Media Highlights

December 2007

This summary highlights media placements members of the UCSC community have garnered during the month of December 2007.

National and international

Anthropology's Nathaniel Dominy and biology's Barry Sinervo were each featured in the New York Times Magazine's seventh annual "Year in Ideas" cover story that highlighted 70 of the ideas "that helped make 2007 what it was." . . . New Scientist magazine gave sociologist Andy Szasz's new book Shopping Our Way to Safety a big thumbs up in their book review section. Szasz also made the pages the Charleston Gazette and The Times of London, in the "Science Notebook" column. . . . Research on supernova explosions by astrophysicist Stan Woosley was covered by National Geographic News, Discovery News, Innovations Report, Agence France Presse, Hindustan Times, SpaceRef.com, and Spaceflight Now. . . . Brent Haddad of environmental studies was interviewed by American Public Media's Marketplace radio for a segment about cities that are recycling treated wastewater to meet the growing demand for water. . . . National Wildlife magazine ran a feature story about UCSC research on elephant seals, with quotes from biologists Daniel Costa and Burney Le Boeuf and graduate student Jason Hassrick. . . . Psychologist Campbell Leaper's research on gender differences in communication made another big media splash, getting coverage on Fox News and LiveScience.com, as well as Canada's Globe and Mail and the Kansas City Star. . . . A segment on albatrosses in National Geographic's "Wild Chronicles" on PBS features biologist Scott Shaffer on location on Midway Atoll. . . . Research led by biomolecular engineer David Haussler on the effects of ancient retroviruses on human evolution was covered by the Miami Herald, McClatchy News Service, Knight-Ridder News, Fox News.com, and Medical Science News. . . . The New York Post tapped social psychologist Elliot Aronson for comment on the latest brouhaha over giving good students free cell phones. . . . Also in psychology, research professor Bill Domhoff was quoted in a Washington Post article about dream research. . . . .Computer engineer Luca de Alfaro was quoted in a story in PC Magazine about online reputation rankings. . . . Research on the behavior of dolphin mothers by graduate student Shawn Noren was the subject of a story in the Economist magazine. . . . A story in USA Today about the effects of asteroid impacts on moons features quotes from planetary scientist Francis Nimmo. . . . Salt Lake City's Deseret Morning News published a review of a new book edited by emeritus professor of English Page Stegner, titled The Selected Letters of Wallace Stegner. . . . Research on "dark stars"--stars made of dark matter--by physics graduate student Douglas Spolyar was covered by the Telegraph (U.K.), Science Daily, Earth Times, and Discovery News. . . . Research by the New Teacher Center was cited in an Arizona Republic article about the benefits of mentoring new teachers. . . . A study of gene loss in human evolution by bioinformatics researchers David Haussler, Jingchun Zhu, and others was covered by Medical Science News, Science Daily, and Space Daily.

State and regional

Sociology's Andy Szasz was featured in a Los Angeles Times article about eco-friendly consumption. . . . Assistant professor of film and digital media L. S. Kim was quoted in story about reality television that ran in the Oakland Tribune, Contra Costa Times, and The Times Union. . . . Theater arts professor Danny Scheie was quoted in a San Francisco Chronicle article about his role directing a Bay Area play inspired by Vendela Vida's novel Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name. . . . An article about peregrine falcons in the San Francisco Examiner included quotes from biologist Glenn Stewart. . . . The San Jose Mercury News wrote about Shakespeare Santa Cruz's production of The Princess and the Pea as part of a story about family theater during the holiday season. . . . The Los Angeles Times noted that the archives of author Robert Heinlein are held by UCSC and are being placed online, making the renowned writer's work even more accessible to scholars and fans. . . . The L.A. Daily News quoted history lecturer Matthew Lasar for an article about the Pacifica Radio Archive.

Local

Several UCSC faculty appeared on KUSP Radio's Talk of the Bay program during the week of December 17, including astronomers Steve Vogt and Greg Laughlin, for a listener call-in show on astronomy, and hydrogeologist Andy Fisher, who discussed local water issues. Fisher was also quoted in a Santa Cruz Sentinel story about the potential effects of a drought. . . . An AP story in the Salinas Californian about the red tides in Monterey Bay included quotes from ocean scientist Mary Silver. . . . The Educational Partnership Center was featured in a Santa Cruz Sentinel article about a two-day retreat for local African American youth to explore college and career options. The article also highlighted the role of Madlyn Norman-Terrance, a senior Staff HR partner at UCSC, who's been organizing the retreat for years. . . . Sociology's Andy Szasz appeared on KUSP Radio's weekly book program two weeks in a row to talk about his new book Shopping Our Way to Safety. He was also interviewed by KCSM Radio and KZSC. . . . History professor Dana Frank was quoted in the Los Gatos Observer about her new book Local Girl Makes History. She also appeared on KZSC Radio and KUSP Radio's Talk of the Bay program to talk about the book. . . . A story about red tides in the Mid-County Post included quotes from ocean scientist Raphael Kudela. . . . The Santa Cruz Sentinel published a feature story on emerita professor of American studies Judy Yung and her new book The Adventures of Eddie Fung. The Santa Cruz Sentinel and Contra Costa Times ran a story about Long Marine Laboratory with quotes from IMS director Gary Griggs and biologists Pete Raimondi and Scott Shaffer. . . . Ann Aurelia Lopez, a research associate with the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, was quoted in a Monterey County Herald article about the challenges facing Mexican farmers. . . . Computer engineer Gabriel Elkaim was quoted in a Santa Cruz Sentinel story about NASA research on robotics for surgery. . . . UCSC senior Jennifer Parkford, the lead actress in the Shakespeare Santa Cruz production of The Princess and the Pea, was interviewed for a Santa Cruz Sentinel story about the holiday show. . . . Humanities dean Georges Van Den Abbeele was quoted in a Santa Cruz Sentinel article about a lecture on campus by UCSC alumna and feminist author bell hooks, who spoke about the intersection of race, gender, and environmental activism. . . . The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that the Library's Special Collections received a gift of rare audio interviews and photos of late 60s jazz and rock icons from the widow of jazz historian Frank Kofsky, plus a donation from the late jazz pianist Alice Coltrane to process the collection. . . . . . . The Santa Cruz Sentinel ran an article about a new book by American studies professor Forrest Robinson about Mark Twain titled The Author-Cat--Clemens's Life in Fiction. . . . The Santa Cruz Sentinel also reviewed The Selected Letters of Wallace Stegner, a new book edited by his son, UCSC emeritus professor of American literature, Page Stegner.

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