UCSC in the News is a weekly column summarizing prominent media placements UCSC faculty, staff, and students have received.
Sociologist Marcia Millman was quoted prominently in a New York Times article about the news that the gang-life memoir Love and Consequences was a fake, a revelation made by the author's sister. Millman, author of the book The Perfect Sister: What Draws Us Together, What Drives Us Apart, noted that people were almost as fascinated by the sisterly relationship as by the hoax.
. . . Also in the New York Times, Steve Gliessman of environmental studies was quoted in a trend story about the growing number of young people who are becoming farmers. Consumer demand for food produced locally and on a small scale is expanding opportunities for entry-level farmers, said Gliessman.
. . . Finally, the New York Times called on social psychology's Elliot Aronson for a story about buyer's remorse that focused on the "blissful ignorance" phenomenon. Aronson, an expert in cognitive dissonance, discussed the ways consumers justify their decisions and ultimately come to terms with their purchases. Aronson was also tapped by the Las Vegas Sun for insight into the news that a group of Las Vegas medical clinics reused syringes. Postulating that the psychological theory of "social facilitation" was at work, Aronson described how people can lull themselves into thinking their actions aren't dangerous. The story was distributed to numerous newspapers by the Scripps Howard News Service.
Engineering students Bill Hogan, Kevin Hichborn, Scott Therien and Laurel DeMarco won first place in a robotics competition and garnered media attention from KSCO Radio, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, and Dr. Dobb's Portal.
Britain's Morning Star ran an interview with history of consciousness professor Angela Davis about her work to reform the prison industrial complex.
Redbook magazine ran a blurb about research by psychologist Campbell Leaper on the relative loquaciousness of men and women.
Earth scientist Paul Koch was quoted in a story about California's prehistoric flightless duck that ran in the Oakland Tribune, Hayward Review, Fremont Argus, San Mateo County Times, and Alameda Times-Star.
Evolutionary biologist John Thompson was quoted in a San Francisco Chronicle story about the evolutionary arms race between garter snakes and newts.
Astrophysicist Jonathan Fortney was quoted in a Science Now article about the detection of organic molecules in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet.
The March issue of California Farmer magazine featured a nice spread on the trendsetting role of the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems.
Research on the potential for Earth-like planets in Alpha Centauri by astronomers Greg Laughlin and Javiera Guedes was covered by Discovery News and the Finnish magazine Stars and Space.
A study of Saturn's moon Tethys by planetary scientists Erinna Chen and Francis Nimmo was covered by the Hindustan Times and BBC News online.
A Space Daily story about research on the origins of life included a quote from biochemist William Scott.
Alan Richards of environmental studies was interviewed by Community Television for a program marking the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The station also rebroadcast a 2002 teach-in about the war that featured Richards.
The Educational Partnership Center was featured in the Watsonville Register-Pajaronian's coverage of the 2008 MESA Day Preliminary Competition.
Media Highlights provides monthly summaries of "UCSC in the News" columns.
