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February 1, 1999
Biologist Jim Estes's research on sea otters continues to attract media attention, long after a flurry of stories appeared in October. In January, the New York Times published the most detailed and thorough report so far on Estes's discovery that killer whales are decimating sea otter populations in Alaska. Estes's collaborators at UCSC--professor of biology Terrie Williams, environmental studies professor Daniel Doak, and graduate student Tim Tinker--were also mentioned in the New York Times article. Estes was subsequently interviewed on CNN and KRON TV. He was also quoted in a recent article in the San Jose Mercury News about the declining population of sea otters off the California coast.
Clinton's impeachment trial has been in the news, and political scientist Wendy Mink has been on the airwaves. Mink's many recent radio appearances include The Jay Diamond Showon WEVD Radio in New York; CounterSpin, a program syndicated nationally by the media watch group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting; Democracy Now, a nationally broadcast program produced by Pacifica Radio; and Wake Up Call/The Morning Show on WBAI/Pacifica in New York.
The Los Angeles Times tapped Jonathan Fox of Latin American and Latino studies for comment on the recent report by the International Monetary Fund on the global financial crisis. . . . Fox also set the record straight in the Christian Science Monitor regarding events in Mexico following the Zapatista uprising. In a published letter, Fox clarified that President Zedillo's reps did sign the initial peace accords in 1996, but the president subsequently backed out of his commitments.
Great white sharks prowling the waters off Año Nuevo Island were the subject of a San Francisco Chronicle article featuring several UCSC scientists. Elephant seal expert Burney Le Boeuf, campus veterinarian Dave Casper, and graduate student Scott Davis were among the researchers featured in the story.
Sociologist Herman Gray spoke with a reporter for Electronic Media, a national trade magazine for the cable television industry, about minority viewing habits.
Psychology's Anthony Pratkanis spoke with a reporter for the Sunday Times of London about the current retro trend, which includes a resurgence of 1960s and '70s designs in clothes, cars, music, furniture, and even technology. Once again, said Pratkanis, demographics are driving the market, and as usual, baby boomers are behind the wheel.