime university teaching achievements, her extensive catalogue of publications and the impact she has had on women in her profession and community.
The award will be presented to Burbidge at Foundation Night at the AAUW National Convention in Austin, Texas, on June 25. The award will be accompanied by a $1,000 honorarium.
