At the end of October, almost 180 science, education and business groups – including UC Davis – sent a letter to Senators Barack Obama and John McCain urging them to appoint a science adviser with a cabinet rank by Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

The letter notes that many issues – health care, energy, economic competitiveness, climate change – require sound scientific advice, making it “critical that the next president seek out and rely upon sound scientific and technological advice early and often in the new administration.“

President Bush appointed his science adviser, John H. Marburger III, several months into the administration, and neither the Bush nor the Clinton administration gave their science advisers cabinet rank.

The letter urges the President-elect to appoint an adviser to the cabinet with the title Assistant to the President for Science and Technology so “this individual can participate immediately in coordinating relevant policy and personnel decisions relating to science and technology.“

The letter was sent to both candidates on Oct. 30 – although now Obama is the relevant recipient.

The effort was spearheaded by The American Association for the Advancement of Science and The Association of American Universities.

“The letter is about appointing a science adviser early and raising the status of the science adviser in the White House,” said Barry Toiv, spokesperson for AAU. “During the campaign, Senator Obama said he plans to do both of these things, so we hope that will be the case.“

UC Davis is a member of the 62 public and private research universities of the AAU, a nonprofit organization that addresses issues between research universities and the federal government.

UC Davis was notified of the letter when the AAU sent out one of its periodic alerts for members to consider. Karl Engelbach, director of federal government relations at UC Davis, received the request and after reviewing it made a recommendation to Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, who agreed to endorse it.

“Because science is so important to our nation – critical to economic development and to maintain competitiveness – science will play a critical role in the future,” Engelbach said. “Because of that I thought it was important for the president to include a cabinet position.“

UC Davis receives federal research funding as well as federal financial aid.

“Federal research dollars are really critical to campus – overall [the campus] receives almost $300 million per year for federal funding or research activities on our campus,” Engelbach said.

AAU and AAAS have been working together since early in the presidential election with other members of the scientific community to ensure that issues related to science were taken up in the campaign.

The decision to draft a letter was a complement to other efforts to elevate science-related issues higher on the candidates‘ agendas. While it did not achieve its original goal of having a debate between Obama and McCain solely on science issues, the Science Debate 2008 organization did successfully manage to raise the profile of science issues in the campaign, Toiv said.

“Senator Obama did not make a commitment on cabinet rank but he did indicate that the science adviser would have higher status in the White House,” Toiv said.

The AAU has prepared and submitted a list of potential candidates for the position to the administrative transition team, Toiv said.

“We are hoping right now to get the attention of transition teams once they are formed and get response about their intent,“said director of the Center for Science Technology Congress at the AAAS Joanne Carney. “The President-elect in the past stated [he would] nominate a science adviser soon, so we’re hoping to get that narrowed down by the time of inauguration.“

Carney said since the letter was sent so close to the Election Day they were not expecting an immediate response.

“[The position] allows them to participate in cabinet meetings, given the fact that there are so many national issues that intersect with energy science and technology security,” Carney said. “These are issues discussed in cabinet meetings.“

POOJA KUMAR can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

During an economic crisis that evokes comparisons to the Great Depression, many historians are arguing that the New Deal has never been more relevant.

The Center for History, Society and Culture is sponsoring “The New Deal Now,“ a two-hour public forum that will feature three historians from three different universities. The event will begin today at 5 p.m. at the University Club, located in the Arboretum just across from Mrak Hall and next to Wyatt Pavilion.

The panel includes David Kennedy, a professor emeritus of history from Stanford and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945.

Andrew Cohen and Sarah Phillips, history professors and New Deal scholars from Syracuse and Columbia Universities, respectively, will join Kennedy.

As many historians have drawn parallels between the elections of and economic crises facing Obama and Roosevelt, the New Deal has once again been up for debate, Cohen said.

“It seems the recent election has made the history of the 1930s a charged political topic, so it’s especially important we understand the subject,” Cohen said in an e-mail interview.

Cohen, the author of The Racketeer’s Progress: Chicago and the Struggle for the Modern American Economy, 1900-1940, said he will discuss several aspects of the New Deal.

“First, I’ll discuss the scholarship describing the New Deal’s impact on seemingly unrelated areas of American life, such as criminal justice, the environment [and] gender roles,” Cohen said.

“Second, I’ll talk about research into the New Deal’s impact on understudied populations, like Southerners, Westerners and the lower middle class. Third, I’ll argue that historians need to re-consider traditional explanations for why the New Deal happened in the 1930s,” Cohen said.

Phillips, a scholar of the New Deal’s conservation and agricultural policy, said she will discuss how historians‘ interpretations have evolved over time.

“Now there seems to be a very hopeful convergence between scholarly assessments of New Deal liberalism and all the current talk of the need and opportunity for another New Deal now,” Phillips said.

Phillips said she will argue how the New Deal’s conservation and agricultural policy is a helpful model given the United States‘ current long-term investment in green energy, jobs and food.

Kennedy, who could not be reached for an interview by press time, is noted for his “integration of economic and cultural analysis with social and political history,” according to his Stanford University faculty page. He has taught history at Stanford since 1967.

The forum is being sponsored by the Institute of Governmental Affairs and the Center for History, Society and Culture, which “fosters research across social science boundaries,” said its director, Eric Rauchway.

Rauchway, a professor of history at UC Davis and New Deal scholar himself, said the CHSC will host seven more events this year, all of which will be targeted to general audiences.

PATRICK McCARTNEY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org

In his last year as chancellor of UC Davis, Larry Vanderhoef is in no way taking it easy. The long-serving chancellor embarks on his second trip to Iran tomorrow.

Chancellor Vanderhoef will make the visit along with five other American university leaders as part of a delegation sponsored by the American Association of Universities. On the seven-day trip, the group will visit several Iranian universities in the interest of strengthening scientific and educational ties between the two countries.

“The belief is that strong academic ties can really be the basis for greater exchange and understanding between our two countries,” Chancellor Vanderhoef said. “I think everybody believes that this is a small step in opening the doors that seem right now to be almost closed.“

The AAU organized the trip in response to an invitation from the Sharif University of Technology. Other attendees include the presidents of Cornell, Carnegie Mellon and Rice Universities.

“Most of the presidents and chancellors who were invited have either themselves or their institutions participated in exchanges with Iran,” said Barry Toiv, spokesperson for the AAU. “Chancellor Vanderhoef visited Iran in 2004 and was a logical candidate for the trip.“

Vanderhoef’s 2004 visit was reported to be the first high-level university visit to Iran since the country’s 1979 revolution. While his decision to make the trip drew considerable criticism given the political climate of the time, Vanderhoef maintained the gesture was not political.

“We’re simply one university wanting to talk to another university about ways in which we can work together,” Vanderhoef wrote in an online journal during the trip. “And, perhaps in the process, one small step can be taken toward a return to normalcy in the Middle East.“

Vanderhoef said he was left with a very positive impression of Iran’s system of higher education after his trip. He also noted that prior to the 1979 revolution, Iran sent more students to U.S. universities than any other country.

“We ran into alum after alum and they all have a very strong positive feeling about the U.S. and want their children to have the same opportunity they had to come here for education.“

Vice Provost of Outreach and International Programs William Lacy accompanied Vanderhoef in 2004 along with several other UC Davis administrators.

“We visit four universities and they all had some University of California educated faculty,” Lacy said. “I would encourage the chancellor to connect with some of the hundreds of UC Davis alumni who live in Iran and to continue to explore ways to collaborate.“

As a follow-up to the trip, Graduate School of Management Dean Nicole Biggert visited Iran in 2006 to establish ties and meet candidates for an exchange program. As a result, two Iranian MBA students studied at Davis in 2007 and two more in 2008.

“There was the potential for quite a lot more,” Vanderhoef said. “When we went, Khatami was president and that changed right after. They got a more conservative president and he seems not as open to those kinds of exchanges.“

However the problem stems from both sides, as it’s often difficult, if not impossible, to get an entry visa from either country, he said.

“It’s getting better but the further back you go and the closer you get to 9/11 the more difficulties we’ve had,” he said.

Vanderhoef said that with this upcoming trip it seems both countries have realized the way to improve their relationship might be through universities.

“These visits themselves are indications that Iran is opening up,” he said. “And the State Department is very aware of this trip – they know and approve.“

The State Department will sponsor subsequent visits to the U.S. by presidents of Iranian universities following the AAU visit, Vanderhoef said.

“I’m very hopeful about this,” he said. “Universities have a role to play at this level and this is an indication that they are.“

ALYSOUN BONDE can be reached at campus@theaggie.org

It’s time to say a little prayer for the Bike Church, parishioners.

The non-profit bicycle co-op has offered do-it-yourself training workshops and used bike parts for the Davis community for nearly five years. However, due to several breaches in university regulations, Student Housing has evicted the church from its location next to the domes sustainable living area.

“I was really shocked and disappointed,” said co-founder of the church, Chris Congleton. “We were working for three months with the university to improve [our property] and now they just want us to disappear.“

The eviction notice was given to the ministers of the Bike Church last month after members sought to renovate their property in order to comply with university regulations. Student Housing was scheduled to conduct a walk-through inspection on Oct. 1 to decide if those efforts were adequate.

When Student Housing was notified that the church’s property did not meet the campus fire code, they canceled the inspection. When the Bike Church questioned the progress of the inspection, Student Housing sent the eviction notice.

In the notice Chuck Huneke, assistant director of residential education for Student Housing, sited various reasons for the eviction. He wrote that the church did not gain approval from the campus for their main structure, their property contained hazardous materials that made the university liable for any injuries, members used tools without signing waivers and they did not set up an appropriate account for their donations.

“Ultimately, as the Bike Church grew and developed into its own independent entity separate from the Domes, there was not much Student Housing or the Bike Church members could do to keep it on Student Housing property,” Huneke said in an e-mail interview. “If anyone were to get injured or file a lawsuit against the Bike Church, Student Housing would assume the risk. This is not something we are willing to do.“

In response to the eviction, members of the church were offended and even mystified at Student Housing’s decision. Many felt that despite their greatest efforts to be beneficial to the campus, the university was unsupportive.

“We’ve made a lot of sacrifices and put in a lot of work to improve the Bike Church and make it so that there were no hazards on the property,” said Darach Miller, a sophomore biological sciences major and minister at the Bike Church. “I don’t even know what else we could have done to prevent this.“

However, Huneke insists that Student Housing put forth their best efforts to work with the church. At the beginning of the summer, Student Housing sent the Bike Church a list of improvements they needed to make before an Oct. 1 inspection. The real issue, as both Huneke and ministers have said, was in the communication between Student Housing and the church.

“The problem we encountered frequently was that there was no one person or leadership group for Student Housing to contact as issues arose,” Huneke said.

Ministers felt strongly about this issue of communication, saying that Student Housing did not give them a fair chance to improve as well as neglected to provide suggestions on how to fix their liability problems. They also noted some unannounced inspections by the fire department and Student Housing as contributing factors to their dismay.

The Bike Church will not completely disappear after their Dec. 31 scheduled departure from the university property. Though they haven’t found a new location, they are considering coordinating with the city of Davis to find a central location where students and community members can utilize their resources, in addition to solving their liability issues in compliance with the university’s legal obligations.

“We’re working hard to have the university be responsible and help us find a place to serve the community,” Congleton said. “I feel like that place should be where it is now because the domes are an amazing property geared towards sustainability, which is what the university’s mission is.“

Ministers have created a petition for those students and community members who would like to persuade Student Housing to keep the Bike Church on campus. The petition can be accessed at petitiononline.com/SaveDBC1/petition.html.

LAUREN STEUSSY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org

Submitting another student’s work as one’s own

A plant sciences professor referred a student for submitting her friend’s essay as her own. In a prior administration of the class, the friend earned very high marks for a paper on sugarcane growth. Knowing that this year’s essay prompt was identical, the referred student asked to see her friend’s essay for reference, and then copied the essay verbatim, submitting it as her own work. She admitted to wrongdoing and agreed to a one-quarter suspension, counseling with CAPS and a time management workshop with the Learning Skills Center. Because the student had prior violations on file, she was also sanctioned to Deferred Dismissal, meaning a subsequent academic violation would lead to dismissal from the university.

Using unauthorized material during an exam

A student in an economics class was referred for using cheat sheets during a final exam. The teaching assistant saw the student sitting on a sheet of paper that resembled an answer sheet from prior exams and saw several more sheets under her seat. Another student also witnessed the referred student shuffling papers and making noise, suspecting some misconduct. When confronted by the TA, the referred student denied that the cheat sheets belonged to her although they were in her handwriting. The student eventually admitted that the cheat sheets belonged to her. Having been previously suspended and on Deferred Dismissal status for two prior referrals, the student was dismissed for her third violation of the Academic Code of Conduct.

The Campus Judicial Report is compiled by student members of the Campus Judicial Board. Additional information about SJA and the Campus Judicial Board may be found at sja.ucdavis.edu.

Eight cattle paraded across the highway near Antioch this May causing a traffic jam that lasted close to four and a half hours.

When the fire department arrived, the lights and sounds spooked the cattle into scattering and running for their lives into Interstate 680. Four out of the eight cattle were shot multiple times by the highway patrol officers and the sheriff’s department.

Earlier this March, a trailer holding two adult horses tipped over on Interstate 5 resulting in one horse on top of the other. Highway patrol officers hesitated to open the trailer doors in case the horses became loose on the highway. Ultimately, the bottom horse died due to the prolonged pressure of the horse on top.

Dr. John Madigan, director of the International Animal Welfare Training Institute (IAWTI) at UC Davis, said both of these situations could have been avoided if the officials were educated about animal behavior and simple handling techniques. Madigan created the Emergency Services Protocol this year in response to the mishandling of large animal accidents.

“The purpose of the [Emergency Services Protocol] is to have a coordinated response to accidents on the highway that involve large animals,” Madigan said.

Inspired by the British Emergency Services Protocol, this program trains fire departments and veterinarians in large animal technical rescue – for instance, the procedure required to extract a horse or cattle from a ditch. The UC Davis program is working with the UC Davis and Sacramento Fire Departments.

Cheryl Ellis, the Veterinary Emergency Response Team student president, conducted the first training session this Monday along with other trainers. The session focused on basic technical skills such as how to make a halter for a horse out of rope, how to roll a down horse and safety techniques.

“We taught everybody how to safely roll a horse keeping in mind the safety zone around the horse, or the ‘kill zone,‘” said Ellis, a third-year UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine student. “If you were to walk near a [down horse’s] belly between its legs, that’s called the ‘kill zone‘ [because] if that horse should try to jump up and you’re not expecting it, you could easily get killed.“

Trainers also integrated the Incident Command System, a protocol procedure already used by the fire department.

“Say you have five horses all down stuck in the mud, then you would have one incident commander, five operations officers and five safety officers – one for each horse – and they’re running that particular scene,” Ellis said. “What often has happened in the past is that if you get people around a rescue situation, you have too many chiefs around the fire and everyone is trying to do it their own way. So, the ICS is a great way to know who’s in charge.“

Tracy Stevens, the deputy director of the IAWTI, is in the process of creating a “matrix” of partnerships with the different emergency response agencies so the program is a multi-agency coordination.

“[The matrix is] so that in the event of a disaster, whether on a small localized or a large scale, all of the animal components are connected such as animal control, the fire department, office of emergency services,” Stevens said.

Safety is highly stressed in the training sessions.

“We know that if a horse owner’s there, they’re going to put themselves in danger trying to rescue their own horse,” Stevens said. “We want to [work] in combination with the fire department, the police and the animal control officers to help rescue that horse, and by doing that, we [also] keep the owners safe.“

“One of Dr. Madigan’s goals,” Ellis said, “is to have the [veterinary students] graduate from this university and then go to wherever [they’re] going to go to make a living and start teaching this sort of rescue training to the local fire department and the local community there and have a snowball effect.“

UC Davis is the third largest animal technical rescue group in the country with this type of teaching program.

POOJA DEOPURA can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

VERT training Nov. 10, 2008