Announcements

New Feminist Studies program approved! Women's Studies will begin recruiting students for the new M.A./Ph.D. program this fall.

Sara Miller McCune and SAGE Publications Establish Endowed Chair for UCSB Dean of Social Sciences: UC Santa Barbara has received a $500,000 gift from Sara Miller McCune and SAGE Publications Inc. to establish an endowed chair for the dean of social sciences. The gift will support the teaching, research, and special activities of Melvin L. Oliver, a distinguished UCSB professor of sociology and dean of the social sciences. In honor of the gift, the leadership position will be known as the SAGE Sara Miller McCune Dean of Social Sciences.

Verta Taylor, Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at UC Santa Barbara, receives the John D. McCarthy Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Scholarship of Social Movements and Collective Behavior.

American Association for the Advancement of Science Names Fellows: Barbara Herr Harthorn, Associate Professor of Women's Studies and Director of the Center for Nanotechnnology in Society, was named 2008 Fellow for contributions in bringing together scientists, social scientists, policymakers, and the general public to gain awareness and understanding of the risks and opportunities in science and technology.

Mellichamp Academic Initiative,
Four Endowed Chairs to Join Faculty:
UC Santa Barbara is pleased to announce the creation of four distinguished professorships, two in the social sciences and two in the humanities, that will be clustered around the study of global civil society.

New Endowed Chair in Demography: The Division of Social Sciences is searching for senior scholars in demography. The position is open until filled.

In the News

U.S. News & World Report: Sociology receives top rankings in Sex & Gender and Sociology of Culture.

U.S. News & World Report: UC Santa Barbara's Global & International Studies program is featured in the March issue, Best Graduate Schools, "How an International Approach Can Help Your Degree," by Diane Cole.

Chinese Americans Divided on Olympic Torch: Professor Pei-te Lien, Professor of Political Science, discusses the issueswith Sachi Fujimori, PBS New Hour.

Learning from Our Arid Past: Anthropology Professor Emeritus, Brian Fagan, writes about "More Droughts, Less Water--Our Future Depends on Adapting to Scarcity," in the LA TIMES. More

Laguna Beach's Lucky Schools Escape State's Funding Crunch: Jon Sonstelie, Professor of Economics, educates readers about school financing in the LA TIMES.

First-Class Honor for Brave Latino Journalist: The San Francisco Chronicle explores Ruben Salazar's career with UCSB Professor of History and Chicana and Chicano Studies, Mario Garcia.

HispanicBusiness.com: Sociology Professor Jon Cruz comments on pushing populist buttons in "Vodka Advertisement in Mexico Causes Uproar," by Leanndra Martinez.

Ageist Language Affects Workplace Productivity, Profits: Howard Giles, Professor of Communication, discusses the role of ageist language and how it plays in age-discrimination lawsuits in the April 2008 issue of Occupational Hazards, the authority on occupational safety, health, and loss prevention.

The New York Times: Columnist Nicholas Kristof explores, "Our Racist, Sexist Selves," with John Tooby, Professor of Anthroplogy. Is racism easier to override than sexism?

Special Events

Space, Race, and Power Conference:
The Department of Black Studies will host the Race, Place and Power Critical Issues in America program during 2007-08. This is a year long series of classes, forums, presentations, and discussions aimed at evaluating emerging concepts, theories, and policies about race and space. The next event, "Speaking Truth to Power: Black Women in Post-Katrina New Orleans," takes place on May 14 at 2:00 p.m. in the Multicultural Center Lounge.

My Entrepreneurial Journey from UCSB to MySpace and Beyond: Josh Berman, Co-founder and former chief operating officer of MySpace.com, will give the Herbert C. Kay Undergraduate Lecture, hosted by the Department of Economics, on May 19, in Campbell Hall at 2:30pm. Admission is free.

Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden History of Popular Music
Black Studies will host a signing party honoring Professors Cedric Robinson and George Lipsitz at 4:00 p.m. on May 28, in the University Center's State Street Room.

UCSB Economic Forecast Project presents new California and United States Economic Outlook Seminars: After 27 years of economic forecast seminars in the Tri-Counties, the Economic Forecast Project is now producing United States and California Economic Outlook seminars quarterly at locations throughout California. The next event is on June 4, in Santa Ynez, California.