Convocation, essays focus on 'stretching' minds...

Set for Sept. 28, the 2005 Fall Convocation will carry the title "Stretching the Boundaries of Thought and Experience." The annual gathering for staff, faculty and students will run 11 a.m. to noon in Mondavi Center.

The chancellor is expected to be joined at the podium by campus community members reading their "My Personal Compass" essays to launch a new year-long initiative designed to encourage thoughtful reflection and active listening. Rahim Reed, associate executive vice chancellor for campus community relations, is slated to serve as emcee.

The campus community has been invited to submit 350-word essays for the My Personal Compass project. The initiative is modeled after National Public Radio's "This I Believe" program and is focused on philosophical, spiritual, political or civic beliefs. For more details, see the July 22 edition of Dateline online at http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu.

Earlybird essays submitted to mypersonalcompass@ucdavis.edu by Sept. 6 will be considered for inclusion in the convocation program.

Campus earns gold in technology innovation

A UC Davis initiative was among two efforts named on Monday as golden award winners of UC's Larry L. Sautter Award for Innovation in Information Technology. UC Davis' Vulnerability Scanning and Remediation System earned the award for "Best IT Practices in Business Processes and Services."

Recipients receive a commemorative plaque and give presentations about their projects at the annual UC Computing Services Conference, held this year in San Francisco. Other recipents of gold or silver awards this year hailed from UC Riverside, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Irvine.

The systemwide award recognizes information technology innovations that have the potential to improve UC administrative or academic processes. For further details, see http://www.ucop.edu/irc/itlc/sautter.

Event set for new Cross Cultural Center director

The campus community is invited to a reception Aug. 25 to welcome Estifanos (Steven) Baissa to his new role as director of the Cross Cultural Center. The reception will be held 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the center.

Baissa, who is assistant director of the Student Programs and Activities Center, will assume his new duties on Aug. 15. He will lead the Student Affairs unit as it supports and advocates for campus diversity; sponsors multicultural and cross-cultural programs; and provides opportunities for students to enhance their leadership potential. He will supervise two full-time staff members and eight part-time interns.

Baissa joined UC Davis and its Student Programs and Activities Center in 1998. He has served as a member of the management team for the Cultural Days Program and as a trainer for the Train the Trainers Diversity Institute at UC Davis.

He holds an MBA from California State University, Sacramento; a master's degree in fine arts/African art from the University of Minnesota; and a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Olaf College.