First Total Artificial Heart Implanted on
West Coast at UC San Diego Medical Center
UC San Diego Medical Center has performed the West Coast's first implant of the world's only FDA-approved total artificial heart. During the four-hour procedure, the patient's diseased heart was removed and replaced by a lifesaving device that rapidly restored blood flow to his entire body. The patient, who suffered from a near-fatal heart virus in his 20s, recently underwent heart transplant surgery and is now recovering. More

Teaching Diversity Focus of New Conference on Campus
How do you teach students about privilege and discrimination? How do you teach students to embrace and celebrate other cultures? How do you teach the Principles of Community and instill a sense of respect toward others? These are some of the questions that members of the UC San Diego community examined during a daylong teaching diversity conference that took place Thursday at the Cross-Cultural Center on campus. More

Campus Recognizes
Black History Month with Expanded
Events Celebrating Social Justice and Equality
UC San Diego will honor U.S. heroes who broke barriers of exclusion and forged a path of success for African Americans as part of the university’s celebration of Black History Month. The theme for 2011 is “Breaking Down Barriers for Over 150 Years,” which champions the men and women who rallied around the cause of freedom. Events this year will be amplified as part of UC San Diego’s ongoing effort to enhance the campus climate and broaden the diversity of the campus community and curriculum. More

Campus Celebrates Mexico's Future
with Symposium, Music and Cuisine on Campus
UC San Diego is sponsoring a glitzy, entertaining and thought-provoking two-day event titled “Mexico Moving Forward” that will be full of spice, song and the insights of a dozen visionary Mexican leaders in science, art, culture and business. While celebrating the excellence of their country, the Mexican leaders — from novelist and historian Rafael Tovar y de Teresa to businessman and philanthropist Manuel Arango — will lead a lively, unscripted and open dialogue on the future of the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. More

Tritons Earn Top Spot in National Collegiate
Baseball Writers Association Preseason Poll
The UC San Diego baseball team, after breaking a school record with 54 wins and advancing to the national championship game in 2010, unanimously earned the No. 1 spot in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association West Region Preseason Poll released Thursday. In addition, seven Tritons were named to the association's Preseason All-West Region First Team. More

Have Sun God, Will Travel
Hong Kong. London. Sydney. Barcelona. What do all of these places have in common? They were recently paid a visit by one of UC San Diego's favorite and most famous campus icons — the Sun God. Well, not the Sun God, but rather a paper cutout of Niki de Saint Phalle's colorful sculpture, the first work installed as part of the Stuart Collection. More

Rady School Partners with Swedish Accelerator
to Commercialize Technologies in San Diego
The Rady School of Management has formed a partnership with accelerat.us, the Swedish organization created to accelerate technology transfer from universities and to help companies enter the U.S. market. The Rady-accelerat.us partnership will focus on San Diego's leading industries: wireless technology, life sciences, clean tech and defense — providing leadership opportunities for Rady MBAs and potentially creating new jobs in the regional economy. More

Study Finds Common Ground for
Ecosystems and Fishing in Northwest Mexico
Researchers at UCSD's Scripps Institution of Oceanography have completed a new study on the geography of commercial fisheries in Northwest Mexico, and the results could have far-ranging implications for the sustainable future of marine wildlife in the area. The scientists, led by Scripps postdoctoral researcher Brad Erisman, analyzed data from local fisheries offices around the region that includes Baja California as well as Gulf of California coasts from Sonora south to Nayarit. The region accounts for more than 60 percent of fishing production in Mexico. More

Three Researchers Receive Awards to Support Stem Cell Work from California Institute of Regenerative Medicine
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded three grants totaling nearly $5.8 million to researchers at UC San Diego for development of innovative technologies designed to advance translational stem cell research. The grants are part of $32 million awarded to 19 projects at 10 California institutions that were announced by CIRM last week. More