Around Campus
Under the direction of Brian Brophy, Theater Arts at Caltech (TACIT) will present a production of Rossum's Universal Robots (R.U.R.) at 8 p.m. on November 12, 13, and 14, and at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. on November 15 in Dabney Hall. R.U.R. is a science-fiction play originally written in the Czech language by Karel Capek. It premiered in 1921 and is famous for having introduced and popularized the term "robot." TACIT casts feature Caltech undergraduates, graduate students, staff members, and JPL engineers. More...
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected two researchers from Caltech to participate in its Young Faculty Award (YFA) program. Julia R. Greer (above, center), assistant professor of materials science, and Doris Tsao, assistant professor of biology, are among the 33 "rising stars" from 24 U.S. universities who each will receive grants of approximately $300,000 to develop and validate their research ideas over the next 24 months. More... |
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Caltech Human Resources is sponsoring its annual Adopt an Angel Program, which provides holiday gifts for children of poverty-level families from the San Gabriel Valley area. To adopt an Angel, go to the Human Resources office between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to pick up a decorated paper angel bearing the name of a needy child, along with his or her special wish list, age, clothing size, and interests. Then leave an unwrapped gift for your Angel, with his or her name attached, in the Human Resources office by Monday, December 7.
The Angel Program is affiliated with the Foothill Unity Center, a nonprofit organization that provides critical support in the form of food, clothing, motel vouchers, referrals, and advocacy for people in crisis who reside in Monrovia, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, Bradbury, Duarte, Baldwin Park, Irwindale and Azusa. For more information, contact Christine Boyle at christine.boyle@caltech.edu or 395-1745. United Way Campaign
Caltech's United Way Campaign for 2010 will begin November 2 and run through November 20, 2009. Pledges may be made online at www.access.caltech.edu. A new and exciting program this year is the Mullin-Miller Million Dollar Match. Peter W. Mullin and Charles D. Miller will match every new dollar donated to the United Way's "Creating Pathways Out of Poverty" plan. If you have questions, contact Christine Boyle at christine.boyle@caltech.edu or call 395-1745.
For the second year in a row, Caltech received a B on the Sustainability Report Card. Caltech was awarded an A in the categories of Climate Change and Energy, Food and Recycling, and Investment Priorities. Click here to view the complete report card.
 CEFCU MEMBERSHIP PAYS . . . IN 1,000 WAYS!
During our "PAY MY BILLS" Sweepstakes, membership can pay even MORE...if you help spread the word. Through December 4th, we'll have a weekly drawing for a $1,000 in bill payments. To enter, recommend a new member who signs up during the Sweepstakes. Both you and the new member will have a chance to win.
Remember who is eligible: your spouse, children, parents, grandparents and grandchildren, brothers and sisters, JPL and Caltech co-workers, and Caltech classmates.
The earlier you enter, the better your chances of winning!
"Invitations to Join" and complete details are available on our website and at all CEFCU offices. Thanksgiving Day Closures:Thursday, November 26 & Friday, November 27 Campus Branch Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Maintenance to repair faulty power equipment in the IMSS server room will be begin on Saturday, November 14, at 5 p.m. During the maintenance, the server room will be powered down, and most services will be offline. IMSS expects to have most services back online by midnight, but some services may remain unavailable until 8 a.m. Sunday morning.
Caltech General Announcements
 Emergency Information Hotline
Did you know that Caltech has phone numbers to call for information in time of emergency? These numbers provide recorded information about the impact of an emergency on the campus, including whether or not employees should come to work. From campus, dial ext. 3291; from off campus, dial (626) 395-3291 or toll-free 1 (888) 427-7465. Read about security resources and crisis resources at the security office website at security.caltech.edu.
In accordance with the South Coast Air Quality Management District's regional clean air-quality requirements, Caltech is conducting a mandatory survey of employee commute modes for the week of October 19 through October 23, 2009. Those who complete their surveys by 5 p.m. on Monday, November 9, will be entered in a drawing to win a $100 gift card. This simple online survey takes only two minutes of your time. To complete your survey, go to http://rl6.ridelinks.com/es30_13962.htm. Seats Available in Caltech Vanpools
Santa Clarita 1 Vanpool:
current monthly fare: $80
morning departure: Santa Clarita MetroLink Station (22122 Commuter Way, Santa Clarita) at 6:40 a.m.
evening departure: Caltech's Beckman Auditorium parking lot at 4:30 p.m.
Santa Clarita 2 Valpool:
current monthly fare: $60
morning departure: Santa Clarita Metro Station at 6:05 a.m. (arrive at Caltech by 7:00 a.m.)
evening departure: Caltech at 4:05 p.m. (arrive at Metro Station around 5:00 p.m.)
Azusa Vanpool:
currently monthly fare: $25
morning Departure: Costco lot (Azusa) at 6:20 a.m. (arriving Caltech between 6:40 a.m. and 6:50 a.m.)
evening departure: Caltech at 4 p.m. (arrive at Costco lot at approximately 4:45 p.m.)
If you are interested, contact Kristina Valenzuela at 395-4729 Kristina.Valenzuela@caltech.edu.
Caltech Management Association
The Caltech Management Association is presenting a forum called "Driving Innovation: How to Incentivize Breakthrough Thinking," featuring Peter Diamandis, chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation, at 4:30 p.m. on November 19 in Beckman Institute auditorium. For more information, go to http://cma.jpl.nasa.gov/upcoming.html.
The Caltech Management Association (CMA) is presenting a forum called "Tracking the Internet into Outer Space," featuring Vint Cerf, vice president and chief internet evangelist for Google, at 4:45 p.m.
on Monday, November 23, at JPL's von Karman Auditorium. For more information, go to http://cma.jpl.nasa.gov/upcoming.html.
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Welcome to Caltech | | |
Artur Apresyan, Tolman Postdoctoral Scholar Experimental Physics; Stefan Ballmer, visitor in astrophysics; postdoctoral scholars Matthew Bierman, in chemistry, Robert Brewster, in applied physics, Harry Choi, in bioengineering, Chiraj Dalal, in biology, Joshua Day, in chemistry, Vladimir Dergachev, in physics, Thomas Downes, in experimental cosmology, and Francois Gay-Balmaz, in control and dynamical systems; Yong Hao, research scientist, materials science; postdoctoral scholars Kaveh Hosseini, in electrical engineering, and Hiroshi Ito, in biology; Liang Jiang, Sherman Fairchild Postdoctoral Scholar in Theoretical Physics; Christoph Keller, McCone Postdoctoral Scholar in Theoretical Physics; postdoctoral scholars Duncan Keppie, in tectonics, Addis Kidane, in aeronautics, and Runhui Liu, in chemistry; Usha McFarling, communications director, Resnick Institute; Gabriele Meloni, postdoctoral scholar in biology; Daisuke Nakao, visitor in electrical engineering; postdoctoral scholars Samaya Nissanke, in JPL's astrophysics and space sciences section, Thushara Pillai, in physics, Brant Robertson, in astronomy, Fabian Schmidt, in theoretical cosmology, and Yong Shi, in astronomy, Infrared Processing and Analysis Center; Adam Subhas, research technician, geology and geochemistry; postdoctoral scholars Daw-An Wu, in social neuroscience, and Chengxiang Xiang, in chemistry; Chihiro Yasutake, visitor in biology.
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New Positions | |
Victoria Stratman has been named Caltech's new general counsel, effective December 1, the date Harry Yohalem, the current general counsel, will step down. A member of Caltech's Office of the General Counsel since 1996, when she joined as associate general counsel, Stratman has been serving as deputy general counsel since 1998. She came to Caltech from O'Melveny & Myers, where she was a litigation partner specializing in labor and employment law. A member of the California bar and admitted to practice in all California federal district courts, the Ninth, Seventh, and Tenth Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court, Stratman is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and the American Association of Corporate Counsel.
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Retirements | |
Sandra Harlan, a member of the Industrial Relations Center administrative staff, retired on October 1 after 14 years at Caltech.
Norman Lee retired on October 13 after 16 years at Caltech; he was a member of the Space Radiation Lab hardware and software maintenance staff.
Gloria McShall, a member of the administrative staff in the Provost's Office, retired on October 1 after 10 years at Caltech.
Terry Scott, a machinist in the physics shop, retired on October 1 after 14 years at Caltech.
Deborah White retired on October 1; a member of the Industrial Relations Center administrative staff, she had been at Caltech for 12 years.
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Honors and Awards | |
Simona Bordoni, assistant professor of environmental science and engineering, has been named to receive the 2009 James R. Holton Junior Scientist Award. Established in 2004 by the Atmospheric Sciences Section of the American Geophysical Union, the award honors James Holton, known as a pioneer in atmospheric dynamics and an inspiration to young scientists. According to her citation, Bordoni "has become an excellent specialist in monsoon meteorology, advancing our understanding of the mesoscale dynamics of the North American monsoon and identifying fundamentals of the dynamics of large-scale monsoon circulations worldwide." She graduated from the University of Rome Tor Vergata in 1996 and received her MSc and PhD from UCLA in 2003 and 2007, respectively. She joined Caltech in 2009.
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Mike Brown, Rosenberg Professor of Planetary Astronomy, has been elected an honorary fellow of the California Academy of Sciences. Nominated by their colleagues and appointed by the academy's board of trustees, fellows remain members for life. "Selection is made in recognition of their notable contributions to one or more of the natural sciences." Brown's work in the discovery of planetlike objects in the outer solar system has led to the reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet, and a rethinking of how planets are defined. After receiving his bachelor's degree from Princeton in 1987 and his PhD from UC Berkeley in 1994, he joined Caltech the following year as a visiting associate. He became an assistant professor in 1997, associate professor in 2002, and professor in 2005.
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John Eiler, Sharp Professor of Geology and professor of geochemistry, has been selected by the European Association for Geochemistry to receive its 2009 EAG Science Innovation Award–Samuel Epstein Medal. The Science Innovation Award comprises both the medal and a certificate, "to be bestowed upon scientists who have recently made a particularly important and innovative breakthrough in geochemistry, considered to be of fundamental significance." The recipient must be between the ages of 35 and 55. Eiler received his BS from the University of Iowa in 1989 and his PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1994, the same year he joined Caltech as a research fellow. He had risen to professor by 2006 and was named Sharp Professor in 2008.
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Wolfgang Fink, visiting associate in physics, is part of a team of five national laboratories, four universities, and an industrial partner whose artificial retina has received an R & D magazine 2009 R&D 100 Award, which recognizes the 100 most technologically significant products of the past year. He will accept a plaque on behalf of Caltech at the November award banquet in Orlando, Florida. A retinal prosthesis that can be used to treat age-related macular degeneration and inherited retinal disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa, the artificial retina was honored under the bioscience category. Fink, who received his PhD from the University of Tübingen in 1997, has been a senior member of JPL's technical staff since 2000 and a visiting associate at Caltech since 2001.
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Brent Fultz, professor of materials science and applied physics, has been chosen by the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) as recipient of its 2010 TMS-EMPMD Distinguished Scientist Award. The honor includes a TMS conference symposium likely to emphasize the basis for the award—Fultz's work on "the vibrational entropy of materials, and studies of vibrational entropy by inelastic neutron scattering and modern computational methods of materials science." Fultz received his BSc from MIT in 1975 and his MSc and PhD from UC Berkeley in 1978 and 1982, respectively. He joined Caltech as an assistant professor of materials science in 1985, becoming associate professor in 1990 and professor in 1997. He was appointed professor of materials science and applied physics in 2003.
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Paul Patterson, Biaggini Professor of Biological Sciences, has received a grant from the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF) for his research into regulation of MeCP2-mediated gene expression by IkB kinase alpha. The award is part of a total of $2 million being provided by IRSF in 2009 to support 18 innovative research projects focusing on the syndrome, a brain disorder affecting development in childhood and identified almost exclusively in females. Patterson received his bachelor's degree from Grinnell College in 1965 and his PhD from Johns Hopkins University in 1970, and he joined Caltech as a professor of biology in 1983. He served as executive officer for neurobiology from 1989 to 2000 and was named Biaggini Professor in 2005.
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Mark Wise, McCone Professor of High Energy Physics, has been appointed to the position of Perimeter Institute Distinguished Research Chair, becoming one of 10 international scientists to receive the honor this time. Each year, Wise—who conducts research in elementary particle physics and cosmology—will spend extended research visits at Canada's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, an independent, nonprofit scientific research and educational outreach organization. He received his BSc and MSc from the University of Toronto in 1976 and 1977, respectively, and his PhD from Stanford in 1980. He joined Caltech as an assistant professor of theoretical physics in 1982, becoming associate professor in 1984 and professor in 1985. He was named McCone Professor in 1992.
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Training Opportunities
