UCI events attract inquiring minds

For 40 years, UC Irvine has sought to engage those who place no limits on their curiosity, whose areas of expertise and interests cross multiple disciplines.

Upcoming public events reflect this Renaissance spirit. They encompass a world of academic and creative pursuits, from the stars above -- as seen through UCI’s observatory telescope -- to the university orchestra playing on campus below.

For history buffs, or anyone interested in the university’s early planning, UCI Libraries offers a 40th anniversary symposium, “Designing UCI: Celebrating Forty Years of Innovation,” at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, at the Barclay Theatre.

The symposium covers three major topics: building a university-centered city in Irvine, with remarks by former Irvine Co. president Ray Watson; campus architecture, with campus architect Rebekah Gladson; and a design for academic excellence, with founding faculty member and memory expert James McGaugh.

A longtime Newport Beach resident, McGaugh joined UCI in 1964 as chair of what is now the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior. For a young man, planning UCI was a heady experience -- a “daily Disneyland.”

“How many people get to help establish a university from scratch?” he asked. “It was incredibly exciting -- and fatiguing. There was so much to do I was exhausted at the end of each day.”

Over four decades, McGaugh has held key administrative positions on campus while teaching and conducting groundbreaking research on how memories are stored in the brain -- “the set of machinery that captures our past and allows us to plan for the future.” In 1981 he founded the renowned Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at UCI; a campaign is under way to create an endowed chair in his name.

McGaugh personifies UCI’s inquisitive spirit. He likes to figure out how things work without consulting manuals. He’s an avid woodworker and plays both saxophone and clarinet in local jazz groups.

“I like to work with my hands,” he said. “For a while my family thought I’d become an auto mechanic. Then I went to college to study music and drama, but science captivated me.”

Those like McGaugh whose interests extend beyond their chosen fields can enjoy other public events at UCI.

For music lovers, the UCI Symphony Orchestra begins its 2005-06 season with “Night in Vienna!” at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Barclay Theatre.

Conducted by Stephen Tucker, the orchestra will perform “Overture to Die Fledermaus” and waltzes by Johann Strauss Jr., as well as “Oboe Concerto” by Richard Strauss with soloist Jonathan Davis. Friday also features a 7 p.m. preconcert talk with the conductor. Tickets are $8 to $12. For information, call (949) 824-2787.

The orchestra will also perform “Musical Poetry: Liszt, Gounod and Delius,” Dec. 2 and 3; “Gods and Demons,” featuring works by Mozart, Beethoven and Weber with pianist Nina Scolnik, May 5 and 6; and “Masterpiece Theater,” featuring the world premiere of composer Bernard Gilmore’s “Breed Street” and Act III of “La Boheme” with the UCI Opera, June 9 and 10.

For stargazers, UCI brings the universe into sharper focus with “Visitor Night at the UCI Observatory” from 7 to 9 p.m. Sat., Nov. 5. Astronomers can bring their own telescopes or peer at Mars, star clusters and galaxies through UCI telescopes. The evening includes a lecture titled “Mars and the Search for Life in the Solar System.”

Parking is available for $7 in the student center parking structure at West Peltason and Pereira drives. Free shuttle buses will travel to and from the observatory throughout the event. If Visitor Night is canceled, a notice will be posted by 3 p.m. that day at www.physics.uci.edu/~observat. The site also offers a map and driving directions.

As UCI celebrates its 40th year through the fall quarter, these and other events assure its Renaissance spirit will continue to flourish.

Anita hill will

speak on campus

Anita Hill, a key witness in the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, will speak on “Race, Gender and the Supreme Court” at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, in Humanities Instructional Building, Room 100. Hill, a professor of social policy, law and women’s studies at Brandeis University, is the author of “Speaking Truth to Power,” in which she recounts her experiences at the Thomas hearings. The keynote of the 2005 UCI Rainbow Festival, her talk is free and open to the public. For information or reservations, call (949) 824-2002.

Delaying Alzheimer’s

disease topic Nov. 3

Carl Cotman, professor of neurology at UCI’s School of Medicine and executive director of the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, will speak on “Delaying Alzheimer’s Disease: Behavioral, Dietary and Pharmacological Interventions,” on Thursday, Nov. 3. Presented by the Newkirk Center for Science and Society, the free public talk will be held at the Beckman Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a reception. For information or reservations, call (949) 824-9336 or e-mail [email protected].

Hurricanes on menu

at the Science Café