SECURITY AND MEDIA RELATIONS: UC Davis police Lt. Nader Oweis and the campus News Service are scheduled to deliver a program, "Safety, Security and Media Relations for Researchers," at noon Dec. 20 in the lecture hall at the California National Primate Research Center.

"Although incidents at UC Davis have been rare," a news release states, "researchers at other UC campuses and elsewhere in the country have encountered harassment, intimidation, vandalism of homes and property and even attempted bombings in recent months."

THE FUTURE OF FEDERAL FUNDING: Federal entomologist Mary Purcell-Miramontes is due on campus Jan. 8 to deliver a talk titled "What Does the Future Hold for Federally Funded Agricultural Research?" It is this year's Thomas and Nina Leigh Distinguished Alumni Seminar in Entomology.

Purcell-Miramontes directs competitive grant programs in arthropod and nematode biology for the National Research Initiative.

The seminar, for entomology faculty, emeriti, affiliates, professional researchers and students, is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in the Activities and Recreation Center Ballroom, preceded by a reception at 5 and followed by a dinner. Reservations are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 4 to Clara Pacheco, (530) 752-0492 or cmpacheco@ucdavis.edu.

MIND INSTITUTE LECTURE SERIES: The MIND Institute's Distinguished Lecturer Series is set to continue Jan. 9 with a pair of talks by Carlos Pardo of Johns Hopkins University: technical presentation, 4 p.m., "Is Neuroimmunity Involved in the Pathogenesis of Autism?" and general-interest presentation, 6 p.m., "Is There Brain Inflammation in Autism?"

Both talks are set to take place in the auditorium at the MIND Institute, 2825 50th St., Sacramento. Sessions are free and open to the public; no reservations are needed.

'ON BEING A WOMAN IN SCIENCE': The Distinguished Women in Science Series, sponsored by the Office of Research, announced two Jan. 16 events with Joanne Chory, professor of biology at The Salk Institute and investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

She is scheduled to deliver a talk titled "On Being a Woman in Science," during a noon to 1:30 p.m. luncheon in the ARC's Ballroom B, and a research lecture from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in 1022 Life Sciences Building, with a reception to follow.

Both events are free and open to the public. Reservations for the lunch (also free) are due by Jan. 7; contact Beverly Babcock, program coordinator, Consortium for Women and Research, (530) 754-8851 or bababcock@ucdavis.edu.

Visit calendar.ucdavis.edu for all calendar and seminar listings.