UCSD News

pimg src=http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/graphics/images/2009/08-09TreeCampus01TS.jpg alt=Photo of Jess Wall height=80 width=120 //p pUC San Diego’s dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship was cited by the national Arbor Day Foundation in naming the campus as a 2009 “Tree Campus USA University” for the second consecutive year. a href=http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/general/08-09TreeCampus.aspMore/a/p

pimg src=http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/graphics/images/2009/08-09Extinction01TS.jpg alt=Photo of Venus Clams height=80 width=120 //p pGlobal calamities like the one that doomed most dinosaurs forever alter the varieties of life found on Earth. But new research shows that it doesn’t take a catastrophe to end entire lineages. An analysis of 200 million years of history for marine clams found that vulnerability to extinction runs in evolutionary families, even when the losses result from ongoing, background rates of extinction. a href=http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/science/08-09Extinction.aspMore/a/p

pimg src=http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/graphics/images/2009/08-09TritonResource01TS.jpg alt=Triton Resource height=80 width=120 //p pThe San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, San Diego, today officially launched the Triton Resource, an integrated, data-intensive computing system primarily designed to support UC San Diego and UC researchers. a href=http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/supercomputer/08-09TritonResource.aspMore/a/p

pimg src=http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/graphics/images/2009/07-09CCSE02TS.jpg alt=Photo of fuel cell height=80 width=120 //p pThe California Center for Sustainable Energy in San Diego announced today that the University of California, San Diego will receive $11 million in incentives from California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program for the installation of an innovative fuel cell energy generation and storage system. a href=http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/science/07-09CCSE.aspMore/a/p

University of California President Mark Yudof released details Friday of a proposed plan to offset an anticipated $813 million reduction in support from the state General Fund. The plan will be presented Wednesday to the Board of Regents, which has final authority on the matter. More

Every night for the past month, UCSD professor Babak Rahimi had stayed awake in his Tehran apartment, listening as residents of the Iranian capital cried out their frustration on the city’s rooftops. They shouted “Down with the dictator” and “God is great.” They were protesting the results of the June 12 election that officially gave President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad another term in office. Rahimi decided that the rest of the world needed to hear his neighbors’ voices too. More

They are learning about flamenco and Spanish culture in the City of Cadiz. They're programming in India, while discovering the country's wildlife and unusual driving habits, They're learning about poverty right here at home. Several undergraduates have agreed to act as correspondents for This Week@UCSD this summer as they embark on learning adventures throughout the world. Here are their first Dispatches from the Field. More

Flying 350 miles above the Earth inside the space shuttle Atlantis, UC San Diego alumna Megan McArthur would often look down from the flight deck at the world’s oceans and the thin layer of atmosphere that protects our planet. The view brought back memories of everything she had learned as a graduate student at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. More

During last year’s national college surfing contest, UC San Diego senior Marty Weinstein had delivered a near-perfect 9.75 (out of 10) score on the first of his attempts in the semifinal heat when he fell hard in the finals, severely tearing his ankle. Last month, Weinstein got his wish, demolishing the competition, winning National Scholastic Surfing Association men's college championship. More

Existing drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease could be repositioned for use in the treatment of extreme drug-resistant tuberculosis, which kills about 2 million people each year, according to a study led by researchers at UC San Diego. The rise of these strains of TB throughout the world, including industrialized countries, poses a great threat to human health. More

Researchers at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center are injecting a modified herpes virus into melanoma tumors, hoping to kill the cancer cells while also bolstering the body’s immune defenses against the disease. More

Particulate pollution thought to be holding climate change in check by reflecting sunlight instead enhances warming when combined with airborne soot, a new study by researchers at the UC San Diego have found. More

The courtyard of the Faculty Club bustled with a trade show’s blend of tabletop demos, handouts both technical and whimsical, enthusiastic product pitches and gee-whiz reactions from the early-evening crowd as they celebrated a "Salute to Innovation – A Biennial Celebration of Technology Partnerships." More

Kim E. Barrett, dean of Graduate Studies, is a 2009 recipient of the San Diego YWCA Tribute to Women & Industry (TWIN) Award. The award recognizes women for leadership, outstanding achievement, and contributions to their organizations. More

Dr. Anne Wallace, professor of clinical surgery, is a 2009 recipient of the San Diego YWCA Tribute to Women & Industry (TWIN) Award. The award recognizes women for their outstanding achievement, leadership and contributions to their organizations. More

George G. Shor, Jr., professor emeritus of geophysics at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, died July 3, at his home in La Jolla, from complications following several strokes. He was 86 years old. Shor’s distinguished career included helping develop the nation’s consortium of research ships operated by oceanographic institutions and participating in the creation of the California Sea Grant program. More

How do you go from earning a degree in physics to becoming a successful filmmaker and the creator of cult animated TV series? How do you find your passion? And how to do you get a job in this economy anyway? These were some of the questions that filmmaker and UC San Diego alumnus Mike Judge tried to answer Friday during the All Campus Graduation Celebration on RIMAC Field, where he served as the keynote speaker. More

Michelle Jones is just 22, but she has already climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and earned a dive master certification, logging more than 200 dives. She also swims two miles a day, every day—all while maintaining a near-perfect grade-point average. This alone would make her a standout among the 5,000 UC San Diego undergraduates who received their bachelor’s degrees this weekend. But there is more to Jones’ story. More

Be nice. Put your writing out there. If it’s good, it will get picked up. These were some of the pieces of advice that filmmaker and UC San Diego alumnus Mike Judge shared with a group of students during a lunch at Porter’s Pub Friday. More

Filmmaker and UC San Diego alumnus Mike Judge served as keynote speaker for the All Campus Graduation Celebration this weekend. He took a few minutes out to sit down with @UCSD editor Raymond Hardie. More