Campus to Open Mexico Extension
As part of Chancellor Marye Anne Fox’s new program to partner UCSD with Mexico, the university announced plans last week to open an office and staff a full-time representative in Mexico City in an effort to improve its understanding and ability to identify new opportunities throughout the country.
The chancellor also revealed three new initiatives to improve the quality of life for citizens of both the United States and Mexico that were developed as part of her November 2005 meeting with Mexican government and academic officials.
The partnership initiatives will deal with improving air quality in the Baja-San Diego region, exploring how the area could become more competitive in global science and technology sectors, and aiding Mexican citizens through new economic policies.
Snow on Continent Melting Earlier
A new U.S. Geological Survey study led by a Scripps Institution of Oceanography researcher has found that spring is arriving earlier in places where it brings snowmelt-fed rivers.
The study examined stream-flow records from the past 50 years of 179 remote rivers in the eastern United States and Canada, and determined that the peak runoff time had shifted about five to 10 days earlier over that time period.
Results were obtained by using gauging stations that measured stream flow by tracking water depth, and echoed the findings of a similar 2005 study in the western United States that also found earlier snowmelts.
UCSD Fares Well in National Rankings
A new national survey of graduate programs released last week by U.S. News and World Report chronicled a rise in the rankings of many UCSD programs.
The division of biological sciences placed 12th overall, with its neurobiology program ranking second and its bioinformatics program ranking sixth.
The campus also placed high in its programs for biochemistry (seventh), seismology (fifth), physics (16th), chemistry (18th) and mathematics (21st).
UCSD’s computer science and engineering department ranked 13th, up nine spots since 2002. Overall, the Jacobs School of Engineering placed 11th. The campus also received a high ranking for its program in bioengineering, which ranked second for the third year in a row. UCSD’s School of Medicine ranked 14th overall and first in the nation for the number of research grants per faculty member.
The campus was one of only five institutions that had both a medical school and an engineering school that ranked in the top 15 nationally.
Mentoring Program Gets New Head
Veronica Henson-Phillips, a professor of speech communication and theater, has been appointed as the new head of UCSD’s Faculty Mentor Program.
Her main responsibility includes expanding undergraduate access to campus research opportunities.
