UCSD grad student wins Collegiate Inventors Comp
Jamie Link, a UCSD graduate student in the department of chemistry and biochemistry, was awarded a $50,000 grand prize from the Collegiate Inventors Competition on Oct. 23. The competition was sponsored by the National Inventors Hall of Fame in New York.
Link was awarded the prize for her invention of a “”smart dust”” comprised of dust-sized silicon chips that allow scientists to rapidly detect a wide variety of biological and chemical agents. The applications of her smart dust involve detecting possible terrorist attacks involving substances in the air or in drinking water.
Her adviser, Michael Sailor, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was also awarded $10,000 for his role in the development of the smart dust.
According to Link, she made her discovery by accidentally breaking a piece of silicon. She saw that each piece retained the properties of the original. She painted particles a specific color and programmed them to find particular substances such as a toxin. These particles would then congregate to form a spot of color to mark the pollutant.
Link’s invention has been found to have a variety of applications, including those in medical diagnostics and research and environmental research. Potential commercial applications include performing rapid biochemical assays, testing air and water for toxic chemicals, and screening chemicals for potential new drugs.
Link, along with other runner-ups in the competition, were invited to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange on the morning of Oct. 24.
Study places UCSD as 16th best public education value
A study by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranked UCSD 16th in the top public educational bargains in the nation for fall 2003. It was followed by UC Berkeley at 17th, UCLA at 37th, UC Davis at 52nd, UC Irvine at 58th, UC Santa Barbara at 69th, UC Santa Cruz at 94th and UC Riverside at 100th.
The UC campuses also comprised eight out of the nine best values in California.
UC officials have pointed to the survey as proof of the University of California remaining a good value despite fee increases, stating that UC fees are $1,200 lower than the average charged at the universities of Illinois, Michigan and Virginia and the State University of New York.
Average UC fees and tuition currently stand at $5,437 for resident undergraduates.
Rankings were based on freshman S.A.T. and A.C.T. scores, admission rates, student-faculty ratios, faculty quality, graduation rates and school spending on instruction and libraries.
UCSD filmmaker’s work purchased by Paris museum
The Centre National d’Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou in Paris has recently announced its intent to purchase “”Oliver Kahn,”” a film by UCSD professor Steve Fagin. Fagin is the chair of the visual arts department at UCSD. His 55-minute video explores the idea of memory in an age of increasing streaming video. “”Oliver Kahn”” is based on the 1958 one-act play, “”Last Tape,”” in which an old man plays audiotapes recorded during his youth and is able to reconsider his earlier ambitions. Named after the goalkeeper who led the German national team in last year’s World Cup in Japan and Korea, Fagin’s “”Oliver Kahn”” uses soccer matches, Hollywood movies and personal reverie to reflect on how one narrates a life. Fagin’s works have also been featured at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and are the subject of the book “”Talkin’ with Your Mouth Full: Conversations with the Videos of Steve Fagin.”” He has also produced feature-length videos that have been showcased at several museums and international festivals.
The Pompidou Centre will acquire the film along with other Fagin videos, “”Tropicola”” and “”The Machine that Killed the Bad People.”” The limited edition artist book and DVD of “”Oliver Kahn”” will be available through One Star Press in Paris. The company has produced over 70 books and films from internationally renowned artists. The film was shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego on Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
“”Young Americanos”” to take place Oct. 28
The Cross-Cultural Center will sponsor a reception for the “”Young Americanos,”” an exhibit paralleling the Americanos Art Exhibit in San Diego, on Oct. 28 at 3:30 p.m. The exhibit focuses on the variety and breadth of the American Latino Experience.
The project, which will tour in the United States, includes a photography exhibit that shows Latino Americans and their different walks of life. The CCC sponsors the exhibit along with the Centro Cultural de la Raza and local campus organizations. Other sponsors of the project include the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives and AOL Time Warner. The Americanos Art Exhibit will be held Sept. 3 through Nov. 23 at El Centro Cultural de la Raza, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays.
