Algae Power
Professor Kris Niyogi discusses algae's natural capacity to produce energy and its potential use in carbon-neutral biofuels.
October 8, 2009
September 2, 2009
Homecoming at CNR 2009
Come back to Cal on October 2-4! You can register online and then check out who's coming.
Be sure to check out these fascinating lectures by CNR professors:
Friday, October 2
"Evolutionary Biology of Fungi: Human Pathogens"John Taylor, Professor of Plant and Microbial Biology 9:30-10:30 am Banatao Auditorium, Sutardja Dai Hall
Some fungi specialize as parasites of animals, including humans. Two such species, Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii, cause valley fever, a potentially fatal flu-like illness that mostly affects rural residents in the Southwest. This seminar will focus on how we have found genes that show evidence of natural selection and might be important to preventing or treating the disease.
"The Buzz on Bees: Why We Need Them for Our Health"
Claire Kremen, Associate Professor, Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
Bechtel Engineering Center Sibley Auditorium
2:00 - 3:00 pm
We rely on animal pollinators for 30 percent of our food supply, but what is happening to the bees? One of 20,000 bee species worldwide, honey bees are facing such problems as Colony Collapse Disorder, making them disappear from where we need them most. While many other species can contribute to crop pollination and thus human food security and well-being, we must adopt sustainable farming practices that provide good habitats and ensure that bee communities will thrive.
Saturday, October 3
"The Economics of Climate Change"Maximilian Auffhammer, Associate Professor, Agriculture & Resource Economics/International & Area Studies Banatao Auditorium, Sutardja Dai Hall 11:30 - 12:30 pm
Environmental economists have attempted to gain a better understanding of past, current, and future greenhouse gas emissions by studying emissions from developing versus developed countries. Professor Auffhammer will discuss how they can predict and comprehend the impacts of climate change and how these effects will influence current and future environmental policy.
"Aging: Genetic Regulation and Dietary Intervention"
Danica Chen, Assistant Professor, Department of Nutritional Science and Toxicology
Barrows Hall Lipman Room
1:00 - 2:00 pm
Can we slow aging and prevent age-related diseases? This seminar will explore the latest development on how genetic factors and diet regulate the aging process, and how small molecules are designed to prevent age-related diseases. Taking a pill a day to slow aging may not be a fairy tale after all.
May 13, 2009
Green leaders from the Bay Area: Chris Somerville
The San Francisco Chronicle recently highlighted plant biologist Chris Somerville, director of the Energy Biosciences Institute, among 10 Bay Area entrepreneurs, scientists and policymakers at the vanguard of a revolution that aims to reinvent the way people use water, power their cars, build their houses and live their lives.
"They might not become household names," wrote the Chronicle, "but their research, policy papers and startups could shape the way many households run in the years to come." The story continues:
As a plant biochemist, Chris Somerville has pioneered the search for clean liquid-fuel sources harnessed from the solar energy stored in nonfood plants. Somerville is director of the Energy Biosciences Institute at UC Berkeley, an ambitious project financed by a $500 million grant from BP, the British oil company. It is the world's largest alliance between industry and academia.Somerville has made the study of biofuels for transportation, along with the social, economic and environmental impact of such fuels, the institute's top priority.
His research teams are using global satellite imagery, geologic surveys and market databases to identify abandoned farmlands and nonagricultural soils that could support energy crops; trying to identify the plant species most suitable for biofuels; and using biotechnology laboratories to explore nature's methods of releasing plant sugars and to create synthetic catalysts."We're not in commercial development; we're trying to understand it first," said Somerville. "I feel optimistic. We're trying to push the frontier forward."
May 12, 2009
Engineered wheat thwarts pre-harvest sprouting
Scientists from opposite sides of the world have created an improved variety of wheat by discovering how to prevent the phenomenon of premature sprouting, which can wipe out an entire crop.
The researchers, based at UC Berkeley and in Zhengzhou, China, have found a way to control “pre-harvest sprouting”—a situation in which wheat seeds sprout before they are harvested. This international problem destroys about 20 percent of all wheat in China annually. By overcoming this problem, the researchers expect to dramatically increase wheat yields and reduce the cost of products such as wheat noodles, a staple of the Chinese diet. The same procedure could be applied to barley, increasing yields for grain used in malting for beer.
Continue reading "Engineered wheat thwarts pre-harvest sprouting" »
With passion for research, graduating microbial biology senior Jordan Anaya named University Medal finalist
Microbial Biology major Jordan Anaya has been honored as a 2009 University Medal finalist -- one of just six top UC Berkeley undergraduates representing the class of 2009 at the University Commencement Convocation on May 22. (IDS major Emma Shaw Crane will receive the University Medal.)
Anaya grew up in Fremont, Calif, and entered Berkeley as an eager premed. His interest in his science classes made him wonder what it would be like to be a scientist and resulted in him joining the lab of MCB and Chemistry Professor John Kuriyan, which he says cemented his desire to pursue a career as a scientist.
Anaya says he is incredibly proud to have been named a finalist for the University medal. "I just find it all so unbelievable when I stop to think about where I am and where I started. I wasn’t a very gifted student when I was younger, and even in junior high or high school if someone told me I would be given this award at a university such as Berkeley, with so many amazing students from all over the world, I would have thought they were crazy. I guess I’m a good example that anything can happen."
We asked Jordan a few other questions to learn about his experience, motivation, and future.
What was your favorite CNR Class?
April 28, 2009
Robert Fischer and Sarah Hake elected to National Accademy of Scientists
Today it was announced that two professors from the College of Natural Resources are among the 72 new members elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) this year. Robert Fischer, professor of plant and microbial biology and Sarah Hake, director of the USDA Plant Gene Expression Center and adjunct professor of plant and microbial biology were elected “in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.”
The NAS was established in 1863 by a congressional act of incorporation signed by Abraham Lincoln. The society advises government leaders on matters of science and technology and election to this prestigious society of scholars is one of the highest honors that can be accorded a U.S. scientist or engineer.
At the moment, there are 135 members of NAS at Berkeley. Such historic figures as Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, Thomas Edison, Orville Wright and Alexander Graham Bell were members of the academy. In addition, more than 180 living academy members have won Nobel Prizes.
April 15, 2009
From Toxic Goop to Worm Poop
It looks like Thomas Azwell -- a graduate student whose work crosses disciplanary boundaries from Society and Environment, where he is pursuing his Ph.D., to microbial biology, where he works closely with plant biologist Norman Terry -- might be on to something with his army of worms.
Azwell has developed a promising approach to safe disposal of oil spill waste (see 2:00 mark in video.)
From the California Acadamy of Sciences' Science in Action series:
http://www.calacademy.org/science/sia/2009/04/bio-inspiration-hair-mats/
April 2, 2009
Berkeley's Extraordinary Microscopes
February 27, 2009
UC Berkeley researchers explain key mechanism of inheritance that defies Mendel’s first law of genetics
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered a key mechanism responsible for a curious type of genetic inheritance that has been one of the great, unsolved mysteries in biology. The new findings, to be published today (Friday, Feb. 27) in Science, help explain the phenomenon of paramutation, in which certain alleles are heritably altered while their DNA sequences remain unchanged.
Paramutation violates the first law of genetics: that alleles are always inherited unchanged from the previous generation. The phenomenon was first described in 1956 for one of the factors responsible for corn-seed coloration. Since then, it has been observed in several plant species, and in 2006 an international group of researchers described an example of paramutation in mice, reinvigorating the idea that the phenomenon might represent a more fundamental aspect of biology.
The Berkeley researchers, led by Jay Hollick, associate adjunct professor of plant biology, returned to the corn plant to examine how paramutation works. They discovered that a plant-specific RNA polymerase Pol IV is responsible for the multi-generational memory of paramutation as well as normal plant development. This unusual RNA polymerase is responsible for the production of small RNA molecules from repetitive non-coding DNA.
December 19, 2008
Three CNR faculty members named AAAS Fellows
Three faculty members at the UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources have been named 2008 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society.
The researchers, along with eight others from UC Berkeley are among 486 new AAAS fellows to be named tomorrow in the Dec. 19 issue of the organization's journal, Science. The honor, bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers, recognizes distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.
With this announcement, UC Berkeley now boasts 216 AAAS fellows among its faculty.
The new fellows and their citations are:
Steven E. Brenner, associate professor of plant and microbial biology, for computational biology research in the area of protein and structure classification, service to professional societies, co-founding of PLoS Computational Biology, teaching and committee work.
Louise P. Fortmann, professor of society and environment, for distinguished contributions to research on agro-forestry and ecological systems through the field of rural sociology, including research improving successful collaboration between professional scientists and public communities.
Elizabeth C. Theil, adjunct professor of nutritional sciences and toxicology, for pioneering contributions to bioinorganic and nucleic acid chemistry that changed accepted views, particularly for iron and oxygen in ferritin protein nanocages and mRNA regulation.
The AAAS will present the new fellows with a gold and blue rosette pin and an official certificate on Feb. 14, 2009, at the society's annual meeting in Chicago.
The society was founded in 1848, and includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science serving 10 million individuals. The tradition of AAAS fellows, who are chosen by their peers, began in 1874.
October 17, 2008
On Biofuels: CNR Professors from the Energy Bioscience Institute
Above, Chris Somerville, professor of plant and microbial biology and director of the Energy Biosciences Institute, discusses the future of cellulosic biofuels.
In addition, ABC 7 News recently featured Somerville and David Zilberman, professor of agricultural and resource economics, in an excellent piece on Responsibly creating new plant biofuels (video).
October 6, 2008
PMB grad student awarded fellowship by the American Society of Microbiology
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has selected mircobiology doctoral student Joyce Cueto as a 2008-2011 award recipient of the ASM Robert D. Watkins Graduate Research Fellowship. Cueto is awarded up to $21,000 annual stipend for three years to conduct research.
The Watkins fellowship seeks to increase the number of graduate students from underrepresented groups completing doctoral degrees in the microbiological sciences. The program is aimed at highly competitive students who are enrolled in a Ph.D. program and have completed their graduate coursework in the microbiological sciences. Fellows and their mentors are required to be members of ASM.
Fellows will be required to present at the ASM General Meeting annually if their abstract is accepted and attend the ASM Kadner Institute, formerly known as the ASM Graduate and Postdoctoral Summer Institute in Preparation for Careers in Microbiology one time during the three-year tenure of the fellowship.
This year, forty applications were received and five were awarded. Of the five awardees, four students were from doctoral/research universities-extensive institutions, and one student was from a doctoral/research universities-intensive institution. Among the five awardees, four additional students were recognized as Honorable Mentions.
Arash Komeili is Cueto's mentor. The title of the research is Identification of Magnetosome Cytoskeletal-Associated Proteins in Magnetospirillum magneticum sp. AMB-1.
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM), headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the oldest and largest single biological membership organization, with over 40,000 members worldwide. Please visit http://www.asm.org/Education/index.asp?bid=6278 for more information on this fellowship.
September 11, 2008
Chelsea Specht honored with Prytanean Faculty Award
Chelsea Specht, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, was named the winner of the 2008 Prytanean Faculty Award, given annually by the women’s honor organization founded on the Berkeley campus in 1901.
The award, which comes with a financial grant of $25,000, goes to an outstanding woman junior-faculty member who “has demonstrated scholarly achievement, a record as a distinguished teacher, and success as a role model for students at UC Berkeley.”
Specht, a former Fulbright Research and National Science Foundation fellow, specializes in the study of the processes and patterns involved in the evolution and diversification of plants.
September 9, 2008
$1.4 M grant funds PMB researcher's work on "jumping genes"
Damon Lisch, Ph.D., a research professional in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology was recently awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Plant Genome Research Program.
The four-year, $1.4 million award supports research on the ways in which genomes recognize and inactivate “jumping genes,” or transposons.
"These molecular parasites can make up the majority of DNA in many species, including humans," Lisch explains. "If not controlled, transposons can be highly disruptive. Fortunately, they can be tamed through the activity of a recently discovered and ancient immune system, which can detect and silence these rogue genes. Interestingly, versions of this system are also used by a wide variety of species to regulate other genes, such as those involved in development and cancer, in such a way that they are only active in the proper times and places."
August 19, 2008
Senior leadership changes at CNR
Several changes in CNR's senior leadership go into effect with the new semester.
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Buchanan takes over the role as Professor Stephen Welter steps down to focus on his role as Associate Dean for Instruction and Student Affairs. For the last year, Welter has juggled the dual roles, and is looking forward to providing undivided attention to leading the College's instructional and outreach programs.
August 14, 2008
University virologist named Keck Distinguished Young Scholar
Virologist Britt Glaunsinger, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, has won a W. M. Keck Foundation grant, an award given to innovative young scientists in the area of biomedical research.
The grant, which totals up to $1 million over five years, will go to UC Berkeley to support Glaunsinger's work using the herpesvirus as a tool to study the inner workings of human cells.
Glaunsinger said she is ecstatic to be a recipient. "The great thing about the award is that they are funding ideas that might be too risky for other grant agencies. It allows you to pursue unconventional avenues and get at questions we wouldn't normally be able to ask without this funding," she said. "This pretty much made my year."
Continue reading "University virologist named Keck Distinguished Young Scholar" »
January 15, 2008
The Power of Green Algae
Professor Tasios Melis is unlocking the chemical power of green algae to create clean hydrogen fuel that eliminates air-polluting fossil fuels in its production. Check out "Power of Green," a segment from Fueling America, the latest episode of USDA CSREES video magazine.
December 21, 2007
Donald Kaplan, expert on plant shapes and forms, dies at 69
Donald Robert Kaplan, professor emeritus of plant biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and an influential expert on the development of the diverse forms and shapes of plants, has died at the age of 69.
Continue reading "Donald Kaplan, expert on plant shapes and forms, dies at 69" »
November 26, 2007
Professor Lemaux Awarded Crop Science Fellowship
Peggy Lemaux, professor of Plant and Microbial Biology and cooperative extension specialist, has been selected to be a 2007 Crop Science Society of America fellow.
Continue reading "Professor Lemaux Awarded Crop Science Fellowship" »
November 13, 2007
The Secrets in Your Genome
A personal DNA sequence
is not yet practically useful.
But it could be, argues Prof. Steven Brenner, if we had the right resources.
Brenner calls for the establishment of "a public knowledgebase of human genetic variation and its effect, culled from databases, diagnostic laboratories, and the scientific literature."
October 27, 2007
Two CNR Scientists named fellows of AAAS
Two CNR faculty members have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Robert L. Fischer, professor of plant and microbial biology, was recognized "for distinguished contributions to the study of epigenetic processes through pioneering work on plant gene imprinting, DNA demethylation and Polycomb group proteins."
Richard B. Norgaard, professor of agricultural and resource economics and of energy and resources, was recognized "for path-breaking contributions to environmental and ecological economics and for improving the scientific content of public and policy discourse on sustainability and the future."
In all, there were 10 fellows from UC Berkeley among the 471 academics honored in 2007 "for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications."
Continue reading "Two CNR Scientists named fellows of AAAS" »
October 22, 2007
PMB Assistant Professor Awarded Packard Fellowship
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has named CNR’s Arash Komeili one of 20 new promising scientific researchers as a 2007 recipient of Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering. He will receive an unrestricted research grant of $625,000 over five years.
Komeili, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, is being honored for his work in elucidating the molecular mechanisms behind the formation of nanometer-sized magnetite crystals within the magnetosome organelles of magnetotactic bacteria.
Continue reading "PMB Assistant Professor Awarded Packard Fellowship" »
June 28, 2007
PMB and ESPM Postdocs Named Miller Fellows
Two CNR postdoctoral students have been named Miller Research Fellows for 2007.
Tessa Burch-Smith from the department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Corrie Saux Moreau from the department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management were nominated on the basis of their academic achievement and the potential of their scientific research.
Burch-Smith, who will be working with faculty sponsor Professor Patricia Zambryski, is studying plasmodesmata aperture regulation in plant cells.
Saux Moreau, sponsored by Professors Craig Moritz (Integrative Biology) and George Roderick (ESPM), is studying the population structure and ecology of ants in the Australian wet tropics.
May 20, 2007
Commencement address by Dr. Florence Wambugu, CEO, Africa Harvest
Graduation day is a significant and memorable event in one's life time. It marks a transition from one phase of life to another. It is, therefore, an immense privilege for me to be here today, to celebrate with you this significant day for the graduands, faculty, administration and parents.
Congratulations to all of you!
Continue reading "Commencement address by Dr. Florence Wambugu, CEO, Africa Harvest" »
May 17, 2007
Nancy Amy, Kathleen Ryan honored with College Distinguished Teaching Award
Two of CNR's finest teachers -- one known for teaching the largest lecture on campus, the other for recently creating one of Berkeley's most intimate courses -- have been named the recipients of the College of Natural Resources 2007 Distinguished Teaching Award.
Nancy Amy, associate professor of nutrition, and Kathleen Ryan, assistant professor of microbial biology, share the honor. The awards were presented May 20 at commencement.
Nancy Amy, associate professor of nutrition, and Kathleen Ryan, assistant professor of microbial biology, share the honor. The awards were presented May 20 at commencement.
Continue reading "Nancy Amy, Kathleen Ryan honored with College Distinguished Teaching Award" »
J. Keith Gilless named Interim Dean
Professor J. Keith Gilless has been appointed interim dean of the College of Natural Resources effective July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. Gilless joined the faculty in1983 and is professor of Forest Economics and Management jointly in the departments of Environmental Science, Policy and Management and of Agricultural and Resource Economics. He is currently serving as the executive associate dean of the College and will succeed Dean Paul Ludden, who has accepted the position of provost and vice president for academic affairs at Southern Methodist University.
January 17, 2007
Across the board, CNR doctoral programs ranked among the top
The faculty of each of CNR's departments have been ranked among the top 5 in their fields, according to a new "Scholarly Productivity Index," with the Plant Biology program ranked #1 in the nation.
The rankings, assessed by the private company Academic Analytics, are based on measurements of faculty productivity in terms of publications, federal-grant dollars awarded, and honors and awards.
Data from the 2005 rankings -- which are not without their share of controversy -- were published and explained in depth in The Chronicle of Higher Education (available by subscription here).
UC Berkeley doctoral programs from within CNR received impressive rankings:
Agricultural economics - 3
Botany and plant biology - 1
Microbiology - 3
Nutrition - 3
Toxicology - 2
Environmental Science - 4
A full list of UC Berkeley rankings is here.
January 16, 2007
Is peaceful coexistence with biotechnology possible?
Growing genetically engineered (GE) crops in the United States continues to stir debate, but some University of California scientists believe attention should now be focused on how farmers opposed to the technology and those in favor of it can step back from the controversy and successfully produce and market their crops in the way they personally see fit.
Continue reading "Is peaceful coexistence with biotechnology possible?" »
January 2, 2007
Undergrad Subhajit Poddar researches genetics of green algae
Until he met the slimy green algae called Chlamydomonas, undergraduate Subhajit Poddar didn’t know he was interested in plant biology. “Once I began working with mutant strains of algae, I was totally hooked,” he says.
Poddar, fourth year in Plant and Microbial Biology, studies the green algae Chlamydomonas under the mentorship of Professor Krishna Niyogi. His research has focused on identifying and cloning genes responsible for two compounds involved in photosynthesis.
Using genetics as a novel tool to understand physiology, Niyogi and his team are isolating genes that are important in determining plant responses to stress and high light conditions. SPUR funds have helped Poddar purchase essential lab equipment necessary to maintain laboratory populations of Chlamydomonas.
Undergraduate research through SPUR is funded entirely by donations to the Berkeley Fund for Natural Resources -- and gifts are accepted online here.
December 6, 2006
Interspecies love
What if genes could jump from organism to organism in passing, like a contagious disease? Microbiologist Damon Lisch of the Freeling Lab has shown that totally different species of plants have exchanged DNA...
November 18, 2006
Undergrad Laura Lagomarsino maps ancestral relationships using genetics
Lagomarsino, third year in Plant Biology, is using nuclear and chloroplast genes to develop a phylogeny, or map of ancestral relationships between species of the genus Heliconia, a tropical plant. Her mentor, Assistant Professor Chelsea Specht in the department of Plant and Microbial Biology, uses molecular and evolutionary biology to understand lineages of related plants.
SPUR funding has allowed Specht to provide Lagomarsino with necessary laboratory materials to expand her research.
The SPUR program offers students a unique opportunity to develop as scientists with a level of independence that has often been reserved for graduate students. Not only does this help make Berkeley students more competitive, it develops of the kind of creative thinking skills so essential to the success of any scientist. “You learn all the techniques” says Lagomarsino, “But then you are also given a certain amount of freedom, and your thoughts are valued.”
For Lagomarsino, research in plant and molecular biology has also given her academic career a clear direction. “Now, I know exactly what I want to do and what I want to study.”
May 2, 2006
Aurora BioFuels Takes Top Prize in the UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition
Aurora BioFuels, an alternative energy company based on technology developed by microbial biology professor and hydrogen fuel pioneer Tasios Melis, won both first prize and the People's Choice Award in the eighth annual UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition, held on April 27 at the Haas School of Business.
Continue reading "Aurora BioFuels Takes Top Prize in the UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition" »
November 25, 2005
Salt of the Earth
September 30, 2005
Networking 101: Students mix with alumni in environmental fields
Networking events can really help students with their career choices, and those who attended the Environmental Alumni & Students Mixer on Sept. 30 certainly got their share of information and resources.
Over 50 students were introduced to environmental professionals who are making a difference and who were willing to answer career questions and provide support and encouragement.
Sponsored jointly by the Career Center, College of Natural Resources Student Affairs, and the Berkeley Environmental Alumni Network (BEAN), this event could inspire a new Homecoming tradition in CNR!
September 5, 2005
Jobs & Internships
Institute for International Public Policy: Sophomores
California Wilderness Coalition Policy Intern
Institute for International Public Policy (open to underrepresented minority)
The IIPP Fellowship program provides students with specially designed education and training experiences critical to entry and advancement in international affairs careers. Students are recruited from across the nation and apply as sophomores to participate in a multi-year sequence of summer policy institutes, study abroad, intensive language training, internships, and graduate study, complemented by career development services along the way. UNCFSP is aided in the student recruitment effort by its institutional partners and distinguished selection panels comprised of practitioners, academics, graduate school admissions directors, foundation executives, and IIPP alumni.
Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements: Sophomore student, enrolled full-time at four-year (baccalaureate) institution; U.S. citizen or permanent resident (documentary support required)
Minimum 3.2 grade point average (on 4.0-scale) Strong interest in international affairs
CALIFORNIA WILDERNESS COALITION
Job Announcement
JOB TITLE: Policy Intern
ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:
The California Wilderness Coalition (CWC) protects the landscapes that make California unique, providing clean air and water, a home to wildlife, and a place for spiritual renewal. Since 1976, CWC has been the only statewide organization in California dedicated to protecting California's last remaining wild places. We currently have field offices in Eureka, Riverside, and Redding. Our central office is in Oakland.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
CWC seeks an energetic and enthusiastic individual to work as a Policy Intern. CWC's conservation program includes: advocacy for wilderness on public lands, fighting against irresponsible development proposals in wild lands, and building a stronger constituency for conservation throughout the state. The responsibilities for the Policy Intern include: providing assistance to CWC's policy staff and Executive Director in research, drafting materials, and organizing.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Candidates should be committed environmentalists with superior public speaking and writing skills. The ability to work independently and a keen political sense are essential.
The position is part-time 5 to 10 hours a week with a $200 a month stipend during the school year.
HOW TO APPLY:
For more information on the CWC, go to www.calwild.org.
Send resume and cover letter to:
Meredith Eilers, Office Manager
Email: meilers@calwild.org
August 22, 2005
Cal Still No. 1 National Public University
by Michelle Maitre
Magazine ranks Berkeley top public university, 20th among all colleges in country
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY has again ranked as the nation's best public university in U.S. News and World Report's annual list of top colleges.
The magazine's "America's Best Colleges" rankings, released today, are based on a formula that includes graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, peer review and other factors. UC Berkeley has held the top public spot for several years, occasionally tying with the University of Virginia.
While UC Berkeley is the top-rated public university, the campus ties with Emory University in Georgia for 20th overall on a list that compares both private and public universities....
The rankings will be published in Monday's edition of the magazine. The list will be available online today at U.S.News....
Full Story at Inside Bay Area.
August 1, 2005
Student Resource Center gets new computers
The College of Natural Resources’ Student Resource Center located in 260 Mulford recently acquired ten new computers, replacing older computers that did not meet University security standards.
The new computers not only meet security standards, but also provide faster and more powerful computing.
The computers were purchased with funds from the Berkeley Fund for Natural Resources, which is generously supported by hundreds of alumni and friends of the College.
Over the years the Student Resource Center has grown as an education portal for CNR students. With the new computers, students have improved tools to help with homework and group projects.
June 7, 2005
Recent Awards
In case you missed May's CNR Awards Ceremony, you should know the college honored two friends with the CNR citation, and also recognized several staff and faculty.
* * *
Congratulations to Beth Boyer, Justin Brashares and Per Palsboll, all of whom recently received Junior Faculty Research Grants from the Committee on Research.
* * *
Andy Jackson received the Ruth Allen Award from the American Phytopathological Society for "outstanding, innovative research contributions."
* * *
Bob Buchanan was honored with the Stephen Hales Prize, the highest award of the American Society of Plant Biologists; he also recently received the highest award bestowed by his alma mater, Emory and Henry College.
* * *
Kris Niyogi received the Charles Albert Shull Award from the American Society of Plant Biologists.
* * *
Don Kaplan received the Charles Edwin Bessey Award from the Botanical Society of America for "outstanding contributions made to Botanical instruction and leadership." The award is a capstone to Don's illustrious career. Among other honors, he is a recipient of the Berkeley Faculty Distinguished Teaching Award.
* * *
This website, ucbiotech.org, created by CE Specialist Peggy Lemaux and postdoctoral scholar Petra Frey, and maintained by Barbara Alonso and Steve Ruzin, won the National Award for a Website from the 2005 Bayer Advanced National Association of County Agricultural Agents Communication Awards Program.
June 2, 2005
CWH now jointly administered by CNR and SPH
A recent celebration announced the partnership between the School of Public Health and the College of Natural Resources as co-directors over the Center for Weight and Health.
On Thursday, June 2, CNR Dean Paul Ludden and Stephen Shortell, dean of the School of Public Health, announced a new partnership between the schools to jointly administer UC Berkeley's Center for Weight and Health.
The Center for Weight and Health co-sponsors the largest nationwide conference on childhood obesity, the California Childhood Obesity Conference, and provides the most comprehensive resource on the subject though its extensive research.
"It makes perfect sense to bring our two organizations closer together through the Center for Weight and Health, since we are both striving to address a crucial public health issue at a time when rising obesity rates have reached a crisis level," said Shortell.
"The formalization this partnership will provide additional opportunities for collaborative research, fundraising, and outreach to address the state's epidemic of obesity," said Ludden.
The deans jointly announced the center's new co-directors, Dr. Pat Crawford, CNR, and Dr. May-Choo W. Wang, SPH.
May 23, 2005
Conference: California Forest Futures 2005
Forests provide a wealth of public benefits - water, wildlife, wilderness, wood and a well-balanced climate. Yet, many in our state are unaware of how greatly we depend on forest goods and services. Even more are unaware of the dangers facing California's forests today. Losing more and more forests to development is a crisis of historic proportions we must work together to solve.
California Forest Futures 2005 is a two-day conference that will examine the forces dramatically re-shaping our forest landscapes and explore the strategies and actions necessary to secure an economic and ecologically rewarding future.
Topics include:
* making California's forest industry more competitive in a global market while simultaneously protecting forests
* adapting “smart growth” principles to lessen the impact of rural development
* developing new, ecological-based revenue streams from carbon sequestration, water flows and habitat
* expanding the use of working conservation easements to preserve the private forest infrastructure
* implementing financial, regulatory and other incentives to promote conservation
Join elected officials, policy makers, forest owners, foresters, land use planners, environmental and conservation professionals, activists, attorneys, media and other concerned citizens as we come together to consider the critical choices facing the future of California's vital forestlands.
Honorary Chair: Mike Chrisman, California Secretary for Resource
Don't miss the most important forest conference in our state's history.
For more information or to register, visit California Forest Futures 2005
May 5, 2005
CNR Awards Ceremony and Reception
May 5th, 3:00-5:00
Alumni House (Bechtel and Toll rooms)
Come honor and celebrate the recipients of this year's CNR Citation, CNR Young Faculty & CE Specialist Award, and the CNR Staff Recognition Award. Nominations are in, and winners will be announced soon!
Please RSVP by April 29th to Matt Fratus or (510) 643-1041.
College Honors Two with CNR Citation
This month, the college honored two individuals for their extraordinary commitment and accomplishments in 2005. The CNR Citation, the highest honor of the college, was awarded for the first time to two deserving recipients, Iona "Rocky" Main and Helen Ullrich.
Rocky Main and her family were instrumental in creating and endowing the William Main Distinguished Visitor Program, an academic program that has made, and continues to make, significant contributions to the study of forest and natural resources management. Main has made her impact elsewhere on campus, as well. She has served as a trustee of the University Library, a leader of her alumni class, and a benefactor of the popular "Lunch Poems" series.
Many of her nominators stressed Main's personal supportiveness of faculty and recognized that, as one supporter put it, she "has sustained a grace and civility that helps us to appreciate the very best in our institution."
Helen Ullrich, a pioneer in expanding dietetics beyond medical nutrition therapy to include health promotion and disease prevention, co-founded and served as executive director of the Society for Nutrition Education from 1967 to 1983, and was instrumental in the establishment of the California Nutrition Council. (The council presented her with its Lifetime Achievement Award at its 2005 Childhood Obesity Conference.)
After her many years as a Cooperative Extension nutrition specialist, Helen remains deeply involved at CNR, where she has served on the Center for Weight and Health advisory board for five years.
"We know that we are better people because of Helen Denning Ullrich," wrote her nominators, "and that the world is a better place because of her."
Upcoming Events
- Peace Corps Speaker Panel, thru Dec 9
- Darwin and the Evolution of a Theory, thru Dec 22
- 99 Bottles of Beer: Global Brewing Traditions, 2500 BC - the Present, thru Sep 30, 2010
- Plant and Microbiology Student Seminar, thru Dec 7
- ESPM Colloquium, thru Dec 7
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