A Sampling of Clips for May 14-18, 2011

* UCSD faculty and staff may obtain a copy of an article by e-mailing the University Communications Office

Peril, Promise in Induced Stem Cells
USA Today, May 16 -- Induced stem cells "hold great promise for regenerative medicine," begins a just-released Nature journal study headed by Yang Xu of UC San Diego. Regenerative medicine would use cells, grown outside the body in test tubes, as replacements for organs to treat everything from diabetes to heart failure. But amid the promise, suggests the study, there may be peril. More

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Education is the Key to Innovation: a Q&A With Qualcomm’s Irwin Jacobs
Forbes, May 17 -- Alexander Pasik, the chief information officer of the IEEE, a professional association for engineers, recently sat down with Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs to talk about education and innovation. Pasik notes that Jacobs pursued a career in science and engineering despite being advised by a high school guidance counselor to explore other lines of work. As for science and engineering, the counselor told Jacobs there was no future in it. Jacobs was a professor at UC San Diego and is a long time supporter of the school. More

New U.S. Institutes Help Tackle Cleantech Workforce Shortage
Reuters, May 16 -- Training academies are cropping up to steer students and professionals into clean energy industries that lack manpower to match growing opportunities. A Masters of Advanced Science will be offered next year through UC San Diego for biotech entrepreneurs. More

Exploring Roots of Climate Stasis, and Next Steps
The New York Times, May 17 -- David Roberts, the Grist blogger, has written a double-barreled book review for the American Prospect that’s well worth reading. It explores “The Climate War,” Eric Pooley’s deconstruction of the long, and ultimately failed, effort to pass a comprehensive climate bill in the United States. But Roberts focuses most on David Victor’s new book “Global Warming Gridlock,” which I’m way overdue to read. Victor, from UC San Diego has been a frequent and welcome voice on Dot Earth. More

In Iraq, an Internal Shiite Battle may be Key to U.S. Troop Extension
The Washington Post, May 14 -- A pledge this week by Iraq’s Shiite prime minister to seek consensus on whether U.S. troops should stay or go came with a not-so-subtle challenge to an influential fellow Shiite. (Quotes Babak Rahimi, an Islamic studies professor at UC San Diego who returned last month from Iran) More

Fewer Men Having Surgery to Treat Enlarged Prostate: Study
U.S. News, May 17 -- Some men with enlarged prostate may not be receiving sufficient treatment and could suffer severe complications as a result, according to a new UC San Diego study. More

What Protects the Heart May Also Ward Off Kidney Stones
U.S. News, May 17 -- The same lifestyle factors that are linked to healthy hearts and bones can also keep painful kidney stones at bay, a series of new studies suggests. (Quotes Dr. Roger Sur, director of the Comprehensive Kidney Stone Center at UC San Diego) More

UCSD Honors Supporters of Its Mission
San Diego Union-Tribune, May 17 -- UC San Diego has announced winners of its Chancellor’s Medals, awarded to select community leaders and campus supporters. The recipients are Richard and Rita Atkinson, John and Ann Davies, Sheldon and Susan Engelhorn, Anne Ratner and L.S. and Aline Skaggs. More

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Thieving Whales Slurp Up $6-a-pound Butterfish Catch
KVAL, Eugene, Ore., May 15 -- Sperm whales, the world's largest toothed cetaceans, for more than a decade have bedeviled fishermen catching sablefish, also known as black cod, a deep-water fish that tastes like butter and sells for more dollars per pound than any other Alaska finned fish. (Mentions research by Aaron Thode of Scripps Institution of Oceanography) More

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UCSD Alums' Firms Generate $15b in Revenues
San Diego Union-Tribune, May 16 -- With budget cuts looming, UC San Diego is touting its economic impact to the local region, as a way of demonstrating its value during a time of massive budget cuts. In a report last month, the UC system estimated that for every $1 the state invests, the system generates $4 in returns, through taxes paid by its alumni and the companies they create. More

UCSD Offers Roadmap for Coping With Climate Change
San Diego Union-Tribune, May 15 -- Climate change is real. It'll cause significant damage. But aspects of the science of global warming aren't resolved. And many of the political approaches being used to address climate change are naive or ineffective. David Victor, a professor of political science at UC San Diego, delivers this message in unapologetic terms in his new book, "Global Warming Gridlock: Creating More Effective Strategies for Protecting the Planet." More

Renowned UCSD Engineer Wolf Dies of Cancer
San Diego Union-Tribune, May 17 -- Jack Keil Wolf, a groundbreaking UC San Diego engineer who greatly advanced communications by finding better ways to digitally store and retrieve information, died on May 12 at age 76, university officials say. He died in La Jolla after fighting cancer. More

UCSD Composer Chinary Ung’s Music Comes From the Heart
San Diego Union-Tribune, May 13 -- Anyone enrolling in Chinary Ung’s composition classes at UC San Diego is going to learn about a lot more than music. “I used to tell my students: Some of you have high intelligence and are very talented. And if you wanted to, you could work very hard. But with just these three things put together, it won’t click,” said the Cambodian-American composer. “You won’t be anybody in composition. You tell me: What are you missing?” More

A Tense Calm in Syria is Punctuated by Violent Clashes
Minneapolis Post, May 13 — A tense calm, punctuated by occasional violence against civilians, prevailed on Thursday, a day after the Syrian regime stepped up its crackdown on restive areas. (Quotes Michael Provence, a Syria expert at UC San Diego) More

Hunter Sparks Debate With Criticism of César Chávez
San Diego Union-Tribune, May 17 -- A seemingly benign decision to name a Navy cargo ship after the late labor leader and Navy veteran César Chávez drew ire Tuesday from Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, who said there are more deserving candidates. His criticism quickly spurred a national debate, including rebuttals from Chávez defenders who said the honor is appropriate. (Quotes David Gutierrez, vice chairman of the history department at UC San Diego) More

Internet Guru Pariser: You're Being Watched
San Diego Union-Tribune, May 17 -- Three prominent scientific figures will be speaking locally over the next couple of weeks. All three events either take place at UC San Diego or are co-sponsored by UCSD organizations. More

UCSD Baseball and Softball to Host NCAA Regionals
Patch.com, May 17, 2011 -- Win and go home! Those were the watch words for UC San Diego’s baseball and softball teams, which both captured tournament titles on the road and will now host their respective NCAA Regionals this week in La Jolla. More

Obama Singles Out UCSD, Cal Western for Community Service Efforts
La Jolla Light, May 17 -- Two institutions of higher learning in San Diego were named Wednesday to President Barack Obama’s Community Service Honor Roll With Distinction. The president lauded UC San Diego and Cal Western School of Law for their support of volunteering, civic engagement and service learning. A total of 15 colleges in California and 114 nationwide were recognized by Obama. More

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