Monday, January 12, 1998
Community Briefs
UC budget could be fatter next year
The University of California could receive an eight percent
increase in 1998-99, if Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposed budget goes
through.
The increases are earmarked for specific areas. Chiefly, they
will offset the cost of the 5 percent reduction in undergraduate
fees approved last year.
Another winner in the budget proposal is high-tech. A total of
$20.6 million has been designated to enroll more students in
engineering and computer science programs. In addition, the budget
includes $4 million for instructional technology, $3 million for
the California Digital Library, and another $1 million to develop
classes for the Virtual University.
Another $7 million increase is earmarked for the
Industry-University Cooperative Outreach Program, to promote
research partnerships between the UCs and private industry.
Another $6 million is devoted to building maintenence.
The increases also include $5 million for student outreach and
school improvement programs, plus another $5 million for academic
programs and planning for the proposed UC Merced campus.
A university statement responded to these proposals as
"generally consistent with those supported by the university" but
left it open for further discussion.
UCSD coffee poisoning to be investigated
Call it one wicked brew. On the morning of Nov. 5, six
researchers at the UCSD School of Medicine were rushed to hospital
emergency rooms after drinking coffee laced with the neurotoxic
chemical acrylamide during a lab meeting.
After tests revealed that the quantity of acrylamide found in
both the coffee and the coffee grounds was too great to be
dismissed as an accidental contamination, campus police launched a
criminal investigation into the incident.
According to UCSD Assistant Police Chief Jay Dyer, campus
detectives are conducting interviews and gathering information, but
have failed to identify any suspects.
The victims, two graduate students and four staff members,
experienced "almost immediate nausea and weakness," said Ruth
Covell, an Associate Dean at the School of Medicine. However, the
acrylamide found in the coffee did not approach lethal levels and
the researchers returned to work that day.
Despite this speedy recovery, Covell said little is known about
the long term implications of this type of acrylamide exposure.
"Most of what is known about acrylamide has to do with
peripheral effects of chronic exposure," Covell said. "There is
little information about a single exposure.’
Acrylamide is a white, water-soluble crystal used to make gels
for protein analysis. According to Covell, this chemical is common
and easily accessible to those working within the medical school,
but one that an outsider would be unable to attain.
Vice provost named for development
UCLA’s college of letters and sciences has named a new vice
provost for development: Rick Ventura, UC Riverside’s assistant
vice chancellor for development.
Ventura will head up all the fund-raising initiatives of the
College, including its $150 million share of Campaign UCLA, which
aims to raise $1.2 billion total by June 30, 2002.
Ventura called the College "the heart of UCLA" and stressed the
need to raise outside funding. The college receives only 20 percent
of its funding from the state.
Compiled from Daily Bruin staff and wire reports.