Cog. Science prof. Elizabeth Bates dies at age 56
Guardian
Elizabeth Bates, a renowned cognitive scientist and director of UCSD¹s Center for Research in Language, died on Dec. 13 of pancreatic cancer. She was 56.
Bates helped found UCSD¹s department of cognitive science, the first of its kind in the nation. She was well known for her pioneering work in child development and language acquisition as well as for her innovative work in the fields of post-stroke language affect, comparative linguistics and the psychology of adult language learning.
At the center, she led groups of researchers to examine the relationship between brain function and learning language. With her team of collaborators, Bates conducted studies in over 20 languages on four continents.
Bates authored or co-authored 10 books and over 200 articles. Among her contributions to the cognitive science field was her research demonstrating the flexibility or “”plasticity”” of the brain. She showed that children with injury to the language areas of the brain could still develop normal language skills. Bates¹ general theory was that linguistic knowledge is distributed throughout the brain, rather than in one area, for language development.
Her most recent discovery came in April 2003, when Bates and her team announced they had developed a brain imaging technique. This technique uses maps that light up to pinpoint the relationship between the severity of a behavioral deficit and the voxels in the brain that contribute to that deficit. The technique, called Voxel-based Lesion-Symptom Mapping, provides researchers with a way to pinpoint the specific areas of the brain most crucial for normal function, including language comprehension.
Bates received her degree at St. Louis University and earned her doctorate from the University of Chicago. Earlier in her career she was on the faculty at the University of Colorado and UC Berkeley. Bates is survived by her husband and her daughter.
Dr. Seuss¹ art exhibits at Geisel Library start Jan. 5
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of author Theodor Seuss Geisel¹s birthday, three public exhibits drawn from the Dr. Seuss Collection at UCSD will be mounted at Geisel Library.
The first exhibit, “”The Dr. Seuss You Never Knew,”” will open on Jan. 5. It will focus on Geisel¹s early work from his days at Dartmouth and Oxford Universities, his advertising work from the 1920s and 1930s, and his illustrations for other authors. The show will also include his World War II cartoons for PM Magazine and his work for the U.S. Army.
This first exhibit, on the first floor of Geisel Library, will run until March 27. It will be followed by a second exhibit, “”Dr. Seuss Between the Covers,”” showcasing his childrensa books, and a third, “”The Cat in the Hat for President,”” focusing on how Dr. Seuss and his creations have become commonplace in American culture.
On March 2, Geisel’s birth date, a bronze sculpture of the author will be unveiled at the library by Audrey Geisel, widow of the late author.
President of Chile visits UCSD to receive medal
The President of the Republic of Chile, Ricardo Lagos, will visit UCSD on Jan. 9 to receive the UCSD Medal, give a public lecture and attend a held luncheon in his honor.
President Lagos will speak at 9:30 a.m. at the Institute of the Americas Auditorium.
The UCSD Medal is the university’s highest honor. It has been awarded to other heads of states, including Presidents Carlos Salinas of Mexico, Raul Alfonsin of Argentina and Fidel Ramos of the Philippines.
President Lagos, who was elected in 2000, is a lawyer with a doctorate in economics from Duke University. Since his election, Chile’s economy has surpassed that of all other states in Latin and South America.
President Lagos will also address a separate Institute of the Americas luncheon program on Jan. 9. For information on this event, call (858) 435-5560.
UC Board of Regents will meet on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15
The UC Board of Regents will meet on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15 at UCSF Laurel Heights, San Francisco. The regents are expected to discuss the implications of Gov. Arnold Schwarzengger’s budget, which he will propose by Jan. 10.
The meetings will begin at 1 p.m. on Jan. 14 with public comment, followed by an open session of the board’s committee on finance. Meetings will begin at 9 a.m. on Jan. 15 with more public comment, followed by an open session of the board’s committee on oversight of the U.S. Department of Energy laboratories and committee on finance meeting jointly.
A live audio broadcast will be available at http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents.
