UC Berkeley News
Berkeleyan

Berkeleyan

News Briefs

27 August 2008

Haas Public Service Award nominations due in October

Nominations are now open for the 2008 Peter E. Haas Public Service Award. The deadline for nominations is Oct. 10.

The Haas family established this award to recognize a UC Berkeley alumnus/alumna who has been devoted to the betterment of society through volunteer service in one of four major areas: community service (including social service), health care, environmental work, or education.

The award includes a cash prize of $20,000 and an additional prize of $20,000 to be donated to a charity of the recipient’s choice, plus an engraved medallion.

For more information or a nomination form, visit the awards website (www.urel.berkeley.edu/haas) or call Lila Blanco at 643-7003.

Campus to remember those who died in 2007-08

On Tuesday, Sept. 9, the Berkeley campus will gather for its seventh annual memorial service to honor those of its own who have died during the past year. More than 50 members of the campus community will be remembered at the ceremony, which will include a reading of the names of the deceased, vocal music, and poetry. It will be held from noon to 1 p.m. at the flagpole west of California Hall; all are welcome to attend.

The names of the deceased to be honored on Sept. 9 are listed online at newscenter.berkeley.edu/goto/memorial08. If in reviewing the list you note that a member of the campus community who died in the past year has been inadvertently omitted, contact Maureen Kelly (maureenkelly@uhs.berkeley.edu) by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, so he or she can be remembered at the memorial service.

Research-protection bill passed by state Senate

The California State Senate last Friday voted 29-0 in favor of AB 2296, a bill that would expand legal penalties for harassing academic researchers at their homes or through the Internet.

The Researcher Protection Act of 2008 now heads to the Assembly Public Safety Committee for consideration. Sunday, Aug. 31, is the last day for any bill to be passed out of either house. The last day for the governor to sign or veto the bill is Sept. 30.

The bill would make it a misdemeanor to trespass on the property of a researcher with the intent to intimidate, or to publish information about researchers or their families with the intent that others commit a crime against them. Originally authored by Assemblyman Gene Mullin (D-South San Francisco) to protect researchers who use animals, the bill’s reach was extended to protect all types of academic research.

Access to Memorial Stadium expanded for football season

In an open letter to Golden Bear fans ahead of this weekend’s football opener at Memorial Stadium, Vice Chancellor for Administration Nathan Brostrom, Athletic Director Sandy Barbour, and UC Police Chief Victoria Harrison outline security measures in effect to ensure a pleasureable gameday experience for all, as the protest by a handful of tree-sitters in the oak grove adjacent to the stadium continues. They also note that new, expanded entrances are in place at three stadium locations, for a total of 8 new gates and 91 exit/entry points.

The full text of the letter to fans is online at newscenter.berkeley.edu/goto/bearletter.

Sustainability: UC a ‘shining star’

Sierra, the national magazine of the Sierra Club, has placed the University of California’s 10 campuses “in a league of their own” in its second annual green college guide (www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200809/coolschools).

Sierra features the UC system and the Eco League — five liberal-arts schools focused on environmental education — as two “shining stars,” national environmental leaders among colleges. The magazine, which ranked UC No. 4 in its initial green-college guide last year, adjusted its approach this year to measure campuses as individual institutions but still wanted to recognize UC’s systemwide achievements. Middlebury College in Vermont led Sierra’s top 10 “coolest schools” list.

The magazine spotlights several of UC’s green efforts, such as vegetarian dining options at Berkeley, olive-oil production at UC Davis, and solar-powered water heaters at four UCLA residence halls. UC campuses also are featured in Sierra’s list of best schools to educate students for “hot jobs to chill the planet,” citing Berkeley (wildlife biologist, environmental journalist, green-building consultant), UC Davis (wildlife biologist), and UCLA (outdoor-education coordinator).

[an error occurred while processing this directive]