Media Highlights
July 2008
This summary highlights media placements members of the UCSC community have garnered during the month of July 2008.
National and international
The New York Times interviewed Alan Richards of environmental studies for a story about the tough choices facing Middle Eastern and North African nations that are strapped for both water and food for their growing populations.
Research on West Nile virus by biologist Marm Kilpatrick was covered by Reuters, MSNBC, the Tehran Times, Windsor Star, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, Science Daily, Santa Cruz Sentinel, and Red Orbit News, and Kilpatrick's field work in Maryland was featured on WJZ-TV (CBS) in Baltimore.
An article in the New York Times titled "Using Technology to Bring Politics Out of the Darkness" described "Metavid"--a project created by two graduate students in UCSC's Digital Arts and New Media (DANM) graduate program--which is now hosted by the campus. One of those former students, Michael Dale, was quoted in the piece about how the online, open-source archive of U.S. House and Senate proceedings uses public domain video feed from C-SPAN to help make government archives easily available and accessible.
In a Denver Post article, renowned social psychologist Elliot Aronson reassured fans of popular reality TV shows that it's natural to feel better about oneself after watching "American Idol" contestants sing off-key or "Survivor" competitors get the boot. Social comparison--especially at a distance via television--can even be healthy, he said. The Sunday feature story appeared in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Times Colonist, (Raleigh) News & Observer, and other papers.
Newsweek magazine ran a brief interview with biochemist David Deamer on the subject of creating artificial life in the lab.
The New York Daily News featured Calavera Highway, the latest film by Renee Tajima-Peña of community studies, in its coverage of the New York International Latino Film Festival.
Sales of popcorn subsidize the price of movie tickets, according to economist Ricard Gil, but as the price of corn forces theaters to increase ticket prices, moviegoers may decide to stay home, predicted Parade magazine, the latest publication to feature Gil's work.
Pioneering environmental studies professor Michael Soulé was quoted in a Chicago Tribune story about conflicts emerging near national parks in developing countries, where an influx of funds from conservationists is increasing living standards--and attracting new residents whose activities may threaten the protected areas. Tensions in 'gateway communities' underscore the need for limits to sprawl in and around parks, said Soulé.
The Associated Press tapped prison expert Craig Haney of psychology for comment about fights that broke out in three separate Oklahoma state penitentiaries recently. Haney cited overcrowding as the "most significant, problematic fact of contemporary prison life in the United States."
Glaciologist Slawek Tulaczyk was featured in an Associated Press story about the glaciers on Mt. Shasta that ran in USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, and Santa Cruz Sentinel.
The artificial retina chip developed by electrical engineer Wentai Liu was the subject of an article in EE Times and was mentioned in a story about high-tech prosthetic devices in the San Jose Mercury News.
The Wikipedia project of computer scientist Luca de Alfaro was featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education's "Wired Campus" column.
Psychology professor Campbell Leaper's study of sexual harassment of teen girls prompted a lengthy letter to the editor of the Tampa Tribune.
Astronomer Gregory Laughlin was quoted in a Space.com story about "what makes Earth special."
Economist Justin Marion's research on government contracts was featured in a Weekly Standard article about preferential set-asides in government contracts.
Physicist Joel Primack was quoted in a New Scientist story about NASA's plans to study dark energy.
The Charleston Gazette featured the results of a statewide job-satisfaction survey administered to teachers by the New Teacher Center.
State and regional
The San Francisco Chronicle published an op-ed piece by associate professor of literature Louis Chude-Sokei about Barack Obama and the issue of race in his campaign for the presidency. The Chronicle also ran an op-ed by professor of history Dana Frank, cofounder of the UCSC Center for Labor Studies about the strike for higher UC wages by members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees union.
San Francisco's 7X7 Magazine included an interview with the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir, who talked about the band's donation of its archives to UCSC.
This month in the San Jose Mercury News:
A reporter interviewed Patricia Zavella of Latin American and Latino studies about natural remedies that are popular in Latino culture. . . . There was a story about new Shakespeare Santa Cruz artistic director Marco Barricelli, also quoting SSC Managing Director Marcus Cato. . . . A story about a proposal to ban krill fishing on the West Coast, which also ran in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, featured biologist Baldo Marinovic. . . . And biologist Glenn Stewart was quoted in articles in the Mercury News and Santa Cruz Sentinel about plans to remove the peregrine falcon from the California endangered species list.
Anthony Pratkanis of psychology was quoted at length in a San Gabriel Valley Tribune article about questionable practices in the home lending industry.
Assistant professor of film and digital media L.S. Kim commented on the impact that the deaths of celebrities, such as George Carlin and Tim Russert, have on the media and the public for articles that ran in the Contra Costa Times, and Inside Bay Area.
Local
Marine biologist Guy Oliver was quoted in stories in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Monterey Herald, and San Jose Mercury News about the carcass of a giant squid found in Monterey Bay.
In the Santa Cruz Sentinel this month:
Economist Lori Kletzer fielded a call about the health of the local economy. . . . Staff tree trimmer Jessica Petrini was featured in a front-page story for her tree-climbing championship win in the women's division of the Western Chapter International Society of Arboriculture Tree Climbing competition. . . . A feature story ran about new Shakespeare Santa Cruz artistic director Marco Barricelli and his vision for the future of the theater company.
Local NPR affiliate KUSP Radio ran a lengthy interview with professor of humanities Jerome Neu about his latest book, Sticks and Stones: The Philosophy of Insults.