March 20, 2000
Alumni, undergraduate researchers makes 'UC Day' a success
By Brad Hayward
More than 400 University of California alumni and other friends of the university
gathered March 13-14 for "UC Day in Sacramento," the annual legislative
conference of the Alumni Associations of the University of California (AAUC).
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| UCSC student Joseph Rodriguez explains his research to Senator Bruce McPherson.
He was selected from a pool of 60 outstanding undergraduate researchers systemwide
to display a poster illustrating research he is conducting on an invasive plant in
Yosemite National Park. Photo: Neil Michel/Axiom |
They also advocated for the state budget proposals that Gov. Gray Davis has made to support these important efforts.
"The strong participation of alumni from all of our campuses made UC Day a real success," said Kent Vining, president of the AAUC. "It was gratifying to see so many people who have retained strong ties to the university and who are so committed to securing a bright future for UC. They made a strong case to the Legislature on the university's behalf."
In addition to meeting with state lawmakers, alumni delegates gathered for morning sessions centered on the conference theme, "A UC Century of Discovery." The sessions highlighted opportunities for undergraduate research at UC and the ways in which those research opportunities enrich the undergraduate experience.
Sixteen undergraduate students representing all eight UC general campuses displayed posters illustrating research they are conducting, in areas ranging from Brazilian economics to the genetics of avocados. Two UCSC students, Joseph Rodriguez and Jennifer Leech, were selected from a pool of 60 outstanding undergraduate researchers systemwide whose abstracts were submitted by the campuses. Each of the winners was introduced to the audience and presented with a certificate of commendation.
Rodriguez, a UCSC biology undergraduate studying under Assistant Professor Ingrid Parker, is researching the adaptive abilities of an invasive plant, Verbascum thaspus, in Yosemite National Park. "If the results correspond to my predictions, this research will represent one of the first demonstrations of adaptation in an invasive species and will provide National Park resource managers with a more comprehensive understanding of this problematic weed," Rodriguez said.
For Rodriguez, conducting research with ecologists has given him the chance to work on "an important problem with real-world implications. This project has allowed me to assume responsibility for my education and embrace it in a way I never have before," Rodriguez said.
Leech, a UCSC computer engineering student studying under Associate Professor Richard Hughey, is working with two other students on a high-speed parallel processor computer called "Kestrel."
A separate forum on undergraduate research featured students from UC Davis and
UC Irvine who, with their faculty advisers, shared their research experiences with
the alumni delegates.
"It was the most beneficial experience I had at UC Irvine," said Marisa
Magana, a recent graduate in biology whose research on nutritional regulation of
the fatty acid synthase gene has important implications for the understanding of
heart disease and diabetes. "I could really see how research complemented my
learning. It really has taught me how to think critically and how to problem-solve.
It has taught me a lot about patience."
UC faculty members attending the forum said that parents and the public need to understand
that research benefits undergraduate education, rather than being in competition
with it. They also stressed that many undergraduates produce significant research
findings that are published in journals or presented at academic conferences.
"We're not just teaching students how to do research. They are making substantial
contributions in their own field," said Lynda Goff, vice provost and dean of
undergraduate education at UC Santa Cruz, who, along with Judi Smith, vice provost
for undergraduate education at UCLA, co-moderated the undergraduate research forum.
"They don't just get a research experience out of it. It's a real teaching tool,"
said Timothy Osborne, professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at UC Irvine.
Elsewhere at the conference, the Alumni Associations honored two "Legislators
of the Year," state Senator Steve Peace of El Cajon and Assemblyman Dennis Cardoza
of Merced. (For more, read UC
honors 'legislators of the year')
UC President Richard C. Atkinson also addressed the delegates, as did John G. Davies,
chairman of the UC Board of Regents, along with other Regents and alumni leaders.
Alumni delegates to the conference pay for their own transportation and accommodations.
--Additional reporting by Karin Wanless
