Diamond ponders fates of societies for Major Issues series
Jared Diamond, an evolutionary biologist, UCLA professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs and Steel: the Fates of Human Societies, will speak on campus Oct. 7.
His talk, “Collapses of Ancient Societies, and their Modern Implications,” begins at 4:10 p.m. in Room 180, Medical Sciences Building 1C.
In his book, Guns, Germs and Steel, Diamond makes the case that environment and geography, rather than race, played a pivotal role in the Eurasian conquest of much of the world. He also wrote two other books, The Third Chimpanzee, a best-seller which won The Los Angeles Times Book award for the best science book of 1992, and Why is Sex Fun? The Evolution of Human Sexuality.
Diamond is a leading expert on the birds of New Guinea and a professor of physiology, environmental health and geography at UCLA. Among his many honors are a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, a National Medal of Science, and election to the Na-tional Academy of Sci-ences, the American Acad-emy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society.
Diamond’s talk kicks off this year’s Major Issues in Modern Biology lecture series, sponsored by the Division of Biological Sciences.
Hybrids travel to rally
Gas-sipping SUVs and high-mileage sedans built by students at UC Davis have this week been joining teams from the world’s leading automakers in Michelin’s Challenge Bibendum. During the event, vehicles are tested on fuel efficiency, emissions and performance and take part in a road rally from Sonoma to San Francisco.
UC Davis has four gas-electric vehicles entered: “Yosemite,” a modified 2002 Ford Explorer; “Sequoia,” a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban; “Coulomb,” a 1998 Mercury Sable; and “Joule,” based on a 1996 Ford Taurus.
For more details, see next week’s Dateline.
History repeats itself
The U.S. Department of Education this week announced that UC Davis has won its second Teaching American History Grant. The award, received in partnership with Sacramento City Unified School District, is another three-year award, this time in the amount of $940,000.
Last October the Department of Educa-tion awarded $1 million for a history project grant partnering UC Davis with Grant Joint Union High School District.
The school systems will be working with the UC Davis Area 3 History and Cultures Project to boost skills and knowledge of teachers and, through them, raise student literacy and achievement in history.
Med center rates tops with consumers
For the fifth straight year, survey respondents have named UC Davis Medical Center as having the best quality and image of all hospitals in the Sacramento area.
As a result, the medical center has received a 2003 Consumer Choice Award from the National Research Corporation. The NRC names top hospitals in markets throughout the United States. This year 175 hospitals of 2,500 nationwide will receive Consumer Choice Awards. The honor is published in Modern Healthcare.
In the Sacramento metropolitan area, consisting of Sacramento, El Dorado and Placer counties, 811 households participated in the survey. They were asked to name the top hospital based on four attributes: doctors, nurses, overall quality and overall image or reputation.
Prof, triathlete Griffin earns U.S. team spot
Graduate School of Management associate dean, professor and triathlete Paul Griffin has secured a spot on the U.S. National Team during the 2003 World Championship in Queenstown, New Zealand, Dec. 7-8. He qualified for the national team by placing in one of the top six spots at the U.S. National Triathlon Age Group World Championship event, held this month in Menomonie, Wisc. Griffin placed sixth in his class.
Griffin joined the UC Davis faculty in 1981. In 1999, he was appointed associate dean of the business school. His research focuses on the role of accounting and reporting in financial markets.
The age group world championship competition includes a 1,500-meter swim, 40 kilometers of bicycling and a 10K run.
Arboretum holds annual plant sale
More than 50 different kinds of garden sage will be featured at the UC Davis Arboretum Plant Faire from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4. The Plant Faire will be held this year in a new location — the Arboretum Nursery in Orchard Park, near La Rue Road and Orchard Road.
The show and sale spotlights Central Valley garden plants, exotic tropicals and houseplants, grown by volunteers at both the arboretum and botanical conservatory. More than 800 kinds of plants will be for sale, including varieties that are rare or unavailable elsewhere. All proceeds support the gardens and education programs of the arboretum and the conservatory.