The links to the stories summarized on this page are time sensitive, so stories might no longer be online at that URL. We also include links to the original source publication itself.
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
1. Ambassador slain in Libya from East Bay
San Francisco Chronicle
Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador killed in Libya, earned his undergraduate degree at Berkeley. Stories on this topic appeared in thousands of sources worldwide, including the San Jose Mercury News, New York Times (Reuters), and KGO TV (link to video). An editorial also appeared in the San Jose Mercury News. Full Story
2. Heinz awards honor contemporary composer, 4 others
San Jose Mercury News (*requires registration)
Chemical engineering professor Jay Keasling has won a $250,000 Heinz Award for his work using genetic engineering to create affordable anti-malarial drugs for emerging countries, as well as alternative energy research. Oakland composer Mason Bates, an alum, was another Heinz Award winner. He earned his doctorate in composition at Berkeley. Stories on this topic appeared in dozens of sources nationwide. Full Story
3. College may never be the same
USA Today
A story on the rise of Massive Open Online Courses — MOOCs — mentions that some schools, including UC Berkeley, are looking for ways to integrate the online classes into their existing programs. According to Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, the campus is considering a plan in which state community college students could use MOOCs to earn transfer credits. Full Story
4. New Programs: Counseling Psychology, Middle East Studies, Culinary Arts, Retail Management, Nursing, Translational Medicine
Inside Higher Ed
UC Berkeley and UCSF are starting a joint master of science in translational medicine. Full Story
5. Bruce Ross' Blog: Pregnant? Hold your breath
Record-Searchlight [Redding]
A study co-authored by associate public health professor Rachel Morello-Frosch has found that pregnant women exposed to wildfire smoke during Southern California’s 2003 fire season had babies with lower birth weights. Full Story
6. Tribe Invites UC Researcher to Study Acorns
Two Rivers Tribune [Klamath & Trinity Rivers Communities]
Integrative biology graduate student Arielle Halpern is working on a UC Berkeley-Karuk Tribe collaboration to see how Tanoaks have been affected by the ban on traditional fire-based methods of pest-control, and what might happen if they were reintroduced. Full Story
7. L.A. Now Blog: UCLA and USC tie in national non-athletic ranking
Los Angeles Times
UC Berkeley ranked 21st in the 2013 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges ranking — first among public universities. Link to the ranking at the U.S. News & World Report. Full Story
8. The campaign dance of hollow promises
Los Angeles Times
Economics professor Barry Eichengreen refutes the idea perpetuated by some presidential campaigns that a president can single-handedly fix a country's problems. Not only is the growing influence of global forces a factor, but: "If Congress doesn't pass a bill, a president can't wave his hands and make policy or create jobs. ... What he can do is tell Congress what he has in mind and try to extract hope for cooperation." Full Story
9. National Schools Debate Is on Display in Chicago
New York Times & International Herald Tribune (*requires registration)
Public policy and economics professor Jesse Rothstein comments on value-added teachers' scores, which attempt to measure the effect that teachers have on their students' test performance. “There are big swings from year to year,” he says. Full Story
10. Split in San Mateo on How to Ease Crowded Jails
Wall Street Journal (*requires registration)
Law professor Barry Krisberg, a criminal-justice expert, comments on the varying approaches California counties are taking toward easing overcrowding in jails. "The counties have distinct cultures," he says. Full Story
11. New Breed of Robotics Aims to Help People Walk Again
New York Times & International Herald Tribune (*requires registration)
Ekso, a company that has collaborated with Berkeley scientists to develop exoskeletons — robotic suits that help people walk — has begun shipping a new generation of devices to about 15 rehabilitation centers in the United States for use with paralyzed patients. Full Story