Pipeline repair under way outside lecture hall

Facilities Management is fixing a leak in the campus steam system, under the sidewalk in front of the Social Sciences and Humanities lecture hall.

The leak is in a condensate line that carries water back to the steam plant to be heated again and sent back out as steam, which is used primarily to heat buildings.

The leak outside 1100 Social Sciences and Humanities Building, across from the east entrance to the Memorial Union, was discovered the day after Christmas.

Officials said they expect the repair project will continue into next week.

Funding workshop on Latin American opportunities

UC Davis has enlisted faculty members with ties to Brazil, Chile and elsewhere in Latin America to address a funding workshop: Research and Educational Opportunities with Latin America.

The brown bag event is scheduled from noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, in the Institute of Governmental Affairs Reading Room, 360 Shields Library. RSVPs are requested by Jan. 19.

The organizers with University Outreach and International Programs said the workshop will provide an introduction to the major research and higher education funding programs available with Latin America.

The featured speakers from UC Davis:

• Walter Leal, professor, entomology — Introducing the
Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) grants for research related to Brazil.

• Jorge Rojas, program director, Chile-UC Partnership at UC Davis — Outlining the partnership’s initiatives.

Other speakers, from UC Mexus (the UC Institute for Mexico and the United States), headquartered at UC Riverside:

• Wendy DeBoer, director of Academic Programs, and Andrea Kaus, director of Research Programs — Introducing fellowships and grants available to UC Davis faculty, researchers, postdoctoral scholars and students.

The organizers said UC Davis’ Charles Walker, history professor and director of the Hemispheric Institute on the Americas, will be available to answer questions that may come up about Latin America.

To RSVP, or for more information, contact Jennie Konsella-Norene, international funding analyst, jknorene@ucdavis.edu.

Reduced payroll tax in effect

The UC system took too big of a Social Security deduction out of the January paychecks of people are paid monthly, and will make up for it on the Feb. 1 pay date.

The normal withholding rate is 6.2 percent, but the federal government dropped it to 4.2 percent for all of 2011 — and then, in late December, extended the reduction until Feb. 29.

The problem is, UC had already processed its Jan. 1 payroll by the time Washington took action. So, the 6.2 percent rate took effect for people who are paid monthly. “As a result, they will receive a 2 percent refund in their Feb. 1 paycheck along with the implementation of the new 4.2 percent rate, making the net Social Security withholding 2.2 percent for the Feb. 1 pay date,” UC officials said in a statement today (Jan. 6).

The 4.2 percent rate took effect Jan. 4 for UC Davis employees who paid biweekly.