The University of California, San Diego was listed third in Sierra Magazine’s 2011 “Coolest Schools” report released Aug. 17 as part of the environmental magazine’s annual sustainability ranking of U.S. colleges and universities.
Even though she's a staff member, Anna Gandolfi looks forward to commencement every year. And she starts thinking about it way before June. That's because she helps to plan the numerous graduation ceremonies. In addition to her duties as the business officer at John Muir College, she took on the additional commencement coordination duties in 2008 when the Council of Provosts appointed her to the position. She has worked at UC San Diego for more than two decades and was named a UC San Diego Exemplary Employee of the Year in 2006. She has also served as Chair of the Staff Association. In this interview, she talks about the challenges and fun of coordinating so many commencement ceremonies, her volunteer work and what she's learned about UC San Diego over the years.
From "Glee" to "The Sing-Off," television shows are bringing a cappella singing into the mainstream. And a new a cappella group at UC San Diego—Acamazing—is gaining popularity right here in La Jolla. Composed of 19 students, the group has a number of songs under their belts, which they've performed both on and off campus. You can see video of their concerts on their website and on YouTube. Freshman Caitlyn Cibulsky serves as the administrative affairs officer for the group and, in this interview, she talks about why Acamazing is special.
As the new Vice Chancellor for Research, Sandra Brown oversees an office responsible for many of the university's key functions, including Organized Research Units, contracts & grants, technology transfer, animal care and welfare, research ethics and postdoctoral scholars, among others. A professor and researcher herself, she knows firsthand both the rewards and challenges of UC San Diego's research enterprise. She was appointed to her position in December 2010, just after the university surpassed $1 billion in research funding for the first time, a milestone that included bringing in more federal stimulus dollars than any other UC campus. In this interview, she talks about why research is an integral part of UC San Diego's mission and 50-year history, and what's next for the Office of Research Affairs.
After growing up in a predominantly Latino community in Los Angeles, Jacob Bailey had an eye-opening experience when he transferred from a Southern California community college to the University of Utah as an undergraduate. He realized he was one of only seven Latinos in his class at the College of Science, so he set out on a personal mission to recruit and encourage underrepresented students to attend college. Now a second-year medical student at UC San Diego, he continues his outreach efforts through the School of Medicine. He is determined to give back to his community through his research and career in medicine. .
After losing a college professor to AIDS, and later close friends to the disease, Steffanie Strathdee has dedicated herself to HIV-prevention and research. Now the Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences and Director of the Global Health Initiative at UC San Diego, she is focused on enhancing collaboration and communication among global health researchers on campus. She remains engaged in a number of HIV prevention research projects and training programs in international settings including Mexico, India, Canada and Afghanistan, and she leads three NIH-funded studies about HIV risk behavior. In addition, she is a Harold Simon Professor and Chief of the Division of Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine. In this interview, she talks about her research, the importance of collaboration in addressing global health issues, and how she and others at UC San Diego are taking action.
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