September 14, 2017
September 14, 2017 —
The University of California San Diego’s Department of Physics is hosting a celebration open to the public called “Shelly Schultz Symposium: A Life in Science,” Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Ida and Cecil Green Faculty Club on campus—guests planning to attend are required to register in advance. The symposium celebrates the vast achievements of Sheldon “Shelly” Schultz, the late professor of physics who, along with colleagues, discovered metamaterials that were recognized as a scientific breakthrough by the journal “Science” in 2003. Their research created a new class of materials that have unique optical properties and have been used in a number of modern technological applications, including manipulating light to force it to circumvent objects, creating a so-called “cloak of invisibility”—similar to the one made famous in the Harry Potter books and films.
August 31, 2017
August 31, 2017 —
An international team of astronomers, including University of California San Diego physicist Adam Burgasser, have used the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to estimate whether there might be water on the seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the nearby dwarf star TRAPPIST-1. The results suggest that the outer planets of the system might still harbor substantial amounts of water—enough to increase their habitability potential.
August 2, 2017
August 2, 2017 —
The University of California San Diego Department of Literature ranks among the best in the nation for creative writing. Alumna Kaitlin Solimine’s (MFA, ’11) “Empire of Glass” demonstrates that excellence with its inclusion on The Center for Fiction's 2017 First Novel Prize long list. Her premier novel, which emerged from her MFA thesis, is an investigation into the workings of human memory and the veracity of oral history that pushes the boundaries between language and form in profound ways.
July 10, 2017
July 10, 2017 —
Through an initiative called “KNIT,” the University of California San Diego’s Division of Arts and Humanities is crafting collaboration and community on campus — digitally. By offering online tools collectively referred to as a “digital commons,” KNIT will enable university faculty, students and staff to customize websites for courses; research projects or personal academic portfolios; create or join public and private discussion groups devoted to shared interests; and network with communities both on and off campus. In addition to the KNIT online resource, the division has launched a Digital Arts & Humanities website, featuring initiatives of the Institute of Arts & Humanities (IAH) and related projects and resources on campus.
June 29, 2017
June 29, 2017 —
The University of California San Diego’s footprint is growing. This summer it extends to Canada’s Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity where Steven Schick looms large. The distinguished professor of music, Reed Family Presidential Chair holder, and music director and conductor of La Jolla Symphony and Chorus is serving as co-artistic director of Banff Centre’s 2017 Summer Classical Music Series. In the role, Schick, along with flautist Claire Chase, is creating programming under the theme of “Create, Refine, Amplify” that features a strong focus on chamber music plus new approaches to help develop classical musicians’ skills and careers. The program attracts hundreds of individual participants, established groups and renowned composers from around the world.
June 15, 2017
June 15, 2017 —
The University of California San Diego’s Department of Theatre and Dance is among the best: Hollywood Reporter recently listed the acting program #5 in the world. Part of its reputation is due to its unique partnership with the world-renowned La Jolla Playhouse. The UC San Diego-La Jolla Playhouse partnership includes a theater and dance residency program that offers students the opportunity to gain practical experience in acting, directing, design and stage management that sets them up for professional success.
May 31, 2017
May 31, 2017 —
The University of California San Diego takes the stage in many programs — its Department of Theatre and Dance easily commanding the spotlight. Ranked among the top five acting programs in the world by Hollywood Reporter, the department’s students graduate well-prepared for the theater profession. Cast with experience — due in part to a dynamic partnership with its acclaimed neighbor, La Jolla Playhouse — UC San Diego graduates consistently take the lead in television, film and stage careers. Proof positive are three recent Tony Award nominations earned by alumni Michael Greif (MFA directing, ’85), nominated for Best Direction of a Musical, “Dear Evan Hansen;” Jefferson Mays (MFA acting, ’91), nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, “Oslo;” and Paloma Young (MFA, costume design, ’06), nominated for Best Costume Design of a Musical, “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.”
April 28, 2017
April 28, 2017 —
The University of California San Diego’s Department of History is flush with scholars studying the fascinating histories of many parts of the world, from Africa and the Americas to the Middle East. Among them is assistant professor Nir Shafir, whose research explores what he calls “manuscript pamphlets” in the Ottoman Empire. These were cheap, short and handwritten treatises that transformed the religious and intellectual life of the Middle East over the 16th to 18th centuries.
April 17, 2017
April 17, 2017 —
George R. R. Martin, author of the series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” adapted on HBO as “Game of Thrones,” will visit the University of California San Diego May 1 and 2 to help raise funds for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop. Martin is a former instructor for the oldest science fiction and fantasy writing program, which resides within the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination. Considered the most prominent fantasy writer since J.R.R. Tolkien, Martin will engage in conversation about the craft of writing science fiction and fantasy with Kim Stanley Robinson, an esteemed science fiction writer and a UC San Diego Department of Literature alumnus. Their public discussion takes place Tuesday, May 2, 7 p.m., in the Price Center West Ballroom. Tickets are already sold out.
April 12, 2017
April 12, 2017 —
For 38 years Don Wayne applied his time and talent to the University of California San Diego in various capacities, from graduate student in literature to provost of Revelle College. Wayne, now professor emeritus in the Department of Literature, returns to campus as the department’s featured Alumni Lecture speaker.
