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Page: Front Cover
Realizing a Dream: Native American programs at UCR go beyond research—Page 10
Page: Publication Info
Chancellor
Kim A. Wilcox
Vice Chancellor, Advancement
Peter Hayashida
Publisher
James Grant
Editor
Lilledeshan Bose
Writers
Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert
Ted Kissell
Litty Mathew
Bettye Miller
Senior Designer
Brad Rowe
Production Manager
Luis Sanz
Contributors
Alyssa Cotter
Ross French
Sean Nealon
Iqbal Pittalwala
Kristin Seiler
Editorial Assistants
Bethanie Le
Konrad Nagy
Illustrations
Dave Cutler
Colin Hayes
Skip Sterling
Mike Tofanelli
Photographers
Gabe Acosta
Lonnie Duka
Kenisha Makau
Carlos Puma
Carrie Rosema
Distribution
Virginia Odien
UCR Magazine is published by the Office of Strategic Communications, University of California, Riverside, and it is distributed free to the University community. Editorial offices: 900 University Ave., 1156 Hinderaker Hall, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, telephone (951) 827-6397. Unless otherwise indicated, text may be reprinted without permission. Please credit University of California, Riverside.
USPS 006-433 is published four times a year: winter, spring, summer and fall by the University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521-0155.
Periodicals postage rates paid at Riverside, CA.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to UCR, Subscription Services (0063), 900 University Ave., 1156 Hinderaker Hall, Riverside, CA 92521.
In accordance with applicable federal laws and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate in any of its policies, procedures or practices on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or handicap. Inquiries regarding the University's equal opportunity policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action Office, (951) 827-5604.
Questions? Concerns? Comments? Change of address? Contact Kris Lovekin at kris.lovekin@ucr.edu
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08 | Bagpipes, Basketball and Booths—Homecoming moves to the fall quarter
03 | RView—A message from Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox
06 | R Space—Catch up on the latest news at UC Riverside
27 | How I See It—You know you were a graduate of UCR in the 1980s if...
36 | C Scape— How Shah Selbe ('04) became one of the National Geographic Emerging Explorers of 2013
You can view the magazine digitally via a Flash and downloadable PDF version; now you can also share your favorite stories on your social networks, watch videos and give us your feedback at magazinearchive.ucr.edu.
Nosang Myung's Electronic Nose—A look at the sensor and how it works in real life
'80s Flashback—Big hair big moves: see just how different UCR was back in the day
The Sherman Connection—Collaboration between UCR and the Sherman High School has led to a more complete study of Native culture
Realizing a Dream—Native American Programs at UCR go beyond research
Homecoming Highlights—In case photos weren't enough, here's a video of the best parts of the celebration
Shah Selbe—The National Geographic Explorer takes us on a journey through his photos
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3.4; 3.27—The UCR Taiko Ensemble, directed by Rev. Shuichi Thomas Kurai, puts on a spirited, 30-minute outdoor demonstration of Japanese drumming.
3.6-3.8— Directed by Assistant Professor Joel Smith, this annual production serves as a showcase for new ideas and experiments in original choreography by UCR students.
4.10-4.12; 4.17-4.19— This play by Rickerby Hinds, professor of theatre, uses historic moments in iconic American sports — football, baseball, basketball and boxing — as a means of exploring past and present race relations.
4.23— This annual event invites companies and organizations to the UCR campus to demonstrate their products and services to the university. Open to everyone, the fair is sponsored by the UCR Staff Assembly and is a great opportunity for organizations to connect with individuals in more than 200 UCR departments.
4.24— Kim A. Wilcox's formal investiture ceremony as the ninth chancellor of UC Riverside will take place on April 24. Please save the date and plan to join us at this celebratory occasion. Chancellor Wilcox began his term on Aug. 19, 2013.
4.29-4.30— Students in all disciplines — the arts, humanities, sciences, and engineering — present their faculty-mentored projects to peers, faculty and administrators. They also have their abstracts published in "The Symposium Proceedings." The event will include students' performances, readings, oral presentation, viewing, poster presentations, art exhibits, displays and more.
5.22-5.24; 5.29-5.31 —At this exciting festival of full-length plays by students in the M.F.A. Playwriting Program, a different work is presented at each performance in rotating repertory.
6.4-6.6—Erith Jaffe-Berg, associate professor of theatre, coordinates these annual premiere productions exploring issues and textures of contemporary life by the best UCR student-playwrights. A different slate of work is scheduled for each performance.
6.13-6.16— UC Riverside holds seven commencement ceremonies on June 14 through 17 on Pierce Hall lawn, near the campus bell tower. More than 3,000 students are expected to make their way across the stage during the four days of the 60th annual event.
For more events, go to HAPPENINGS.UCR.EDU
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"Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball and so are the stars. The wind in its greatest power whirls. Birds make their nests in circles. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves."
— From "Black Elk Speaks," by John Neihardt, published in 1932. Black Elk was an Oglala Sioux medicine man. He was born in 1863.
As this issue's fascinating cover story makes clear, UC Riverside, located in a region of Southern California that is home to more than two dozen federally recognized tribes, has played a key role in expanding and deepening our understanding of the Native American experience.
UCR is proud to have one of the very few doctoral programs in Native American history in the nation, and our scholars, including some of Native descent, have worked closely with local communities to weave Native perspectives into narratives and research about their history and culture, a relative rarity in such programs.
We are also very proud of our efforts to encourage and assist Native American high school students to go to college, and we are delighted when many of these deserving young people decide to stay right here at UCR.
Becoming part of this proud tradition has special meaning for me, for I grew up in northern Michigan, a region of the country that is also rich in Native American traditions.
Later, while on the faculty of the University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence, Kan., I was privileged to create the university's Native American Training Program in communicative sciences and disorders. Over the course of eight years, I worked with dozens of students at KU and at nearby Haskell Indian Nations University, helping them achieve their educational goals.
Today, Haskell has an average enrollment each semester of about 900 students, who represent about 140 federally recognized tribes from across the United States. Haskell remains a vibrant center of Native American education and culture for the nation.
I smile when I think about those days and the many lessons I learned from working with Native American students and faculty, preschool and K-12 educators, and tribal leaders. Things like the power of silence, the importance of a sense of place, and the need for mutual respect and dignity. And, of course, the notion that all of life is a circle.
For me, that circle has brought me to the University of California, Riverside, where many before me have worked in similar ways to create a special relationship with our local Native peoples. And so, at UCR, we too are part of the great circle, helping to preserve the values, beliefs and ideals of all cultures.
Fiat Lux,
Kim A. Wilcox
Chancellor
Photo: Carrie Rosema
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21,297— The total number of students enrolled at UCR for the 2013-2014 school year.
8— The number of electric-vehicle charging stations installed on campus as part of the College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology's "New Grid" project.
26— UCR's ranking in Washington Monthly's "Best-Bang-for-the-Buck Colleges" survey, which measures institutions that are outpacing their peers in helping students finish college while keeping costs and prices under control.
3— The number of consecutive years that UCR has been recognized as a "Military-Friendly School" by Victory Media.
65,000— The number of invitations sent out to alumni and parents throughout California, inviting them to return to campus for the rescheduled Homecoming in November 2013. Plan to join us next fall!
20—The anniversary being celebrated by UCR's Ph.D. in critical dance studies. It was the first of its kind in the country when it was established in 1993 by Christena Lindbord Schlund and Susan Leigh Foster.
700,000,000—The age of the most distant galaxy, seen since the Big Bang, as found by a team that includes UCR astronomers Bahram Mobasher and Naveen Reddy. (To put that in context, the universe is estimated to be 13.8 billion years old.)
1,800—The number of pancakes Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox and his team served to fulfill his "Promise For Education" after he raised $10,000 for scholarships as part of the new UC-sponsored crowdfunding campaign.
295—The number of top business schools in the nation that the UCR School of Business Administration ranked with, according to the 2014 edition of the Princeton Review's book "The Best 295 Business Schools."
8— The number of Guardian Scholars who have graduated from UCR and are pursuing advanced degrees or working full time. The Guardian Scholars Program supports students who have aged out of the foster system via financial and emotional means. The program celebrated its 5-year anniversary last October.
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Jim Wooldridge was named director of intercollegiate athletics on Jan. 15 by Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox.
Wooldridge has served six seasons as the Highlanders head men's basketball coach from 2007-13; he accepted the job of interim athletics director in July of last year.
"Intercollegiate athletics plays an important role in bringing together a community. ... I know that our athletics department can be a source of pride for the university and the entire Inland Empire," said Wooldridge.
New West Campus Solar Farm to Provide Power to UC Riverside
UCR is partnering with SunPower Corporation to install a solar farm on 10.92 acres of West Campus. The project is scheduled for completion in July.
It will generate about 3 megawatts of electricity — about 30 percent of the campus's base load on a daily basis. The campus will use 100 percent of the power generated by the solar farm.
The projected savings to the university is $4.3 million over the length of the 20-year contract. UCR will also receive carbon and LEED credits that provide additional financial and environmental savings.
When completed, UCR's solar farm will be the largest at any UC campus.
5 Things You Need to Know About Smoke-free UCR
On Jan. 2, UCR joined more than 800 colleges and universities nationwide in the adoption of a campuswide smoke- and tobacco-free policy. What that means:
1— The use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, snuff, snus, water pipes, hookahs, chew and any other noncom- bustible tobacco products are prohibited on campus.
2— Violators will be asked (politely, of course!) to comply and will be respectfully informed about the policy.
3—All properties owned and leased by UCR—from buildings to grounds—are now smoke and tobacco free, regardless of whether or not notices are visibly posted.
4—Tobacco brands, trademarks, symbols and any messaging identifiable with tobacco products are also banned on campus
5—UCR is assisting students, faculty and staff who want to quit the use of tobacco products through UC-hosted wellness programs and counseling. For more information, go to tobaccofree.ucr.edu.
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A team of UCR researchers has developed a novel transparent skull implant that literally provides a "window to the brain." The researchers hope this will eventually open new treatment options for patients with life-threatening neuro- logical disorders, such as brain cancer and traumatic brain injury.
The implant is made of yttria- stabilized zirconia, the same ceramic material used in hip implants, but the key difference is that their material has been processed in a unique way to make it transparent.
The 10-person team consisted of Guillermo Aguilar, professor of mechanical engineering; Dr. Devin Binder, associate professor of biomedical sciences; Yasaman Damestani, Ph.D. student; B. Hyle Park, assistant professor of bioengi- neering; Carissa L. Reynolds, Ph.D. student; Javier E. Garay, associate professor of mechanical engineering; Yasuhiro Kodera, project scientist; Masaru P. Rao, assistant professor of mechanical engineering; Jenny Szu, lab technician; and Mike S. Hsu, staff research associate.
This team published their findings online in the journal Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine.
Maria Anguiana Named Vice Chancellor for Planning and Budget
On Dec. 16, Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox announced the selection of Maria R. Anguiano as vice chancellor for planning and budget.
Anguiano was the interim deputy chief of staff of strategic planning and analysis at the University of California Office of the President. Among Angui- ano's accomplishments are the design of a systemwide chart of accounts; the re-engineering of the Office of the President's budgeting and financial planning process; development of a strategic plan to close a $650 million revenue gap in 2011-12 state funds and various activities that improved UC's cash flow management; and increased working capital investment income by more than $60 million.
Anguiano said she sought the UCR position to become part of a campus that has grown dramatically in the past decade and that is poised for additional growth of research and facilitiesin coming years. In addition, as a first-generation college graduate and civic leader in the Latina community, Anguiano said she found an inspiring setting at UCR.
"In order for UC Riverside to meet the needs of a rapidly growing campus, we must find ways to fundamentally reengineer our operations," said Anguiano. "This requires strategic leadership that intersects finance, operations and academics."
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President Janet Napolitano authorized $5 million in nonstate funds to help cover funding gaps for undocumented students. The estimated 900 undocumented students enrolled at UC campuses face many economic and bureaucratic issues and often need help navigating the system. In response to this issue, Napolitano is setting aside the $5 million for resources such as trained advisers, student service centers and financial assistants.
In addition, Napolitano announced $10 million to boost resources and support for graduate and postdoctoral researchers.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Dallas Rabenstein said that the extra resources come at a good time for UCR, a campus that has grown in the numbers of graduate students and faculty members significantly between now and 2020. And according to Joseph Childers, dean of the graduate division, the increase in funding for graduate student recruitment will help UCR compete with other nationally recognized universities.
The initiatives will be funded through one-time reserves that the president may allocate at her discretion. No tuition dollars or state funds will be used
Whether you agree that "There's no river by RSide" or not, the sly humor of "Fiat Lux: The UCR Song," created by Cameron Booth '13 (and performed with Walter Cabal '11), will inspire Highlanders to think of Riverside fondly. Created as a thank you for alumni, donors, students and lovers of UCR everywhere, the two talk about how the song was brought to life.
What's the story behind the song?
Cameron Booth: I work in the Office of Strategic Communications at UCR and was asked to write it. As a recent alumnus, I wanted to make something that could make all Highlanders — both past and present — laugh and feel proud. Walter is a close friend and housemate, and when he first heard the song, he jumped right in with some percussion.
Walter Cabal: Cameron and I live in a house full of performing musicians. When we hear new songs from each other, jam sessions happen.
Are you a real musical act? Do you perform anywhere else?
Booth: We both write our own music. You might catch us sometime at a show in Riverside! Check out our songs on waltercabal.com and cameronboothcreative.com.
What do you do when you're not starring in music videos?
Booth: By day, I'm a web developer for UCR.
Cabal: I work at the Orbach Science Library as a Circulation/ Reserves assistant.
Was being a campus star a life- changing experience?
Booth: It got me noticed by Ruth Charloff, the director of UCR's Chamber Singers. She asked me to audition, and I joined Winter quarter!
Are you now going to be known as the UCR guys?
Booth: We don't really want the video to be about us, but rather about UCR and its identity as a whole. The song belongs to everyone.
Complete this sentence: "Being a Highlander makes me feel ..."
Cabal: Part of an astute and credible academic community.
Booth: Like I'm part of a huge family of brilliant, innovative and creative people. UCR is going places, and I'm happy to play a small role in the legacy.
If you won a million dollars, would you give some of that to UCR?
Cabal: Easily.
Booth: Especially if they name a building after me.
Watch "Fiat Lux: The UCR Song" on MAGAZINEARCHIVE.UCR.EDU
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For the first time in almost a decade, UC Riverside's Homecoming was held in the Fall quarter. From Scotty's Birthday Party on Nov. 12, 2013, to the traditional bonfire, the weeklong event was filled with back-to-back activities, concluding wit the Homecoming men's basketball game against Montana State on Nov. 16, 2013.
Throughout the week, the campus celebrated with entertainment via the R'Movement Dance Show, a supersized Homecoming Nooner, free swag and a women's volleyball came against UC Irvine. Plan to join us this coming fall!
1—Highlanders show some school spirit at Homecoming.
2—UCR won at the Homecoming men's basketball game against Montana State on Nov. 16, 2013.
3—The sound of bagpipes from the UCR Pipe Band set the tone at ScotFest.
4—The Highlander Girls kept the spirit high at the basketball game.
5—Champ the Bobcat, Montana State's mascot was set on fire at the Homecoming Bonfire on Nov. 15. The event also had fireworks, a zipline, a human gyroscope and more!
6—Parent's Day on Nov. 16 consisted of the eighth Annual Spirit of the Tribes 5K run, a hike to the "C," campus tours and more.
7—ScotFest had interactive booths, a food truck festival, carnival-style games, inflatables and more.
8—"Back to Class" presentations by faculty members such as Pam Clute made learning fun for all—including Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox.
9—Senryu Taiko left a resounding impression at Homecoming.
Photos: Ross French, Annishia McKoy, Konrad Nagy, Carlos Puma
Watch Homecoming highlights on MAGAZINEARCHIVE.UCR.EDU
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A tribal elder takes part in the annual UCR Pow Wow in 2012. The event, along with the annual Medicine Ways Conference, brings Native American traditions to campus.
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Located in the heart of Indian country, UC Riverside's programs in Native American studies rise above others nationwide. UCR reaches out to Native communities, exposing the youth to university life and encouraging them to go to college. Indian perspectives are central to UCR research through scholarly work, UCR is helping Native communities write their histories on their own terms.
By Bettye Miller
Night after night, Michelle Raheja watched cigarette smoke curl toward the ceiling as her mother turned the television dial to an episode of "The Lone Ranger" or a Western in which few Indians would fare well. As Raheja grew older, she found it increasingly difficult to reconcile what she knew about the victimization of Native Americans in film with the fascination for Hollywood Westerns she observed in her mother, a Seneca Indian.
Curiosity eventually led to extensive reading, archival research and the discovery that depictions of Native Americans in film were complicated. While some Native actors and directors perpetuated stereotypes, others worked to change them. For some, such as Raheja's mother, even stereotypical portrayals could be viewed positively: American Indians were not invisible.
For scholars in Native American Studies at UC Riverside, Indian perspectives are central to research that challenges conventional wisdom and illuminates the richness of cultures previously characterized as primitive, or ignored altogether.
"What we do as faculty is to give a different dimensional lens to our students to see their communities in a different way and to challenge ideas of assimilation," explained Raheja, an associate professor of English. "Whether it's challenging stereotypes, gathering oral narratives or conducting archival research, faculty here are not afraid to go out on a limb with their ideas."
Collaboration with Native communities also provides a more complete and nuanced understanding of Indian cultures and sets UC Riverside apart from other U.S. universities. There are many other points of pride: UCR's Ph.D. in Native American history is one of only three such doctoral programs in the country. And the scholars of Native descent in UCR's programs — a rarity in American academe — are "the rock stars of Indian Country," according to an Indian Country Today journalist.
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"What we do as faculty is to give a different dimensional lens to our students to see their communities in a different way and to challenge ideas of assimilation."
– Michelle Raheja
Located in the heart of Southern California Indian Country — a region that is home to 30 federally recognized tribes — UCR is built on Cahuilla ancestral land. Rupert Costo, a Cahuilla, and Jeanette Henry Costo, a Cherokee, were instrumental in persuading University of California regents to locate a campus
in Riverside.
In 1986, the couple created the Costo Chair of American Indian Affairs, the first faculty chair in the nation endowed by American Indians. They also established UCR's Costo Library of the American Indian and Costo Archives, and inspired the creation in 2000 of the California Center for Native Nations, which is dedicated to preserving the history, culture, language and sovereignty of California tribes.
In the past quarter-century, the university has launched programs and initiatives that support scholarship about Native American culture and history and address issues of concern to area tribes. The annual Medicine Ways Conference and UCR Pow Wow are even older.
"Indian Time," a weekly radio program airing on KUCR-FM, talks about issues such as federal recognition of tribes and (continued on page 13)
Explore an interactive version of the map and more at MAGAZINEARCHIVE.UCR.EDU
1—The Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park in Santa Barbara has preserved a small sandstone cave adorned with roc art attributed to the Chumash people.
2—Painted Rock is a horseshoe-shaped marine sandstone formation located within the Carrizo Plain National Monument in San Luis Obispo.
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religious freedom. Robert Perez, a Lipan Apache and associate professor of Native American Studies, has hosted the show since 1994. The "Red Rhythms" conference in 2004 was the first major gathering in the U.S. to bring together dance scholars, Native Studies scholars and American Indian dancers, and introduced a decade of workshops, guest-artist residencies and performances by traditional and contemporary Native American dancers.
Especially significant are efforts through the Native American Education Program to encourage Native families to prepare for a college education.
The biggest of these efforts is the successful Gathering of the Tribes Summer Residential Program, which began in 2005 through Native American Student Programs and is the longest-running program of its kind in Southern California.
The weeklong program brings 30 Native American high school students to the campus, where they live in a residence hall, attend various workshops on culture, skill development, empowerment and self-esteem, and learn how to apply for college admission and financial aid.
A majority of the summer program students come from Southern California, said Joshua Gonzales, director of Native American Student Programs, and more than 70 percent of them go on to college. Since the program began, enrollment of students at UCR who self-identify as Native American has grown by 129 percent to a total of 135 in fall 2013.
Preparing the next generation of Indian youth to assume leadership roles in their communities is critical, and a college degree makes a difference, noted Cliff Trafzer, who is of Wyandot descent and holds the Costo Chair in American Indian Affairs. "We need more Native children in college," he said. "We need Native Americans as professional people in business, engineering, Native American history, law and medicine."
Three of Sean Milanovich's children have participated in the summer program, and two enrolled in Southern California universities as a result.
"My daughters would never have gone to college without this program," said Milanovich, cultural specialist in the Tribal Historic Preservation Office of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in the Palm Springs area. A UCR alumnus who is enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Native American history, he said the summer program is the first time many Native students are away from home. "It builds confidence that they can be away from home, that they're smart enough to do this."
Joshua Thunder Little, a freshman Honors student who graduated from Palm Springs High School, said he always planned to attend college. He chose UCR because of its Native American Studies programs, an active Native American student community and proximity to home.
An Oglala Lakota, he wants to change popular misconceptions about Native Americans in ways that will help his community. "Not all Native Americans have casinos," he said. "It's important to make sure that our traditions don't disappear and that we have a voice
in society."
"Native American history is a living history," said Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert, a Hopi who earned master's and doctoral degrees from UCR. Now a professor of American Indian Studies and history at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Gilbert says, "Over the years many scholars have conducted their work
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3—The California Bay was used as medicine by the Chumash Indians. The leaves were crushed and sniffed to help open breathing passages and relieve headaches.
4—The Coso people created images in the Big and Little Petroglyph Canyons located near Ridgecrest, by the Mojave Desert. Some say the drawings are images of shamanic vision quests; others say they were part of Coso hunting rituals.
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without involving Native people in the process. They have looked at Native people as subjects to be studied. When you put Native people at the center of their narratives, it honors those people and their history."
This Native-centric research is a paradigm shift from previous research methods that exploited Native Americans to one that respects their oral traditions, a change that benefits scholars and tribes, said William Madrigal Jr., cultural heritage program coordinator for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Cabazon. "What was written about Native people early on is the tip of the iceberg," said the 2010 UCR graduate. "Anthropologists couldn't fathom the extent of Native knowledge. What they described as a primitive culture could cure any ailment, even do brain surgery."
Madrigal said he discovered a different view of American Indian history while an anthropology student at UCR. "We were taught in school that Indians would kill each other off," he recalled. "I came to UCR and found that not only did we get along, we formed strategic alliances that paved the way for Indian sovereignty today."
Oral tradition, which is the way Native people tell stories of their past and culture, is not the game of "telephone" that people believe it to be, Perez, "Indian Time" host, explained. "It is a rigid, complex encyclopedia of human knowledge. It takes much more to be an elder in the traditional way than to be a Ph.D."
Consulting Native people about their oral traditions can help scholars verify or discount interpretations drawn from archival research, said UCR history professor Rebecca "Monte" Kugel, who is of Ojibwe descent.
"It becomes a dialog over what the documents tell us and how tribal cultural knowledge can inform that," explained Kugel, who studies treaties and tribal leadership. "We are trying to train students to write history from the perspective of Native people whose histories they are researching, not from the interpretation of outsiders like the Spanish, French and British, which is the way Native history was taught for many years. It allows non-Native people to know there is another side of the story, and allows Native people to know their ancestors mattered and did important things, like domesticating corn, which feeds much of the world today, and knew how to live in challenging environments. That is as much a part of their history as land loss that led to being impoverished."
UCR faculty encourage students to do research that is important to local Native Americans, Trafzer said. "All research doesn't have to do that," he said, "but we're in the middle of Indian Country, they are citizens of California, and they have been overlooked."
Six dissertations have resulted from research conducted in the archives of Sherman Indian Museum at what is now Sherman Indian High School in Riverside. The government boarding school was established in Riverside as Sherman Institute in 1902 as part of a nationwide effort to force assimilation of American Indians by removing children from their homes, stripping them of their culture and converting them to Christianity. Today Sherman is a four-year high school run by Native Americans teaching their own culture and history, and is one of four off-reservation government boarding schools remaining.
Lorene Sisquoc, whose job as culture traditions leader at Sherman Indian High School includes serving as curator of the
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5—Sherman Indian High School is an off-reservation boarding school for Native Americans in Riverside, it was established in order to assimilate Native Americans into society. The Sherman Indian Museum is located within the campus.
6—The Great Oak is one of the largest and oldest live oak trees in the world. Located at the Pechanga Cultural Center, it embodies the identity and character of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians: strength, wisdom, longevity and determination.
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"We need more Native children in college. We need Native Americans as profession people in business, engineering, Native American history, law and medicine."
— Cliff Trafzer
museum, says the first UCR dissertation that resulted from the Sherman collaboration began 15 years ago.
That dissertation — an investigation of student health at the boarding school in the early 20th century — led to a 2012 book about the history of Sherman Institute, co-edited by Sisquoc, Trafzer and Gilbert.
Curiosity about how Native communities viewed boarding schools led Ph.D. candidate Kevin Whalen to the Sherman museum archives. He was surprised to find that while the work programs were supposed to Anglicize the students and turn them into workers who wouldn't cause problems, some students saw value in these programs. One Navajo student he learned about worked for three years, made a lot of money, then went home and bought sheep. "He used the experience to live more in the Navajo way," he said. Whalen recently was awarded the prestigious University of Illinois Postdoctoral Fellowship in American Indian Studies, the first recipient from a California university.
Sisquoc, who has served on UCR master's thesis committees, said students like Whalen are uncovering a chapter in Native American history that has gone largely unreported. "For so long the
For a video on how UCR's Native programs go beyond research, go to MAGAZINEARCHIVE.UCR.EDU
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7—The Kumeyaay Bird Songs were a way to perpetuate the lifestyle and philosophy of the Kumeyaay. Today, the Bird Songs serve a utilitarian purpose as a unifying, ancestral element at special ceremonies and memorials.
8—Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego County is the largest state park in California. It provides visitors with opportunities to visit ancient Cahuilla and Kumeyaay village sites, hunting trails and rock art.
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research has been one-sided. These were human beings whose lives were impacted by these schools," she said.
And while the archival research is invaluable, UCR students' collaboration with local tribal communities is even more welcome and necessary. "Every UCR student who has come through here has gone above and beyond," she said. "They have helped with archives protection and management, and have showed our high school students the importance of their histories. They just join the Sherman family."
Training students in community-based research gives new knowledge and tools to Inland tribes, and helps them protect cultural resources amid growing pressure from development on ancestral lands.
"When you collaborate with Indian people, you gain knowledge of how the landscape is historical and spiritual, and that remains very strong today," Trafzer said. "They believe that if you harm these places you can harm their health as well."
Milanovich, who works in the Agua Caliente historic preservation office, said he returned to graduate school at UCR to learn how to protect and manage tribal lands and cultural resources.
"The land is all we have left that is tangible," he explained. "We have songs and stories, but the land we see every day, and we can see what's happening to it. That is our mother, and she gives us everything we need. We don't see land as a way to make some money. We have a very strong spiritual connection to the land. We want to nurture her and protect her."
For William Madrigal, the training he received at UC Riverside instilled confidence and enabled him to become an effective guardian of tribal cultural resources.
"UCR directly influenced how I shaped my career," he said. "A lot of students who grow up on reservations see issues that they want to learn how to deal with. UCR empowered me. Native American Studies classes lifted my spirits and strengthened my sense of pride in who we are."
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9— The agave is a versatile plant that was used widely by Native Americans for everything from cradles to hunting snares to an intoxicating drink called pulque.
10— With steady voices and a gourd rattle, Salt Songs are the sacred songs of the Nuwuvi people that describe the journey of the Salt Song Trail.
UCR is built on Cahuilla ancestral land. Rupert Costo and Jeanette Henry Costo were instrumental in persuading UC regents to place a campus in Riverside.
UCR's Ph.D. in Native American history is one of only three such doctoral programs in the country.
The Gathering of the Tribes Summer Residential Program brings 30 Native American high school students to the campus. Since the program started in 2005, enrollment of students at UCR who self-identify as Native American has grown by 129 percent.
The Costo Chair of American Indian Affairs is the first faculty chair in the nation endowed by American Indians.
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Sherman Indian High School's proximity to UCR makes it a valuable historical resource—for personal and profession reasons
By Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert, M.A. '04, Ph.D '06
I still remember the first time I stepped inside the Sherman Indian High School's museum vault. I was a new graduate student at UCR, and I had come to the museum to research Hopis who attended the school. Inside the vault, Lori Sisquoc, the director of the museum, showed me documents of all kinds. Items in the vault included photographs, pottery and beautiful paintings.
During my graduate program, I returned to the vault on many occasions. (When I was an intern at the museum, I made a digital catalog of the vault's 100 trophy cups. Hopi runner Philip Zeyouma had two first-place trophy cups; he could have competed in the 1912 Olympic Games in Sweden, but instead returned home to his village on the reservation.)
The school and the museum's collections have special meaning for Native people. While the U.S. government created Sherman to weaken American Indian cultures and assimilate indigenous people into mainstream American society, Native students learned to navigate through federal Indian policies, and many of the students took advantage of their time at the school. My grandfather, Victor Sakiestewa Sr. from Orayvi and Upper Moencopi, and his brothers and sisters were among the first group of Hopi students to attend Sherman in the early 1900s. By examining documents in the vault, I learned that my grandfather received high marks in the school's Laundry Department, and that his sister, Blanche, worked as a housekeeper in the girls dormitory, the Minnehaha Home. This information may seem insignificant to some scholars, but it provides my family with a glimpse of my grandfather's and his sister's early experiences at the Indian school in Riverside.
Providing Hopis with documents that I uncovered in the museum's vault was an important part of my research. Not long after I started graduate school, I received permission from the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office to conduct interviews on the Hopi Reservation with former Hopi students. I interviewed Samuel Shingoitewa, who went to Sherman in the 1920s. He talked about the school's military structure. I also interviewed Bessie Humetewa (Talasitewa) who went to Sherman from 1920 to 1928. During our interview, Bessie mentioned that she had stayed at Sherman "all eight years without coming home." She recalled how her mother wept when government officials loaded her and other Hopis on a wagon for Winslow, Ariz.; a rare occurrence, since Hopi mothers rarely showed this level of emotion in public. While she had a traumatic departure to Sherman Institute, Bessie learned to adapt and excel at the school. She met new friends, but always kept close to other Hopis from her community.
I used most of my research in the Museum's vault to write a dissertation, articles, and eventually a book. But just before I graduated from UCR, I had an opportunity to co-produce a 30-minute documentary film on the Hopi boarding school experience. The museum's vault played a major role in the production of the documentary, which I titled "Beyond the Mesas."
My experience at the Sherman Indian Museum has left a lasting influence on me as a Hopi person. I learned the value of working together with many individuals associated with the museum, students and faculty at UCR, and my community on the Hopi Reservation. Although a growing number of students and scholars, including myself, have had the privilege of basing our research on documents and other items in the vault, many more studies have yet to be conducted. The vault is not finished sharing the voices of those students who left their families and homes to attend Sherman. Their stories of assimilation, resistance and accommodation still remain in the museum. They wait for the next wave of researchers to release their voices so others might hear. This was the most rewarding aspect of conducting research in the vault. It is also the purpose of our book and the reason why Lori has kept the vault open to researchers of the past and will continue to keep it open for those students and scholars of the future.
— Gilbert is enrolled with the Hopi Tribe from the village of Upper Moencopi in Arizona. An associate professor of American Indian studies and history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he is the author of "Education beyond the Mesas: Hopi Students at Sherman Institute, 1902-1929."
For a video on UCR's connection with the Sherman High School, go to MAGAZINEARCHIVE.UCR.EDU
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For Pashaura Singh, UCR professor of religious studies and the Dr. Jasbir Singh Saini Chair in Sikh and Punjabi Studies, educating the Western world on Sikhism is a passion and a challenge
Photo: Carrie Rosema
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Sikhism, one of the youngest world religions originated in India about five centuries ago. It stresses the notions of divine unity and human equality, but even with about 25 million Sikhs around the world (more than the worldwide total of the Jewish people), it is one of the most misunderstood religions in the world.
Through his scholarship, Pashaura Singh has advanced the field of Sikh studies in the country and boosted the renown and reputation of the religious studies program at UC Riverside. He talks about his challenges and what else needs to be done.
By Konrad Nagy
Why is it important to study Sikhism?
Although Sikhs have been in the United States for more than a century, it is painfully clear that many Americans simply do not know who Sikhs are. On Sept. 15, 2001, an American Sikh became the first victim of the racial backlash that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Balbir Singh Sodhi was shot dead in Phoenix, Ariz., by a self-described "patriot" who mistook him for a Muslim.
Such incidents show how Americans without exception are uneducated about Sikh religion and culture. Thus, there is an urgent need to make the study of the Sikh tradition an integral part of university- level instruction. Within the last two decades, scholars have begun to question the prevailing attitudes toward the study of Sikhism in both the West and India itself to the point that this least examined and perhaps most misunderstood of South Asia's religious and cultural traditions now occupies seven academic chairs within the United States and one in Canada. Undergraduate and graduate courses in Sikh studies have also been increasing dramatically over the last decade, a rise which corresponds in part to Sikh immigration into Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
What has the Dr. Jasbir Singh Saini Endowed Chair in Sikh and Punjabi Studies allowed you to do?
The Saini chair was the second Sikh studies chair to be established within the University of California system for the purpose of building academic strength and visibility in matters pertaining to Sikh culture and religion. Proceeds from this gift have dramatically increased our capacity for teaching, scholarship and outreach in Sikh Studies.
Since my appointment to the Saini Chair on April 1, 2008, I have organized three major international conferences at UCR that proved resoundingly successful. These academic enterprises have not only promoted Sikh studies but also enhanced the UCR's reputation as a center of excellence at international level.
What are some of your goals?
I have established working relationships with each of the eight Sikh studies chairs in North America. My major goal is to extend this active cooperation by establishing relationships with the universities in Punjab, India. I am currently working on a strategic plan for Sikh studies that will be the blueprint for our future activities in this area. The main purpose of academic conferences is to strengthen the ongoing process of community building between individual scholars and institutions. These efforts will raise further the profile of UCR, its faculty and its students, and also lay the foundation for future scholarly collaborations between our campus and other institutions.
What are you currently working on?
My place in the field of Sikh studies was acknowledged by an invitation of the Oxford University Press to co-edit "The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies" (2014). This forthcoming "Handbook" contains 51 essays by a team of international experts, integrating the study of Sikhism within a wide range of critical — and in many ways postcolonial — perspectives on the nature of religion, society, literature, art, institutions, gender, diaspora, ethno-nationalism, and revisionist historiography.
I also have great interest in exploring the importance of Sikh music within tradition's ideology and living practice. Currently I am working on a research project on "Sacred Melodies: History, Theory and the Performance of Sikh Kirtan." q
What is an endowed chair and why is it important?
An endowed chair is one of the most important gifts to higher education; it's an honor that fosters academic excellence and recognizes superior faculty. Established with sizeable donor gifts to an academic area, the endowed chair provides invaluable financial support above and beyond salary that the professor uses in research, teaching or service activities.
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Nosang Myung's invention—the Electronic Nose—can detect dangerous chemicals in the air so humans can be saved by the smell
By Ted B. Kissell
NOSANG VINCENT MYUNG has been a chemical and environmental engineering professor at UC Riverside for 10 years. But it was at his previous position, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, that he learned the most important lesson on presenting his research. Everything JPL did had to result in a concrete application for the space program, so Myung learned that theory alone wouldn't cut it. "You cannot go with a half-cooked idea to show to people," he declares, flashing his bright smile. "You've got to go all the way: 'Here's a complete prototype.'"
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That's the approach he took with his most significant invention so far: a tiny nanosensor that functions as an electronic nose, detecting chemical compounds in the air. The most recent version, developed by Nano Engineered Applications Inc., could be the basic platform for any number of applications that involve sniffing out airborne chemicals. "Anything a nose can do, this can do," Myung says.
Watch the video at www.magazinearchive.ucr.edu/video
THE MAIN PIECE OF NANOENGINEERED HARDWARE LOOKS LIKE A PERFORATED, TUBULAR NECKLACE STRING. By assembling beads in different configurations, the tube can be made to detect different chemicals. "This is a single-walled carbon nanotube 1.4 nanometers in diameter," Myung says. "Then we put beads on it, and depending upon what bead and how you put it, it senses differently." The process for creating the structure is simple electroplating, "except the scale is very small," he says. "We deal with a single drop."
AT FIRST, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SENSOR ITSELF WAS THE GOAL, NOT THE DETECTION OF A SPECIFIC CHEMICAL. "The vision was, let's make a sensor that works really well and not have a specific objective," Myung says. The sensor could later be attached to various kinds of devices (including robots) that "tell you what the surrounding gas is, what you're exposed to."
MYUNG WENT ON TO CREATE WORKING PROTOTYPES THAT CONNECTED HIS NANOSENSOR TO A COMPUTER, WHICH COULD THEN ANALYZE WHAT THE SENSOR "SMELLED." Subsequent innovations will involve training a better computer "brain" to interpret the data that Myung's hardware "nose" detects: "You need a specific algorithm to train the computer to recognize smells," he says.
ONE POSSIBLE AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION FOR THE NANOSENSOR HAS RECENTLY CAPTURED MYUNG'S IMAGINATION. A UCR entomology professor is working on a problem with Rwandan coffee. Some of it smells like potatoes after it's roasted; an onsite sniffing gadget could help. "If you can detect [the strange smell], it will save a lot of money because you're not going to ship it all the way to the United States and roast it."
Possible law-enforcement applications include drug- or bomb-sniffing robots. "OK, we developed a nose. A smartphone has an eye, so we just have to put on the legs. I call it an electronic sniffing dog. Places you don't want to go, instead of sending a dog, you can send this robot."
THE SENSOR IS SMALL ENOUGH TO WEAR IN A CLIP OR BUTTON, WHICH COULD THEN CONNECT TO A SMARTPHONE VIA BLUETOOTH. Eventually, it could be made small enough to fit inside a phone. In addition to possible safety applications for agricultural and industrial workers, a personalized sensor also has crowdsourcing potential. "Imagine that you have a sensor to wear that tells you what the air quality is around you," Myung says. If this kind of data could be compiled, it would provide far more nuanced and accurate air-quality readings than the static sensors now in use.
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UC Riverside scientists Norm Ellstrand and Alan McHughen address misconceptions about genetically modified organisms and the processes that create them
By Konrad Nagy and Lilledeshan Bose
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOS) — ARE A HOT TOPIC ALL OVER THE WORLD. THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT PRODUCTION, SAFETY AND REGULATION. ARE THEY SAFE? IS THE TECHNOLOGY OUR WAY INTO FOOD SECURITY FOR THE PLANET? WILL THEY HARM THE ENVIRONMENT? TWO UCR SCHOLARS — PROFESSOR OF GENETICS NORM ELLSTRAND AND BIOTECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST AND GENETICIST ALAN MCHUGHEN — CLARIFY COMMON BELIEFS ABOUT GMOS.
01—The technology behind the creation of GMOs makes it unsafe.
[FALSE] The technology that creates GMOs is a tool of science. In the 1980s, the National Academy of Sciences declared that the process of genetic engineering is not inherently hazardous. "Harms are always caused by things, not by processes," Alan McHughen says. "It's the final product that has to be assessed [for safety]. It's possible to use genetic engineering to introduce toxins into a food crop that doesn't traditionally carry those toxins. But if the technology is used instead to, say, increase vitamin A in the food, then that's probably a beneficial product."
02—It's no big deal that crop genes get into wild populations.
[FALSE] Crop genes in the wild can cause trouble—not all the time—but on occasion. Ellstrand maintains there's no fundamental difference between genes transferred from genetic engineering and genes that are transferred by other means, such as traditional breeding. Europe's "weed beet" that has cost its sugar industry over a billion dollars in lost product is the result of natural hybridization between a wild beet species and (non-GMO) sugarbeet.
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03—We need to regulate GMOs for food safety.
[FALSE] Food safety with approved GMOs is not an issue."We have a huge issue in food safety with lots of other things: contaminants, E. coli, salmonella, listeria, arsenic. But if genetic engineers were to develop a rice plant or a potato with, say, an increased vitamin A content that was so high it would cause a problem, it would never get on the market. There's a very strong regulatory structure in place in the United States and that's what they check for. We've been eating GMOs since the mid-'90s — almost 20 years now — and there's still not a single documented case of harm to humans," McHughen says.
04—All GMO crops have been wonderful successes.
[FALSE] Ellstrand cites the flavr savr tomato and the low-nicotine tobacco as examples. Both these products were developed commercially but were marketing failures due to a variety of reasons. They — and many other similar products — are no longer on the market. "Some advocates of biotech crops say they're all wonderful, they're all perfect, but they're not," Ellstrand says.
05—GMOs will ruin our existing food systems
[FALSE] McHughen believes the production of GMOs is the best way to provide food security for the planet, particularly in poorer countries. "If Europe and the United States banned GMOs outright, it probably would not cause a huge impact, apart from an increase in the price of food. (A lot of U.S. farmers would also get pretty annoyed, since 90 percent of them who can grow GMO crops do so.) Poorer countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, won't get by without GMO technology," McHughen says. Products such as drought-resistant crops would provide a huge benefit to these countries.
06—All GMO crops create some kind of problem.
[FALSE] Ellstrand gives the example of the genetically modified, virus-resistant Hawaiian papaya: "It not only saved the Hawaiian papaya industry but also saved the non-GMO Hawaiian organic industry by reducing the incidence of the viral disease."
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07—You need a label on a food product to tell you whether it contains genetically engineered products.
[FALSE] Certain food crop species created the vast majority of genetically engineered food so much so that you don't need a special label. "You just look at the label of ingredients," Norm Ellstrand says. "If it's not labelled organic and one or more of the ingreidents include U.S.-grown corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed oil, papaya, beet sugar, or alfalfa, there's a 90 percent or better chance that it's genetically engineered."
08—Gene transfer via genetic engineering is unnatural.
[FALSE] Genes naturally move between kingdoms of organisms due to viruses or bacteria, and while it's rare, it does happen.
09—In Europe, GMOs aren't allowed into the food supply.
[FALSE] It's true that very few GMOs are cultivated by farmers in Europe. "In fact, they really only grow genetically engineered corn — and only in a few countries," McHughen says. "However, Europeans have plenty of food in the markets that are from genetically modified plants, which are imported from abroad."
10—Above all else, the controversy involving GMOs is about technology.
[FALSE] Most anti-GMO activists won't admit it, but their real concern is that the technology seems to be controlled by a handful of multinational corporations, McHughen says. "They don't like the idea of something as visceral and basic as the food supply being controlled by companies. That's a fair issue, and it's a very good question for society to discuss," he adds.
"Is it appropriate in our multicultural, democratic society to have the food supply controlled by a handful of companies? That it's an opportunity for discussion that gets sidetracked by the safety issues because people are much more concerned about safety than they are about these socioeconomic issues."
Ellstrand adds, "We've got a lot of problems in the world; we shouldn't just arbitrarily lock away certain tools such as genetic engineering. We just have to be mindful of how we use those tools."
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The first few months of medical school challenge the students' work-life balance
By Bethanie Le
In this series, we follow members of the inaugural class of the UCR School of Medicine through the joys and challenges they face in the next four years.
It has been eight months since members of the inaugural class of the UCR School of Medicine were given ceremonial white coats to commemorate their new lives as doctors- to-be. For Rafael Ornelas and Janel Gracia, life as a first-year medical student at a new school means one thing: transition.
Even with the mindset that med school would be challenging, the new study routines, intense workloads, and eight-hour days in laboratories meant everyone had to adjust. "I knew hard work and being tired was going to be part of the medical school experience," Ornelas said.
But, as Gracia said, "In medical school it's a totally different kind of hard. You have to find time to study a large amount of material while balancing the other parts of medical school as well as your own life."
She added, "It's nice knowing that I wasn't alone because all my classmates were going through it with me."
Gracia is part of an intramural basketball team; Ornelas is a mentor at a program and volunteer at a student-run health clinic in downtown Riverside.
In keeping with the School of Medicine's promise to help the underserved in the Inland region, the students have many opportunities to get involved in the community. Longitudinal Ambulatory Care Experience (LACE) is one such program; the students are assigned to shadow a physician in the area.
"It was my favorite part [of the first few months] because I learned so much about being a doctor. It's really fun to interact with the patients and to experience what I will be doing in the future," said Gracia.
Ornelas had the same experience volunteering at the student-run health clinic. "I always learn something new because these are real people, as opposed to doctoring in class where you have a standardized patient. Hearing people's stories and illnesses and really working with them to make them feel better is really rewarding. It feels like I'm a doctor before I really am one," said Ornelas.
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In the days when Michael Jackson ruled, Tab cola was popular, and girls wore biker shorts under skirts, UCR was slowly doubling its enrollment. Even then, UCR was breaking new ground: Chancellor Tomás Rivera was UC's first minority chancellor and the first Latino leader of a major research university in the United States .
1— You could eat at The Pub in the commons. They had great hamburgers!
2—You remember the Highlander personals and the annoying/hilarious (depending on whom you talked to) commentator Subtract Man.
3—Most of your upper division classes had between 10 and 15 students.
4— You went on midnight runs to the original Naugles downtown for egg burritos. (Naugles merged with Del Taco in 1988).
5— No one had their own computers. If you took computer science, you had one hour to do your work in a computer lab because the whole campus had to share about eight computers! You had to use computer cards for big computing projects, then you carried the cards in to a special room to be input.
6—There was no online registration; you stood in a long line to get classes and pay your fees manually.
7— If you ate at the Commons, you got a hot cafeteria meal similar to, but better than, high school. There was no such thing as a food court.
8— You could make extra money by typing papers for classmates for $2 per page.
9— You saw Pete Seeger perform at the gym instead of the Barn because too many people wanted to attend. You also watched Social Distortion at the Barn.
10—You went dancing — many times —attheBullN' Mouth (now the Getaway) after exams, and you have fond memories of a dark maze of rooms, games, pinball machines and beer-scented air. (And who could forget Burger Madness?)
11— There was one ceremony for the entire graduating class, and you could invite as many people as you wanted. (In 1985, there were 976 graduates. Last year, there were 5,358!)
--Contributed by Kay Cech Latonio '80; Rich Sawyer '81; Sheryl Hayes '82; Sharla Desens '82; Kay Fairhurst Adkins '83; Lisa Wilson '87.
Want to chime in? Go to www.facebook.com/UCRiverside.
Watch scenes of UCR from the 1980s on MAGAZINEARCHIVE.UCR.EDU
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San Bernardino Fiction, Understanding Cosmopolitics, a Look Back at a Historic LGBT Artists' Coalition and Other Page Turners
These books are available for purchase at the UCR Campus Store and online at www.ucrcampusstore.ucr.edu They have been discounted up to 30 percent.
By Keenan Norris
Heyday November 2013, 280 pages
Keenan Norris' debut novel is a beautiful, gritty, coming-of-age tale about two young African- Americans in the San Bernardino Valley — a story of exceptional power, lyricism and depth.
Erycha and Touissant live only a few miles apart in the city of Highland, but their worlds are starkly separated by the lines of class, violence and history.
In alternating chapters that touch and intertwine only briefly, Brother and the Dancer follows their adolescence and young adulthood on two sides of the city, the luminous San Bernardino range casting its hot shade over their tales in an unflinching vision of black life in Southern California.
Keenan Norris holds an M.F.A. from Mills College and a Ph.D. from UCR.
By Weihsin Gui
Ohio State University Press September 2013, 248 pages
"National Consciousness and Literary Cosmopolitics: Postcolonial Literature in a Global Moment" by Weihsin Gui argues that postco- lonial literature written within a framework of globalization still takes nationalism seriously rather than dismissing it as obsolete.
While social scientific theories of globalization after 1945 represent nationalism as antithetical to transnational economic and cultural flows, "National Consciousness and Literary Cosmopolitics" contends that postcolonial literature represents nationalism as a form of cosmopolitical engagement with what lies beyond the nation's borders.
Postcolonial literature never gave up on anticolonial nationalism but rather revised its meaning, extending the idea of the nation beyond an identity position into an interrogation of globalization and the neocolonial state through political consciousness and cultural critique.
Weihsin Gui is an assistant professor of English at UCR.
By Robb Hernandez
UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press December 2012, 120 pages
Robert Hernandez traces the history and assesses the impact of VIVA! Lesbian and Gay Latino Artists, a nonprofit artists coalition founded in 1987 in the Silverlake community of Los Angeles.
Their aim was to increase the representation of lesbian Latina and gay Latino artists in the LA art scene. VIVA! sponsored exhibitions, theatrical performances and educational outreach.
The group worked closely with other gay and lesbian organizations in Los Angeles, using arts-based projects to address cultural and sociopolitcal issues that were of concern to their community and the AIDS crisis in particuar.
The first organization of its kind in Los Angeles, VIVA! offered a stage and a voice for artists who had been routinely marginalized.
Robb Hernandez is an assistant professor of English at UCR.
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By Whitney Cranshaw and Rick Redak
Princeton University Press September 2013, 496 pages
"Bugs Rule!" provides a lively introduction to the biology and natural history of insects and their noninsect cousins, such as spiders, scorpions and centipedes.
This richly illustrated textbook features more than 830 color photos, a concise overview of the basics of entomology and numerous sidebars that highlight and explain key points.
Detailed chapters cover each of the major insect groups, describing their physiology, behaviors, feeding habits, reproduction, human interactions and more.
Ideal for nonscience majors and anyone seeking to learn more about insects and their arthropod relatives, "Bugs Rule!" offers a one-of-a-kind gateway into the world of these amazing creatures.
Rick Redak is a professor and department chair of entomology at UCR.
By Ross Parke
Wiley-Blackwell November 2013, 320 pages
"Future Families" explores the variety of family forms that characterize our contemporary culture while addressing the implications of these increasingly diverse family units on child development.
Author Ross Parke utilizes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from works in areas that include child development, family studies, sociology, cross-cultural scholarship, ethnic studies, biology, neuroscience, anthropology and architecture.
Through his analysis, Parke reveals the diversity of new family forms based on the most current research on fathers, same-gender parents, new reproductive technologies and immigrant families, and illustrates how children and adults can thrive in a variety of nontraditional family forms.
"Future Families" concludes with an agenda for future research by identifying important gaps in knowledge about families
and parenting.
Ross D. Parke is a distinguished professor of psychology, emeritus, and past director of the Center for Family Studies at UCR.
By Kate Abbott ('12)
Theme Park Press April 2013, 186 pages
Casey (short for Acacia, but don't call her that) is spending a few summer days with her parents at Disneyland. Just like they do every summer. Except this summer is different. Casey's best friend has dumped her. She starts high school in the fall and she's tired of following her parents' rigid schedule and putting up with their embarrassing behavior. She's miserable. Even Disneyland can't make her happy.
Then, in line for the Indiana Jones Adventure, she bumps into Bert. A year older. Tall. Brown eyes. Nice.
But is Bert really as cool as he seems? Could he become Casey's first ... boyfriend?
For that to happen, Casey must not only fight her parents' attempts to ruin her relationship with Bert, she must also deal with a pack of selfish, rowdy girls — the "Bra Strap Girls" — who seem intent on sabotaging her vacation and stealing Bert.
Kate Abbott is a contributing editor for a Disney park-focused newsletter. She received her M.F.A. in creative writing from UCR Palm Desert in June 2012.
Edited by Kurt Schwabe, Jose Albiac, Jeffery Connor, Rashid Hassan and Liliana
Gonzalez Springer publications July 2013, 400 pages
Offering a cross-country examination and comparison of drought awareness and experience, this book shows how scientists, water managers and policy makers approach drought and water scarcity in arid and semi-arid regions of Spain, Mexico, Australia, South Africa and the United States.
Efficiently mitigating or coping with the effects of drought requires an understanding of the biophysical aspects of drought, including the hydrologic and ecologic elements, as well as the technical, economic and policy aspects. The editors gathered an international group of expert contributors from a wide span of disciplines, including agronomy, ecology, economics, hydrology and irrigation technology.
This text aims to improve our understanding of the interactions between physical impacts of drought, and the effectiveness of mitigation policies on the economic consequences of droughts.
Lead editor Kurt Schwabe is an associate professor of environmental economics and policy at UCR and the associate director of the Water Science and Policy Center.
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Are you an expert in your field? Want to share your career knowledge with other alumni? If so, you may be a great candidate for the career video series on the Alumni Association blog!
Through the blog, Highlanders have an outlet to share their career experiences and talent with other alumni. If you are interested in participating, email ucralum@ucr.edu for more information.
The UCR Alumni Association travel program offers a mix of exploration, education and adventure in partnership with reputable, prescreened tour operators. These are just two of the many trips we have available this year. Visit www.alumni.ucr. edu/travel for more details about the trips we are offering in 2014.
Discover Switzerland, a flexible cruise, rail and walking journey, Aug. 27 to Sept. 11.
Island Life in Ancient Greece and Turkey, cruising aboard the five-star M.S. Le Soleal, Sept. 24 to Oct. 2.
Tour participants, whether UCR alumni or not, must be members of the UCR Alumni Association. Each member may bring one travel companion as a guest.
March 25-26: UCR Advocacy Day in Sacramento
At Advocacy Day, alumni, parents and friends meet in small groups with elected officials to discuss issues affecting higher education and UCR in particular. Join us in Sacramento as we carry our message to elected leaders. For more information and to register visit www.alumni.ucr.edu/ucday
Alumni Receptions with Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox
Alumni and parents are invited to a special reception to meet Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox. Mix and mingle with local alumni and parents and hear about the exciting developments occurring at UCR. For more information and to register online visit www.alumni.ucr.edu/chancellor-receptions.
Washington, D.C. April 8
New York, N.Y. April 9
Costa Mesa, Calif. April 23
How to contact the UCR Alumni Association:
Website: alumni.ucr.edu
E-mail: ucralum@ucr.edu
Phone: (951) UCR-ALUM or (800) 426-ALUM (2586)
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Ann Kelsey
'68 Anthropolgy and English
Watkins Society Member
A year after graduation from UCR, Ann served her country in war-torn Vietnam as a librarian with Army Special Services. It was a life-changing experience, and Ann has remained very involved in several Vietnam War veterans causes.
Last year enroute to a reunion of Operation Baby Lift, she also reunited with Professor Eugene Anderson—the first time they had met since they were in a classroom together—on campus.
1—How did you get involved in the Vietnam War?
It was because of Professor Eugene Anderson's classes that I got interested in Asia. My father worked for the Navy and many of my friends were in the military, so when recruiters from Army Special Services came to UCLA where I was getting my master's degree, I asked them about opportunities to serve in Asia.
I graduated in June 1969, and at the end of August I was on a plane [to Vietnam]. I was in charge of four libraries in base camps; a lot of the soldiers were taking correspondence courses so they would come to the library and do their homework. My primary purpose was to support the troops, but the fact that I could see Asia was a definite plus.
2—Tell us about your part in Operation Baby Lift.
Right before Saigon fell, President Gerald Ford signedan order allowing the military to evacuate children from orphanages in Vietnam. Big cargo airplanes were carrying these babies and [American] escorts. I got the children of two of the women who worked for me out of the country on one of those flights. I'm also involved with making people aware of the 38 civilian women who were killed in the first Babylift flight. Because they weren't in the military, their names are not on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
3—Besides the anthropology classes, what do you think you brought from UCR to use in your experiences?
My years at UCR were a touchstone that helped to shape my life in many positive ways, which is why I donate money to UCR! I'm proud to be a UCR alumna. I've been a member of the UCR Alumni Association for a number of years.
4—What other veteran groups are you involved with?
I'm on the board of the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation; I do a newsletter that goes out a couple of times a year to members of Army Special Services during the Cold War and Vietnam War eras. I am also a National Parks Service volunteer at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and I answer reference questions on the Vietnam Veterans website (www.vietvet.org).
5—How does it feel to stay involved with veteran issues?
It's sort of like a fraternity. A lot of veterans don't talk about their war experiences. The only people they will talk to about Vietnam are those they know were there. I went to Vietnam to support the soldiers, and I continue to support them by helping in any way I can.
'66 Michael Kraft retired as professor emeritus of political science and public
and environmental affairs at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. He continues to teach part time in the graduate program. Kraft also has a number of recent publications, including "Coming Clean: Information Disclosure and Environmental Performance."
'67 Richard Foxx has been named the recipient of the 2013 American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research. Foxx is a Penn State Harrisburg professor of psychology and adjunct professor of pediatrics at the Penn State College of Medicine.
'68 Ken Goddard was recently interviewed on NPR's "Snap Judgement" radio show to talk about the real-life origins of his second novel, "The Alchemist." The novel tells the story of an undercover operation with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department in which Godard posed as a meth chemist to infiltrate a major drug ring.
'71 Donald Zarlango released a new book of metaphoric poetry titled "The Edge Of The Soul."
'73 Robert Larsen is a former UCR Alumni Association board member who is active in the community, serving on various corporate and community board of directors. Aside from family and friends, golf remains his passion. Larsen attended UCR on a golf scholarship and still enjoys watching UCR golfer Gary McCord.
'77 Robert Lombardo was elected to Yucca Valley Town Council in November 2012. He will serve as mayor of Yucca Valley through December 2014. ... Dale Sedler is the senior hydraulics engineer with the Indiana Department of Transportation. Since 2009, he has been working on the I-69 project as the technical expert for hydraulics and is the point of contact responsible for policy and reviews.
'79 Anthony (Tony) Adame has recently joined Ripcord LLC as the director of consulting services. Ripcord is a management consulting, advisory and training firm that specializes in business continuity, information technology disaster recovery, crisis management, emergency manage- ment and life safety programs. In his new role, Tony helps clients assess, implement, enhance, test, and/or maintain resiliency programs. Tony and his wife, Susan (Teague) '81, reside in the Portola
Names printed in blue indicate members of the UCR Alumni Association. To update your membership, visit www.alumni.ucr.edu
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Hills area of south Orange County. They have two children: Brittany, 26, and Michael, 22. Tony remains active in campus activities by virtue of his involvement in alumni board for the UCR Chapter of the Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity. ... Edward Kolb, M.D., was appointed the medical director of the Boys Town National Research Hospital and Clinics in Omaha, Neb.
'89 Darin Andersonqualified for the U.S.national team in theduathlon (running andcycling) and competedin the InternationalTriathlon Union world champion- ship in Ottawa, Canada, for his age group. He placed 15th in the world out of 24 qualifying countries based on time. He averaged 6:05 minutes per mile for the 15K run and 24 miles per hour for the 26-mile cycling component. ... Paul Horness received his Ph.D. in education specializing in second language acquisition from Temple University.
'93 Craig Barbieri joined Pennoni Associates, an Engineering News-Record Top100 engineering, design and consulting firm in Philadelphia, as the design echnology manager in the information technology division. He previously worked in the position of national director of practice technology for Kling Stubbins. ... Jadie Lee has been selected as UCR's next associate vice chancellor for human resources. In her prior role, she served as director of the depart- ment for over three years.
'94 Farrokh Moshiri recently published a new textbook titled "Management
Communication: An Anthology." ... Daniel Rylaarsdam joined Kilpatrick Townsend &Stockton's InsuranceRecovery Team, a Los Angeles- based insurance firm. He previously worked for McLeod Law Group in San Diego. Rylaarsdam earned a J.D. from Loyola Law School, cum laude, and has authored many articles in publications concerning the insurance industry.
'95 Adriana Kingstona has been named Administrator of the Year by Region XIX of the Association of California School Administrators. Kingston is the general manager for the Riverside region of THINK Together, a nonprofit organization that provides out-of-school program- ming for low-income children. Kingston oversees nearly 60 THINK Together sites that serve about 12,000 students per day in Riverside and northeast San Diego counties.
'96 Venetria Patton published her fourth book, "The Grasp That Reaches Beyond the Grave: the Ancestral Call in Black Women's Texts." She is also currently editing a second edition of "Background Readings for Teachers of American Literature" for Bedford/St. Martin's Press.
'97 Justin Vuong just opened two new restaurants in University Village near the UCR campus.
Scholarship Change Lives
"I feel very fortunate to be the first member of my family to attend college."
- Pathways to Success Scholarship recipient Edith Perez
Like Edith, more than half of UCR's undergraduatesarethe first in their families to pursue a bachelor's degree.
After graduation in June, Edith will work toward a master's degree in order to become a school psychologist, helping young students realize their potential.
Change lives! Make a gift today to the UCR Foundation using the envelope included in this issue, or online at www.ucr.edu/ giving.
Make a difference. Make a gift.
Page: 33
Both eateries, Calibasil and Oven 450, have open-air kitchens, which allow customers to build their menu to their preferences. Calibasil specializes in Vietnamese dishes such as pho and banh mi. Oven 450 is a build-your-own flatbread pizza restaurant. ... William Marroquin became the new principal at Livingston Middle School in Merced County. In his previous position, Marroquin served at associate principal at Golden Valley High School.
'99 Guadalupe Rabago celebrated the one-year anniversary of her position as assistant chief probation officer at the Imperial County Probation Department. The role is a key piece of the administration dealing with grants, state and federal funding, reporting, training, hiring, internal affairs, contracts and contract negotiation, social media, human resources and risk management.
'00 Anna Lo has accepted the position of CEO at Pacific Transportation Federal Credit Union. In her previous role, she served as an examiner at the National Credit Union Administration for over three years. Lo also celebrated her marriage in September to her fiance, Derald Brenneman. The couple climbed and were married atop a Grand Teton peak in Grand Teton National Park. In the process, they raised $13,400 for a nonprofit organization that focuses on introducing inner-city youth to the outdoors.
'03 Diana Vang received the 2012 Co-Faculty of the Year award from the Kaweah
Ernesto (Ernie) Rios
M.B.A. '07
Ernie Rios is a community leader and the executive director of Pathways to Success, a coalition of institutions and organizations that seeks to improve college access and completion rates for students in the Coachella Valley. Rios, a graduate of the inaugural M.B.A. program at UCR's Palm Desert campus, received the 2013 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. At the awarding ceremony, he got down on one knee and asked his girlfriend, Katrina Salazar, to marry him. (She said yes, of course!)
1—What is your fondest memory of UCR?
The winter social held to celebrate the completion of the first quarter of our inaugural M.B.A. program. Administrators and professors joined the graduate students at the event, which laid the foundation for the ongoing interaction. Those same people have become my advisors and assisted in my continued professional growth after graduating.
2—Who was your favorite teacher?
Keith Ward. He was not only a professor, but he became an advisor, mentor and friend to many of the students in our program. It was not uncommon for Ward to stay after class hours to help students. If there were any events that the graduate students coordinated, he was always in attendance to support us.
3—What do you tell aspiring UCR students about the university?
In my role as the executive director for one of the Coachella Valley's largest scholarship programs, I often encourage students to consider UC Riverside. Not only is it one of the top universities in the world, but it is a place where students can spread their wings and build the network upon which they can grow as professionals after life in college.
4—Why did you decide to propose on stage?
As I was thinking about what I might say at the Chancellor's Dinner, I kept thinking about the promises I had made over
the years and the importance of fulfilling those promises. I made a promise to Karina years ago, when we first started dating, that once we completed our college education we would get married. Dedicating our lives to helping the youth in the community and others in need pushed our timeline longer than we expected, but I couldn't think of a better way to do it than on a night dedicated to honoring UCR alumni who are — or have — "lived the promise."
5—Did you get any interesting reactions from people?
Several! After I proposed, Chancellor Kim Wilcox said he thought Judge Virginia Phillips (who received the Distinguished Alumnus Award) was going to offer to marry Karina and I at the event. He also congratulated us.
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Delta Healthcare District Graduate Medical Education Psychiatry Residency Program. Vang was also a recipient of two other California state recognition awards in 2010.
'04 Jorge Marquez is the division director for Robert Half Management Resources. He also participates on many local boards such as the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and Girls on the Run, San Diego. ... Courtney Whitmore started at California State University, Dominguez Hills, as the university's first-ever donor relations manager. She previously worked at Pomona College as the assistant director of donor relations. ... Jessica Herndon is now a film writer for theAssociated Press.Herndon previouslyworked for Peoplemagazine; she was awarded an L.A. Press Club award for her contribution to a cover story on Whitney Houston's death in 2012. ... Benjamin Saadalla has been certified as a registrant of the National Registry of Certified Microbiologies (NRCM). To earn the credential, Saadalla first met rigorous educational and experiential eligibility requirements and then passed a comprehensive written examination. The NRCM is a voluntary certifying body, founded in 1958, and has certified microbiologists all over the world.
'05 Jermaine Archer is an assistant professor in the American Studies department at the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. Archer has been recognized by the SUNY board of trustees with the Chancellor's
Award for Excellence in Teaching. ... Vivian Pham is a vice president and community development officer with Wells Fargo. She recently participated in a volunteer leave program with the company as one of 24 Wells Fargo team members from across the country to help underserved communities. In her volunteer role, she chose to work with Oak View Renewal Partnership, a community development nonprofit, because of its grassroots, communitywide approach.
'08 Gabrielle Goodman is a Ph.D. candidate in bioengineering at UCR. In 2011, she received the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow Award. ... Amanda Fryer is a research specialist at Collector's Universe in Santa Ana. She was recently married to Joseph Kruska on June 29, 2013.
'09 Vanessa Wilkie was appointed to the position of William A. Moffett Curator of Medieval and British Historical Manuscripts at Huntington Library in San Marino. ... Kevin Tran is an underwriting associate at Comerica Bank in Costa Mesa. He and his wife, Michelle, have two children, Crystal Vy and Kenneth Trung.
'10 Rex Lacambacal is a student and intern for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla. He is completing his final year at CSU Channel Islands, working toward a master's degree in biotechnology and bioinformatics with an emphasis in stem cell technology and laboratory management. Lacambacal was awarded the CIRM Bridges to Stem Research scholarship this past year to conduct stem cell research. ... Brenda Martinez, three-time All-American, took home the bronze medal in the 800m at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships. Martinez became the first American woman to medal in the 800m.
'11 Elizabeth Paich received the Academic Excellence Merit Award from Kid Castle Educational Corp. in Shanghai.
'12 Louie Lacasellareceived the Wes McClure Scholarship from the California City Management Foundation. Lacasella is a first-generation college student and community college graduate. While attending UCR, he interned for, and completed, an undergraduate research course with Professor Ron Loveridge. Upon his graduation from UCR, Lacasella received the Pay It Forward, First Generation University Student Award established by Professor Ronald J. Schmidt. ... Athena Lark recently published her book, "Avenue of Palms," which she began writing while a student at UCR. She is a retired U.S. Navy veteran and is writing her second book, "Sailor Girl," about her life in the Navy.
'13 Lynn Chang began a new career as a customer success associate at Udemy in San Francisco. The company is an online platform that offers a number of courses for users to complete online. Chang previously worked for UCR at a residential conference coordinator and served as the executive director for Dance Marathon 2013, a six-hour fund-raising event for foster care youth.
Are you celebrating a milestone event? Maybe you published your latest book, you got elected to office or you just turned 100. Tell us all about it, send a picture and we'll celebrate with you! Email us at news@ucr.edu and we'll include it in the next UCR Magazine.
The Chancellorial Investituture of
Kim A. Wilcox As Ninth Chancellor of the University of California Riverside
Will take place Thursday, April 24, 2014, 2 P.M.
Please save the date and plan to join us at this celebratory occasion.
Chancellor Wilcox began his term as chancellor of UC Riverside on August 19, 2013.
FORMAL INVITATIONS WILL BE MAILED IN MARCH 2014
INQUIRIES: (951)-827-3144
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'55 Shirley Butler, retired vice principal in the Fresno Unified School District. Butler was part of UCR's first graduating class; she received a B.S. in anthropology and education. July 2013.
'57 Kenneth Lynch, teacher and debate coach at Sacra- mento City College. October 2013.
'61 Pete Kettela, former football coach and UCR student athlete. September 2013.
'63 Elizabeth Paynter, teacher at Terrace Elementary School. September 2013.
'66 Robert Van Kemper, Southern Methodist University anthropology professor and an ordained Presbyterian minister. November 2013.
'68 William Spanos Jr., faculty at University of Louis- ville. September, 2013.
'75 James Scholz, psychol- ogist at county of Riverside. November 2013.
'80 Gary Tedeschi, adminis- trator at Alvord Unified School District. August 2013.
'81 Mark Samartha, bookkeeper at St. John's Episcopal Church. November 2013.
John G. Gabbert, oneof Riverside's most prominent citizens and a key founder of UC Riverside, died on Dec. 9,
2013, at the age of 104.
As a founding member of the Citizens University Committee (CUC), Gabbert was instru- mental in the efforts to bring a University of California campus to Riverside.
He went on to become a founding member of the UC Riverside Foundation Board of Trustees, serving from 1980 through 1998. He was the first recipient of the UCR Founda- tion's Trustee's Award for Extraordinary Service. He also received the UC Riverside Founders Award and the CUC's Outstanding Service Award. His other awards include the Riverside Bar Association Krieger Service Award and The Leo A. Deegan Inn of the Court Award.
Last year, the CUC established an endowed scholarship in his name to provide scholarships to UCR students from the Inland area.
UCR Extension also created a history of Gabbert's life and put it on two DVDs.
Gabbert was preceded in death by his wife, Katherine, who passed away in 1999. Gabbert is survived by his daughters, Sarah and Katherine; his son Scott; and a number of grandchildren.
The family would like memorial donations to be made to the Gabbert Justice Fund, which is administered through the Riverside Community Foundation, or to the John Gabbert Scholarship at UCR.
John Dale Radewald, Cooperative Extension specialist emeritus in the Department of Nematology, passed away on Jan. 2. Dr. Radewald joined UCR in 1962 and retired in 1991, following 29 years as a Cooper- ative Extension specialist.
Widely recognized as an excellent speaker and teacher with hundreds of publications, Radewald was called "the best Extension nematologist in the business," and carried out a wide-ranging research program in nematicides and nematode control.
Born Feb. 15, 1929, in Niles, Mich., he earned a B.S. in botany from Arizona State University in 1952, an M.S. in plant pathology from Oklahoma A&M College in 1956, and a Ph.D. in plant pathology from UC Davis in 1960. In 1991, Radewald received the CibaGeigy Award from the American Phytopathological Society.
John is survived by his wife of 60 years, Bette Miller Radewald; a son, Krik Radewald, who obtained his Ph.D. in plant pathology at UCR; a daughter, Myra Radewald Williamson;and three grandchildren, Kort, Konnor and Keligh.
John Keith Oddson, associate professor of mathematics emeritus, passed away on Nov. 27, 2013, three days short of his 78th birthday.
Born on Nov. 30, 1935,in Canada, Oddson received a B.A.Sc. in physics from the University of Toronto in 1957, an S.M. in electrical engineering from MIT in 1960 and a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from the University of Maryland in 1965. In 1967 he joined the faculty of the Department of Mathematics at UCR.
Oddson was known for his dedication to his students and his work in both pure and applied research. He was active in faculty life, serving on many senate and college committees and in the UCR chapter of Sigma Xi. He was an important member of the planning committee that established the Bourns College of Engineering and subsequently served for 10 years as its associate dean for Undergraduate Affairs.
Oddson retired from UCR in 2002 but continued to live in Riverside with his wife, Marolyn. She survives, along with daughters Karen and Kathy.
Page: 36
By Litty Mathew
Shah Selbe's childhood fascination with Jacques Cousteau TV specials has led to more than a love of the world's oceans. It's made him one of the 2013 National Geographic Emerging Explorers, a coveted honor for emerging thinkers.
Selbe ('04) gained attention for his work on FishNET, a system that collects crowdsourced data on fishing vessels and exploited areas. It is one example of how engineering can be used to conserve the world's oceans and stop illegal fishing.
"I remember being amazed at what lay beneath the ocean's surface," Selbe said. "It's another world down there, and one that has a unique importance as the giver of life on this planet."
His project caught the interest of experts who nominated him, along with 16 other visionaries, for the prestigious $10,000 award for research and exploration.
"The more I started looking at the issue, the more I saw engineering solutions to those problems. I came to realize that there are easier solutions than what's currently being done," Selbe said. "The world is becoming increasingly connected and data collected and shared at a level that we have never imagined.
"The technology space is brimming with innovation but we have yet to take advantage of it to solve the massive problems of overfishing," he added.
Selbe sees the oceans as the last great unexplored frontier on Earth. A passion. An interesting perspective for a scientist at Boeing whose day job is as a spacecraft propulsion scientist and engineer. He works on liquid and ion propulsion systems for satellites and other unmanned spacecraft for commercial and government programs. He has a master's degree from the University of Southern California and continues his studies in management science and engineering at Stanford.
"I'm proud of the time I spent at UCR; it gave me the strong foundation I need in engineering and science to get where I am today," Selbe said. "That's where I learned the fundamentals in engineering problem solving and how to work hard and focus on a specific goal."
"The oceans are currently facing an unprecedented threat," Selbe said. "Every day we ignore this plight is another day that its health spirals further toward a point where it may become too late."Selbe is an advocate of engineering's ability to harness design and science to improve humanity and solve our greatest problems. His's faith in the power of engineering, drove him to look at its use in other areas. "There are smarter ways to do conservation work, and engineers are at the core of it," he said.
Check out photos from Shah Selbe's travels on MAGAZINEARCHIVE.UCR.EDU
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Real world Solutions
All in the numbers: Demographic research by UCR political scientist Karthick Ramakrishnan reveals the rapid rise of Asian Americans and the impact of their voting patterns on immigration reform, civic engagement, and national politics.
Crime Prevention
Water Quality
Climate Change
Bilingual Literacy
Explore more policy impacts promise.ucr.edu
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