“Republican War on Science” Author Event

Chris Mooney, author of The Republican War on Science, will be discussing his book here on campus.

Date: Monday, May 1, 2006, 12:30-1:30 pm
Location: Natural Sciences Building, First Floor Auditorium

The program is presented by the Division of Physical Sciences and UCSD Science Studies Program

Thiemens & Onuchic Elected to NAS

Mark H. Thiemens (Chemistry/Biochemistry and Dean of the Division of Physical Sciences) and José N. Onuchic (Physics and Co-Director of the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics) were among the 3 UCSD faculty just elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

From the UCSD press release:
Thiemens, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, is an expert in atmospheric chemistry whose studies frequently employ rocket-borne sampling to understand the chemistry of the earth’s upper atmosphere.

Onuchic, a professor of physics, has since 2002 co-directed the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, which uses the theoretical tools of physics to understand the fundamental principles governing complex biological systems. This interdisciplinary approach—carried out jointly by physicists, chemists, mathematicians and biologists—has begun to provide biologists with a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing complex biological systems, such as networks of neurons or biochemical pathways in the assembly of proteins, and allowed physicists to develop new principles and models for complex systems based on biological phenomena.

Chien & McCammon - AAAS Fellows

Shu Chien (Bioengineering) and J. Andrew McCammon (Chemistry/Biochemistry) were among the 6 UCSD faculty elected as Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences this week.

From the UCSD press release:
Shu Chien, 74, directs the Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering and is a university professor of bioengineering and medicine. An expert on how blood flow and pressure affect vessels, his research has led to the development of better diagnostic tests and treatments for atherosclerosis and other diseases. Chien was the founding chair of the Jacobs School of Engineering’s Department of Bioengineering, which is ranked among the top programs its kind, and he is one of less than ten scholars worldwide to be elected to all the U.S. national academies. (see press release from the Jacobs School of Engineering)

J. Andrew McCammon, 59, a professor of pharmacology and of chemistry and biochemistry, and an expert in computational biology and chemistry. An investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, he uses sophisticated computer models to examine how protein molecules function so that effective new drugs can be developed.

Nature Physics available online

The UC’s have purchased online access to Nature Physics. You may read articles from October 2005 to present and receive RSS feeds to alert you when new issues are available. Use http://www.nature.com/nsmb/current_issue/rss for this journal. See RSS Feeds for Science & Engineering for more infomation on setting up RSS for select journals.

UCSD S&E Library will not have the print edition of this new journal. If you have suggestions for other journals that you think the library should have, please let us know.

San Francisco Earthquake Centennial

Among all of the resources and activities commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, here are some highlights:

• A Virtual Tour of the 1906 Earthquake in Google Earth, from the US Geological Survey. Includes photographs, detailed geologic information about the 1906 quake, and current information about earthquake hazards. You will need to download Google Earth to get the most out of this site.
• The 1906 Centennial Alliance, sponsored by the SF Chronicle, USGS, American Red Cross, Pacific Gas & Electric, etc., is a listing of all of the activities and events going on in the Bay Area related to the earthquake and aftermath. This includes historical, artistic and scientific events. Of particular note for scientists and engineers is the 100th Anniversary Earthquake Conference, with 100+ technical sessions.
• Not surprisingly, the San Francisco Chronicle has compiled a massive online archive of “The Great Quake” that includes photo galleries and podcasts.
• The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire Digital Collection, an online exhibit and image archive compiled from archives and special collections from 6 organizations including Berkeley’s Bancroft Library.

New UCSD Articles: SE & MAE

Recent articles authored or co-authored by at least one member of the Departments of Structural or Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, as indexed in Web of Science. Includes Materials Science & Engineering.

Recursive filter estimation for feedforward noise cancellation with acoustic coupling
Zeng J, de Callafon RA
JOURNAL OF SOUND AND VIBRATION 291 (3-5): 1061-1079 APR 4 2006

Structural tests of precast, prestressed concrete deck panels for California freeway bridges
Dowell RK, Smith JW
PCI JOURNAL 51 (2): 76-+ MAR-APR 2006

Thermomechanical response of an Ni-Ti-Cr shape-memory alloy at low and high strain rates
Nemat-Nasser S, Choi JY
PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 86 (9): 1173-1187 MAR 21 2006

Mechanical properties of nanocrystalline materials
Meyers MA, Mishra A, Benson DJ
PROGRESS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE 51 (4): 427-556 MAY 2006

Sensor network paradigms for structural health monitoring
Farrar CR, Park G, Allen DW, Todd MD
STRUCTURAL CONTROL & HEALTH MONITORING 13 (1): 210-225 JAN-FEB 2006
Continue reading New UCSD Articles: SE & MAE…

Spring 2006 Workshops: RefWorks, Patents, etc.

The Spring 2006 list of S&E Library Workshops is now available:

• The S&E Library is offering 2 returning workshops (Just for Engineers and Introduction to Patents) and 2 new ones (Inspec for Physics and –by popular demand– Intermediate Patents). Additional workshops may be scheduled later in the quarter.
  • To register, send an e-mail to science@library.ucsd.edu

  • Questions: Susan Shepherd, 534-2480
• The RefWorks classes have their own registration page. These workshops, unless otherwise specified are geared for undergraduates in any major. Librarians from the S&E, Biomedical, and Social Sciences & Humanities Libraries are leading these workshops and will use examples from databases in all three subject/discipline groups. Please contact the S&E RefWorks contact person if you have any questions, or want to schedule a time outside of these workshops for training.