A Sampling of Clips for July 6, 2011

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

UCSD Chancellor Fox Stepping Down From Post
San Diego Union Tribune, July 5 – UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, who presided over one of the largest periods of growth in the school's 50 year history, announced today that she'll step down in June 2012 to return to teaching and research. "The average tenure of a chancellor or president is 4-5 years, and I'll have been here eight next June," Fox, 63, said in a phone interview. "There's always a time for new leadership. I also have 10 grandchildren spread around the country and I hardly know them. I went to Michigan over the Fourth of July to visit some of them and seeing them helped me make the decision." More

Similar stories in
Los Angeles Times
San Diego Daily Transcript
La Jolla Patch
San Diego Union Tribune (follow-up story)
NBC News 7/39
KGTV News Channel 10
KUSI News
XETV News Channel 6

Better Lives for Mexicans Cut Allure of Going North
New York Times, July 6 -- The extraordinary Mexican migration that delivered millions of illegal immigrants to the United States over the past 30 years has sputtered to a trickle, and research points to a surprising cause: unheralded changes in Mexico that have made staying home more attractive.  A growing body of evidence suggests that a mix of developments — expanding economic and educational opportunities, rising border crime and shrinking families — are suppressing illegal traffic as much as economic slowdowns or immigrant crackdowns in the United States. (Quotes and refers to research by David FitzGerald and Wayne A. Cornelius, from the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at UC San Diego.) More

Writing About Math
Journal of Higher Ed, July 6 -- When course requirements at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shifted 10 years ago, faculty members in the mathematics department had a new task: Not only did they have to teach their students to solve equations; they also had to instruct them in writing and communicating effectively on the subject. Now, a decade later, members of MIT’s faculty have been developing -- with money from the National Science Foundation -- a website that is meant to be a forum for those teaching communication skills to mathematics students. (Quotes Mia Minnes, SE Warschawski Visiting Assistant Professor in the math department of UC San Diego.) More

Scientists Tie Colorado River Flooding to San Andreas Quakes
Los Angeles Times, July 6 -- Waters' ebb and flow in the Salton Sea area used to trigger small temblors on local faults — and a few big ones on the mighty San Andreas. Dams have ended the flooding, which may help explain why the 'Big One' is overdue. In a new study led by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, scientists found that the floodwaters that periodically flowed through faults helped trigger earthquakes in the area, including several large ones along the mighty San Andreas. More

Pacific Ocean Trash Patch Mystery: How Many Fish Eat Plastic?
Christian Science Monitor, July 6  -- The new study by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego shows that nearly 1 in 10 fish in the region had plastic in their stomachs. More

Have You Seen This Shark?
San Diego Union-Tribune, July 3, 2011 --Marine researchers are trying to locate and track the world’s second-largest known fish, the basking shark, off the coast of California. “Have you seen this shark?” asks a poster being distributed at marinas, dive shops, docks and other spots from San Diego to Monterey by the local office of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Decades ago, Canadians were particularly aggressive about killing basking sharks because the animals got tangled in salmon nets and threatened a critical industry. Canadians also have helped revive interest in the species and are working with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, and scientists from Mexico to better understand why the species has not rebounded despite decades of little direct human pressure. More

Stem Cells: It Takes More Than Genes to Control Them
North County Times, July 5 -- The fate of stem cells isn't controlled by genes alone, new research from a UC San Diego scientist has found. The research holds the promise of better control of these cells, which researchers around the world are attempting to turn into treatments for currently incurable diseases. Chemicals attached to DNA modify how the genes in stem cells work, according to research by George L. Sen, assistant professor of cellular and molecular medicine at UCSD School of Medicine. More

Study Shows Increased Risk of Medication Errors in July
CBS News-Sacramento, July 5 -- New research raises the question:  Should you try to avoid the hospital this month? A study done at UC San Diego looked a quarter million deaths from medication errors over nearly three decades.  It found mortality rates were up 10 percent in July especially in areas with teaching hospitals. This is the time many new doctors begin their residency programs. More

Scientists Finally Get Angry About Indifference to Climate Change
The Guardian, July 5 -- For decades, scientists have been seen as meek, dispassionate souls. But now, faced with widespread indifference to global warming, a small band of science radicals are getting angry. (Quotes UC San Diego professor Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway in their book “Merchants of Doubt.”) More

Mayoral Name Game Takes Center Stage
San Diego Union-Tribune, July 5 -- The 2012 race for San Diego mayor is well underway as four high-profile candidates are campaigning hard for donations and endorsements to separate themselves from the pack. (Quotes Steve Erie, a political-science professor at UC San Diego.) More

West Coast Winemakers Mull Climate Change
Tri-City Herald, July 5, 2011 -- To get a better handle on the future, Napa Valley Vintners asked Daniel Cayan, a leading climate scientist with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, to head its study. More

Similar article also appeared in:
SanLuisObispo.com

Power Up! New exhibit at Birch
Aquarium in La Jolla will Have “Boundless Energy”
La Jolla Light, July 5 -- The power of the majestic Pacific Ocean will set the stage for an exhibit about energy, opening Saturday, July 9 at Birch Aquarium on the outdoor Robert Smargon Court overlooking the sea.“Boundless Energy,” is an interactive experience that explores how mankind can use natural forces to power its daily needs. “Boundless Energy” is an extension of “Feeling the Heat: The Climate Challenge,” the aquarium’s award-winning exhibit that presents the science of global climate change. Dedicated by former Vice President Al Gore in 2007, “Feeling the Heat” highlights Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s half-century of leadership in studying climate change and educates about current and projected environmental changes caused by society’s over-use of fossil fuels. (Quotes Nigella Hillgarth, aquarium executive director.) More

* Subscribe with In the News and receive our clips automatically