Comments by UC Davis community members and references to the campus regularly appear in a wide variety of media outlets around the country. Among the recent citings in prominent publications:

Human and community development professor Janet Momsen was quoted by the Population Reference Bureau on Jan. 22 about the challenges facing women who survived the Dec. 26 Indian Ocean tsunami. Momsen stressed the importance of female doctors in the relief effort because of many South Asian women's reluctance to visit male physicians. "Privacy is … a major problem for women in terms of the cultural expectations in these patriarchal societies," she said…

Kimberlee Shauman of the sociology department contributed to the debate about why women are underrepresented in the sciences in the Jan. 24 New York Times, the Jan. 25 Boston Globe and the Jan. 26 Washington Post. Shaumnan, co-author of Women in Science: Career Processes and Outcomes, pointed out that many possible factors may contribute to the gender discrepancy, yet "still we have this fact: women are less interested in science."…

In other education news, law professor Martha West commented on the city of Davis' high-achieving schoolchildren in the Jan. 21 Boston Globe. West said the Gifted and Talented Education program was inherently elitist and discriminated against underprivileged and minority students. "If I had my druthers, I would abolish the entire program," she said. …

Eric Mussen of the entomology department contributed to a Jan. 25 San Jose Mercury News story on a tiny parasite -- the Varroa mite -- that is wiping out California bee colonies. Mussen, a bee expert, described a fungus being developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that could kill the mites without harming bees. …

Animal science researcher Frank Mitloehner's recent study was highlighted on Jan. 27 in a number of publications, including the Associated Press, the Sacramento Bee and the Fresno Bee. Mitloehner found that typical California dairy cows produce only half as much methane as was estimated by the California Air Resources Board, and that most gaseous output comes from cattle burps, not manure. (See full story in this issue of Dateline.) Mitloehner said his study "has large implications. It will change the way dairies are regulated in this state, I believe." …

Also in the Associated Press, enology professor Linda Bisson was quoted in a Jan. 25 story about the best time to pick grapes for wine. She pointed out that growers leave grapes on the vine longer now than 10 years ago, but that it is unclear which method is better. "It's difficult to know when you've reached those peaks of flavors," she said. …

Mechanical and aeronautical engineering professor Andy Frank was cited in a Jan. 27 Christian Science Monitor article on new hybrid vehicle trends. Frank described a Ford Explorer he modified with his engineering students that has 325 horsepower - 200 of that electric. "This car goes like a rocket, but still gets double the fuel economy of a regular hybrid," he said. "And, for the first 50 miles, it is all electric -- zero emissions" -- enough for many drivers to complete their daily commute, he said. "Our studies show that the average person would only go to the gas station six times a year compared with maybe 35 times a year." …

Jonna Mazet of the School of Veterinary Medicine was quoted in numerous publications during the week of Jan. 21, including the Sacramento Bee and Copley News Service, about damage caused by a southern California oil spill. Mazet, director of the Wildlife Health Center, estimated up to 5,000 sea birds have been affected by the slick. "Just because you don't see a broken ship doesn't mean there aren't huge impacts on wildlife," Mazet said in the Jan. 21 Los Angeles Times. ...

UC Davis' Design Museum, a gallery space located in 220 Walker Hall, was ranked among the top 20 places in the world to see great design by How Magazine in January. The national magazine offers graphic designers resources for ideas, techniques and business advice. It places UC Davis' Design Museum, directed by Dolph Gotelli, among a list that also includes museums in London (Design Museum in London), New York City (Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City), Paris (Centre Pompidou), Costa Rica (Museo de Arte y Diseno Contemporaneo), Switzerland (Architekturmuseum Basel) and Finland (Designmuseo). -- By Mike Sintetos

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