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August 18, 1997

Headliners

The research on health care of community studies' David Wellman came into play when the Los Angeles Times called him for comment on the impact that the drop in minority applications to UC medical schools will have. Citing studies that black and Latino doctors are far more likely to deliver medical care to underserved communities, Wellman noted that ultimately taxpayers will foot the bill as underserved minorities end up in the emergency rooms of public hospitals.

Astronomer Garth Illingworth earned national attention from the New York Times and Associated Press for his role in discovering the most distant galaxy to date with the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck Telescope. Illingworth did local interviews about the galaxy with the San Jose Mercury News, Santa Cruz County Sentinel, KCBS and KLIV radio, and KNTV and KION-TV.

Peter Radetsky, lecturer in UCSC's Science Communication Program, did a national tour to promote his new book, Allergic to the 20th Century. The book explores "environmental illnesses" such as multiple chemical sensitivity, sick building syndrome, and Gulf War syndrome, posing the question whether these conditions are physiological or psychogenic. Radetsky spoke on National Public Radio and numerous morning news shows and health shows, and soon will appear on CNN.

Marine biologist Jim Estes and toxicologist Wally Jarman, now at the University of Utah, hit the headlines with a study about high levels of DDT and other contaminants in the western Aleutian Islands. Sea otters and bald eagle eggs there carry "alarmingly high" levels of pollutants, the scientists found. The Monterey County Herald put the news on page 1. Other coverage included the Dallas Morning News, the Anchorage Daily News, and the Contra Costa Times.

Science mentioned a study on Monterey Bay fish populations by former marine sciences graduate student Michelle Paddack. Paddack found that small "preserves," off-limits to fishing, helped rockfish grow larger than their neighbors outside of the preserves.


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