Ownership of the Stuart Collection of Sculpture was fully transferred to UCSD on Feb. 7. The collection was previously owned by the Stuart Foundation. Several pieces located on the UCSD campus were on loan from the Stuart Foundation as part of an agreement forged in 1982 between the UC Board of Regents and the foundation.
With the transfer of ownership, the eclectic collection of sculptures now fully belongs to the campus and is open to public access. According to Chancellor Robert C. Dynes, the entire collection is worth about $4 million.
The Stuart Collection came from the university’s partnership with James DeSilva, a visionary art patron who died in September 2002. DeSilva wanted to redefine artistic works in a public space. The collection “”seeks to enrich the cultural, intellectual and scholarly life of the UCSD campus and of the San Diego community by building and maintaining a unique collection of site-specific works by leading artists.””
Artists are commissioned by the Stuart Foundation Advisory Committee to design pieces. The first piece, the Sun God, was completed in 1983, and the most current piece, the “”Read/Write/Think/Dream”” images on the front of Geisel Library, were completed in 2001. A total of 15 pieces have been completed for the Stuart Collection, and these sculptures can be found all over campus.
‘Iraq’ forum to be held March 7 in Peterson Hall
A public forum titled “”War in Iraq: Contemplating the Consequences”” will be be held on March 7 at 4:30 p.m. in Rm. 108 of Peterson Hall.
Forum issues that may be raised will include how the war will affect overall stability in the Middle East, whether the war will cut off support for Islamic terrorism or inspire further Muslim militancy, and what the economic consequences of conflict in Iraq may be.
Speakers will include UC Berkeley political scientist Kiren Chaudhry, who will discuss the regional consequences of war; UCSD history and economics professor Michael Bernstein, who will speak about the economic war at home; and Vali Nasr, a specialist on political Islam and the politics and history of the Middle East and South Asia, who will talk about the war and the future of Islamic activism.
For more information on the forum, contact Joseph Esherick at (858) 534-8939 or [email protected].
‘Wheel of Fortune’ to tape March 6 episode at UCSD
“”Wheel of Fortune”” will be taping College Week in Warren Mall on March 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
New dean selected for UCLA engineering school
Professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering Vijay K. Dhir has been named dean of UCLA’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Dhir, who has served as the school’s interim dean since February 2002, plans to focus on increasing interdisciplinary research, aggressive faculty recruitment, greater engagement with alumni and creating a higher national profile.
As the engineering school continues to attract a growing number of applicants, Dhir plans to add about 40 new faculty positions over the next three years. The school is also moving forward with its plans to upgrade its research and instructional space.
While interim dean, Dhir worked toward the formation of a new bioengineering department, which the university’s executive board unanimously passed in June 2002.
French scholar to lecture on U.S., EU relationships
Etienne Balibar, a distinguished French political philosopher, author and professor, will give a lecture titled “”The United States and the European Union: Power and Weakness”” on March 10 at 4 p.m. in the Robinson Auditorium. A reception and book signing will follow the lecture.
Balibar is credited as one of the significant contributors to the rethinking of European Marxism in the 1960s, as well as exploring the political philosophical study of nationalism, race and social identity. Balibar now also serves as a visiting professor each winter term at UC Irvine.
For information, contact the department of literature at (858) 534-4618.
