Nobel laureate to speak at symposium

Nobel laureate Robert Grubbs, professor of chemistry at the California Institute of Technology, will deliver the plenary speech during the annual R. Bryan Miller Symposium, held March 10 in the Mondavi Center Studio Theater. Grubbs shared the 2005 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his work on new catalysts to make chains and rings of carbon atoms, processes used daily in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. His talk, on "Synthesis of Small and Large Rings via Olefin Metathesis," will begin at 4 p.m. Other speakers during the one-day symposium include Catherine Hunt, president-elect of the American Chemical Society and a UC Davis alumna; John Piwinski, vice president for chemical research at Schering-Plough Corporation; Joel Barrish, vice president for inflammation chemistry at Bristol-Myers Squibb; Justin Du Bois, associate professor of chemistry at Stanford University; and Arthur A. Wellman, special counsel and patent attorney with DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary.

Registration for the entire symposium costs $75 for general admission, $10 for UC Davis students.

Free admission to Grubbs' talk only is available to students (advance registration required). More information and registration can be found at millersymposium.ucdavis.edu or by calling (530) 757-5798.

Advisory committee applications sought

Applications are being accepted for positions on the university's Administrative Advisory Committees for 2006-07. They address such topics as arts, research, athletics, child care and student services.

Membership is open to anyone in the university community: Academic Senate, Academic Federation, staff, graduate and undergraduate students.

"I encourage you to become involved in issues affecting the UC Davis community," to participate in campus governance, Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef said in a directive inviting applications.

"As a member of an Administrative Advisory Committee, you can ensure that your constituency's perspectives are well represented in the committee's recommendations to the administration," the chancellor said. "You can also help representatives from other constituencies understand your interests and concerns and, in turn, learn more about their views of campus issues."

More information is available online, chancellor.ucdavis.edu/aac/default.htm. The application form is on the same site; applications are due by March 17.

Work-life balance

Staff Development is offering the following brown bag sessions on the next two Thursdays from noon until 1 p.m.:

• Feb. 23: "Requesting Alternate Work Arrangements." What do you need to consider when requesting alternate work arrangements? Information and tools will be discussed. The instructors include Barbara Ashby, Cindy Pilon and Robert Martinez. The location is in the Cabernet Room at the Silo.
• March 2: "Growing a Life Out of Gardening." Come find out how to develop a garden and discover what is in it for you. The instructor is Cidney Barcellos. The location is in the Cabernet Room at the Silo.

For more events and information, visit sdps.ucdavis.edu/calendar.htm.

Staff Assembly news

The new winter edition of the Staff Voice is available on the UC Davis Staff Assembly Web site at staff.ucdavis.edu. Check it out for staff information.

Humanities events

The UC Davis Humanities Institute will hold the following seminars:

• Feb. 22: Early Modern Studies Research Cluster: Melissa Mowry (St. Johns University), "Far from the Maddening Crowd?: Bridewell, Feminism, and the Insufficiency of Form." 4:10 p.m., 126 Voorhies.
• Feb. 23: Consortium for Women and Research Work in Progress Series: Deb Niemeier (Civil and Environmental Engineering), "Transportation, Air Pollution, and Environmental Justice: Who Breathes What?" noon to 1:30 p.m. (brown bag), 3201 Hart Hall.

For additional information, see the institute's Web site at dhi.ucdavis.edu/calendar/calendarhome.htm.

Health benefits sessions

PacifiCare is returning to UC Davis to talk about the extensive wellness and discount programs that they offer to their members. The session, Promoting Health and Wellness, will be held March 6 at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento at the Patient Support Services Building, Room G300. The start time is 11 a.m.

On the same day, the session on campus will be held at 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union, Room MU II. Reservations are required for both sessions. Please contact gpsolbach@ucdavis.edu. Topics will include:

• health management programs;
• disease management programs;
• health credits program;
• health risk assessment;
• virtual health club;
• preventative care reminders;
• resources.

Attendees are encouraged to enter their name in a drawing for a wellness raffle prize donated by PacifiCare. The drawing will follow the conclusion of the presentation.

Arboretum events

The guided tours listed below are free and open to the public. For more information, visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

• "Acacias Along the Creek"; Saturday, Feb. 18, 11 a.m., Arboretum Headquarters. Enjoy a free tour of the acacia collection in the arboretum. Acacias, a group of trees and shrubs native mainly to Australia and Africa, are popular with gardeners for their billowing clouds of fragrant yellow or gold flowers. Docent Edith Vermeij will lead the tour.
• "Microclimates in Your Garden"; Sunday, Feb. 26, 2 p.m., Arboretum Terrace Garden. Nearly every home landscape offers a range of microclimates with different plants thriving in each microclimate zone. Learn how to find the right place for every plant. Docent Taffy Bandman will show you how to do a microclimate audit of your garden.

Benefits audit slated

In May, UC will conduct its annual random audit of employees, retirees and their family members enrolled in UC-sponsored health and welfare plan(s). This audit is required by UC plan regulations and helps ensure that your family members enrolled in health and welfare plans are fully eligible for coverage as described in UC's Group Insurance Eligibility Factsheet.

The university incurs significant costs to provide group insurance coverage for employees and their family members. To ensure that only those who are truly eligible for coverage are enrolled and to meet health contract obligations, UC must verify family member eligibility.

UC HR/Benefits will randomly select a percentage of all UC members enrolled in UC-sponsored health plans and notify them in writing of the documentation required for each type of dependent. Examples of documentation include marriage or birth certificates, verification of same-sex domestic partnerships, adoption records and tax records.

The result of an employee or retiree enrolling ineligible individuals, failing to respond to the University's eligibility verification, or failing to provide the required documentation when requested is a permanent de-enrollment (cancellation of coverage) of the ineligible individual. In addition, the employee and all family members will be de-enrolled for 12 months from any plan in which an ineligible person is enrolled.

For example, if it is determined through the audit process that an ineligible individual is enrolled in a UC-sponsored medical plan such as Health Net, the employee, the ineligible family member and all other family members will be de-enrolled from Health Net.

Continuation of coverage will be made available to the employee and eligible family members if the employee chooses to continue health coverage at their own expense.

Retirement funds review

In the coming months, the UC Board of Regents will be exploring the best way to begin reinstatement of contributions to the UC Retirement Plan. The regents are expected to consider changes, hear recommendations and take action this year.

The UC Office of the President has launched a Web site — www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/ucrpfuture/welcome.html — to keep employees and retirees informed about any changes planned for UC retirement benefits.

Every fall, the regents review a report by a University-hired independent actuarial firm that assesses UCRP's financial status and compares the amount of money in the fund to the amount of its retirement obligations. The November 2005 report to the Regents indicated a 110 percent funded ratio ($41.9 billion in assets compared to $37.3 billion in obligations) as of June 30, 2005.

While any ratio of over 100 percent indicates a surplus, the UCRP ratio has dropped from 154 percent in 2000 to 126 percent in 2003 and 118 percent in 2004. Projections show that if contributions are not reinstated, the UCRP funded status will drop below 100 percent within the next several years. No decision has been made yet on contributions.

Radiothon volunteers

Volunteers are needed to answer telephones during the annual Radiothon Sacramento that raises money for UC Davis Children's Hospital.

Radiothon Sacramento will be broadcast this year from 6 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, through 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, by Entercom Radio, on stations 98 Rock, 94.7 Smooth Jazz, 96.9 The Eagle, KWOD 106.5, 107.9 The End and KCTC 1320 AM. This year, the goal for Radiothon is to raise $500,000.

All funds raised locally stay local, benefiting the sick and injured children whovisit UC Davis Children's Hospital each year through special programs, services, life-saving equipment and cutting-edge research.

UC Davis Children's Hospital is a focal point for health care organizations, pediatricians, pediatric specialists, as well as children and their families in a 33-county area.

For more information, or to volunteer, contact Dana Ferry at (916) 734-9065. Forms and details are also available at www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/children/cmn/change.html.

Aggies beat San Diego

Pinch-hitter Aaron Hanke's two-run double broke a 2-2 deadlock in the seventh inning, and the UC Davis baseball team held the University of San Diego Toreros to just three hits, as the Aggies earned a 6-2 victory last Sunday. The Toreros are ranked ninth nationally.

"It's a good win because they're a good team and they're going to win a lot of ballgames this year," said Aggie coach Rex Peters. "So for us to face some adversity and come back on the last day and fight real hard for a win is a positive sign for us."

On Tuesday, the Aggies beat UC Berkeley 13-9. With the win, the Aggies improved to 4-2 (as of Tuesday).

UC Davis was 27-29 last season, playing without conference affiliation — the campus is in the third year of a four-year Division I. This year, Aggie baseball returned eight starters, three pitchers and 21 letterwinners.

UC Davis hosts the University of Utah today at 2:30 p.m. Saturday's and Sunday's home games against Utah are slated for 1 p.m. and noon, respectively.