UC Santa Cruz Emeriti Association Report

2007 July 1 - 2008 June 30 Submitted by Stanley D. Stevens, Secretary/Treasurer

Awards

Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorship Award

The next nomination at UCSC will be made in Fall 2009 and the process rotates through the divisions: Physical-Biological Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Arts and Engineering.

Distinguished Social Sciences Emeriti Faculty Award

Professor Emeritus of Psychology Thomas Pettigrew will be honored at a special luncheon and award presentation on Thursday, April 24, 2008, at the Cultural Center of Merrill College, UCSC. This award, established by Dean of Social Sciences, Sheldon Kamieniecki, recognizes the valuable contributions that faculty continue to make after they retire from UC Santa Cruz. "Many emeriti faculty remain involved in their fields, and some utilize their talents to serve their communities in new and different ways. The success of the university is due, in part, to the foundation laid by the faculty who have built our departments and brought distinction to our divisions. The Distinguished Social Science Emeriti Faculty Award recognizes these achievements and honors outstanding emeriti faculty members."

"Dr. Pettigrew was chosen for this award by a selection committee of Social Sciences current and emeriti faculty members and students, who evaluated nominations submitted by faculty, staff, and alumni. We are looking forward to celebrating and honoring Dr. Pettigrew's impressive achievements and his many contributions to UC Santa Cruz and the broader community." [Prof. Kamieniecki's announcement, March 24, 2008]

Meetings

The UCSC Emeriti Group met/will meet on the third Thursday every-other month from September thru May - five occasions during 2007-2008. Our meetings include lunch at the Cowell College Provost's House, followed by a speaker and discussion. One meeting was held at University House as luncheon guests of Chancellor George Blumenthal. The average attendance is 30 members. Except for the Guest Speaker, each attendee paid for her/his own lunch. The rate was raised to $17.50 beginning with the March meeting.

Special Program

In cooperation with the UCSC Retirees Association, and with support from Chancellor Blumenthal, the Emeriti Group co-sponsored a financial planning workshop on March 26. The program, "Planning Today for Your Fiscal Tomorrow," was led by Adrian Harris, UCLA Vice Chancellor Emeritus. About 80 people attended-active staff and faculty as well as retirees and emeriti-and took away many useful ideas about planning for retirement.

Speakers & Topics Programs for UCSC Emeriti Group Luncheons 2007-2008

September: Joe Miller, Professor of Astronomy, Head of Lick Observatory --Tribute to the late Astronomer Emeritus Don Osterbrock November: Carter Wilson, UCSC Emeritus Professor of Community Studies --"Two Katuns' Contemplations of Maya Religious Festivities" January: Conversation with UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal. We were his guests for lunch at University House. March: Robert Curry, UCSC Emeritus Professor of Environmental Studies: "It's all about water" May: Nicole Paiement and Brian Staufenbiel --UCSC Opera Program: "Building a strong opera program at UCSC."

Members

The paid-up Membership rose slightly during the year: 72, the same as 2005-2006, but ahead of the 67 paid members for 2003-2004. A check for $72.00 was remitted to the CUCEA Treasurer.

Deaths

Frank C. Child, Professor Emeritus of Economics, died Jan. 25, Santa Cruz

Anthony L. Fink, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, Mar. 2, Santa Cruz

Stanley M. Flatté, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Nov. 4, Santa Cruz

Gary Lease, Professor Emeritus of History of Consciousness, died, Jan. 4, Santa Cruz

Max M. Levin, Lecturer Emeritus, Psychology, Senior Lecturer and Senior Preceptor at UC Santa Cruz's Crown College from 1967-1982, died Feb. 16in Portland, Oregon

Emeriti Lectures

The UCSC Emeriti Group sponsors, with financial support from the Chancellor, occasional community-wide lectures by one of the distinguished Emeritus Professors from our group. Lectures are intended (and attended) by all segments of our community - students, faculty, staff, and townspeople. These lectures are given two or three times during the year on a weekday evening and in a campus auditorium that is easily accessible to all. The Chairperson is responsible for coordinating the Emeriti Lectures.

Speakers for Emeriti Lectures for 2007-2008 November 14, 2007: David Cope, Professor Emeritus of Music. "WHY EXPERIMENTS IN MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE?" Professor Cope is the author of five books on computer-generated music. He explained why he created his program Experiments in Musical Intelligence, why this program works as it does, and why he used this software to create over 6,000 music compositions. He also discussed why he has turned to quite different, but related research and no longer composes using Experiments in Musical Intelligence.

The program included a musical Turing test, an on-the-spot computer composition, live performances, and the world premiere of a new work.

Professor Cope's awards include National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, ASCAP standard Panel Awards, Composers' Forum (New York City) award, Houston Composers Symposium Award, and numerous university grants. His over seventy published compositions have received thousands of performances throughout the U.S. and abroad.

April 9, 2008: G. William Domhoff, Research Professor Emeritus, Psychology and Sociology, and Chair of the UCSC Academic Senate Committee on Emeriti Relations, will deliver the Spring Emeriti Lecture, "THE AWESOME LAWFULNESS OF OUR NIGHTLY DREAMS." Domhoff, a member of the founding faculty of Cowell College when the campus opened in 1965, has been studying dreams on and off for 48 years, taking time out to write books on political power with titles such as Who Rules America?, The Higher Circles, The Powers That Be, and Diversity in the Power Elite. In this lecture, Domhoff highlights recent research using the 16,000 dreams on his web site: www.dreambank.net to demonstrate that dreams are far more lawful, consistent over time, and psychologically meaningful than popular myths and our foggy morning recall allow us to realize-but not in the ways Freud and Jung claimed. He is the author of three books about dreams: The Mystique of Dreams, Finding Meaning in Dreams, and The Scientific Study of Dreams. Domhoff was last year's winner of the Constantine Panunzio Distinguished Emeriti Award.

Officers

The Officers of the UCSC Emeriti Group for 2007-2008 are:

Chairwoman:

Melanie J. Mayer, Professor Emerita of Psychology

Secretary/Treasurer:

Stanley D. Stevens, Librarian Emeritus

CUCEA Representative:

Janice V. Corriden, Dean University Extension Emerita

 

CUCEA Attendance Dean Janice V. Corriden represented UCSC at the October 24, 2007, meeting of the Council of UC Emeriti Associations held at UC Davis. Michael J. Warren, Emeritus Professor of Literature, represented us at the April 24, 2008, meeting at UC Riverside.

Officers' Handbook

At the urging of former Chairman Joseph F. Bunnett, our current Chairwoman, Melanie J. Mayer, with the assistance of CUCEA Representative Janice V. Corriden and Secretary/Treasurer Stanley D. Stevens, has developed an Officer's Handbook.

The Handbook is intended as a set of guidelines for the officers of the UCSC Emeriti Group so that they may know their duties and have an idea of resources available and contacts necessary for fulfilling them.

Previously, much of the lore concerning ways and means of fulfilling an office was transmitted through personal communication with those who have served before. A copy of the Handbook has been deposited with the CUCEA Archivist.

Finances

Cost per Luncheon Provost's House: $ 2.00 per person per occasion to UCSC Cowell College Catering of Lunch: $ 13.70 per serving (including setup, buffet style) to UCSC Catering Wine: $ 1.50 per individual (approximately) to various wine merchants

$ 17.20 Bank Accounts Checking Account $ 570. as of April 1, 2007 (approx.) Savings Account $2,135. as of April 1, 2007 (approx.)