Currents (October 1, 1999; Vol. 10, No. 1)

              News
Ali Akbar Khan, considered
one of the world's greatest
living musicians, has been
named distinguished adjunct
professor of music at UCSC.
He will give a public concert
this month. See page 2.
Digest
Eleven UCSC professors and
lecturers, nominated by
students, received the
Academic Senate's Excellence
in Teaching Awards for the
1998-99 academic year. See
page 8.
UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA,    SANTA    CRUZ
Calendar
Enjoy live music, food,
hayrides, kid's games and
crafts, and fresh produce at the
Farm & Garden's annual
Harvest Festival. This year, the
event takes place on Saturday,
October 9- See page 6.
Vol. 10, No. 1
Published monthly by the Office of Public Information for the campus community
OCTOBER 1, 1999
1999-2000 academic year gets under way
By Jim Burns
n September 23, the first day of
instruction in the 1999-2000
school year, UCSC officials
projected that fall-quarter
enrollment would reach
approximately 11,400—419 more
students than were officially enrolled
last fall. (Enrollment totals become
official following the third week of
insttuction.) Othet enrollment
information follows:
UCSC's student body
• Of the 11,400 students
expected to enroll, approximarely
10,335 are undergraduates; 1,065,
enrolled in graduate studies.
• Of the undergraduates,
approximately 3,350 are new
students (freshmen and transfer
students). The total number of new
students this yeat is 82 more than
the total number of new students
who enrolled last fall (3,268).
• These 3,350 new under-
Andrea Marlisa ofFontana, Calif., was among the nearly 2,700 undergrads who moved
into residence halls and apartments last month, marking the start of the academic year.
graduates were admitted from among
18,475 applicants for undergraduate
admission to UCSC.
Profile of new freshmen:
• Approximately 2,450 of the
3,350 new undergraduates are
in the freshman class.
• Of the total numbet of
freshmen, 805 idenrified themselves
as African American, Chicano,
Latino, Ametican Indian, Asian/
See Facts, back page
NSF funds new UCSC-based
Center for Adaptive Optics
By Tim Stephens
CSC will lead a multi-
institutional pattnetship
to advance the field of
adaptive optics, which
promises to revolutionize
astronomy and
vision science.
The
National
Science
Foundation's
governing body,
the National
Science Board,
approved a
proposal in July
to establish a
Center for Adaptive Optics at
UCSC. The multi-institutional
center will coordinate the efforts of
"Our astronomers are leaders
in the development and use
of new technologies, and
adaptive optics is an exciting
interdisciplinary field."
—Chancellor Greenwood
researchers across the country
involved in the rapidly developing
field of adaptive optics, which has
major applications in astronomy and
vision science.
The Center for Adaptive Optics,
expected to begin operation in
November, is one
of five Science and
Technology Centers
approved for the
National Science
Foundation (NSF)
this yeat. NSF
program guidelines
allow for financial
commirments of
up to $20 million
over five years for
each center, but final awards under
these cooperative agreements are
See Optics, back page
Professor appointed to National
Endowment for the Humanities
By Barbara McKenna
UCSC historian is one of five
people named by President
Clinton to serve on the 26-
member board of the National
Endowment fot the Humanities.
Pedro Castillo, an associate
professor of histoty, was named as
one of five new members to serve on
the National Council on the
Humanities, the advisory board of
the National Endowment fot the
Humanities (NEH). The nominees
were identified in an announcement
released by the White House in
September Theif appointments will
be made official following Senate
approval. The Narional Council on
the Humanities advises NEH
Chairman William Ferris on policies
and programs and grant allocations.
Members serve six-year tetms.
Castillo is well prepared for the
new duties he will take on, having
served as a member of rhe California
Council for the Humanities, an
NEH-affiliated program, since
January. Among his priorities as an
NEH council member will be to
support research in nontraditional
subject areas examining such issues
as race, class, and gender.
Pedro Castillo
"In the last few decades, studies
in the humanities have broadened
out from rhe traditional Western
canon. I want to encourage these
inclusive petspectives that emphasize
the significance of the histories and
cultures of marginalized gender,
ethnic, and class groups," he said.
Castillo is cofoundet and a former
director of UCSC's Chicano/Latino
Research Center. His teaching and
research focus on the history and
politics of Mexican Americans in
the U.S.
currents.ucsc.edul99-OOI09-20l
castillo.html
Campus named one of America's
most beautiful landscapes
Award cites integration of
architecture, natural landscape
By Francine Tyler
hat do UCSC, Hearst Castle,
and Disneyland have in
common? Each are among the
most beautifully landscaped
spots in the countty, according
to the American Society of Landscape
Architects (ASLA).
The ASLA has recognized the
landscape of UCSC and 361 other
sites nationwide in celebration of the
national professional society's 100-
yeat anniversary. The sites will each
receive a brass Medallion Awatd and
were fearured at the ASLA's national
meeting in Boston last month.
"The awards recognize landscapes
that have had educational value to
the public at latge, and which
represent good landscape
architecture," said Glenn Rock,
president of the Northetn Califotnia
Chapter of the ASLA.
At UCSC, the awatd recognizes
how well the buildings were
integrated into the natural landscape,
particularly the existing tree canopy,
said Rock. "The designers really took
advantage of the trees and both on-
and off-site views."
Twenty-two of the award-winning
sites are college or university
campuses. In addition to UCSC,
three other California academic
landscapes received recognition: UC
Betkeley, UCLA's Murphy Sculpture
Gatden, and Stanfofd Universiry.
currents.ucsc.edul99-00l09-13lasla.htm
This aerial view of Crown and Merrill Colleges illustrates the integration of natural
landscape and architecture cited by the ASLA.
UCSC, city reach
agreement on
parking structure
I" he parking-strucrure project
planned for the Science Hill
area of campus cleared a
hurdle in September when
I   campus and Santa Ctuz
officials signed an agreement that
includes a promise from the city
not to sue to stop construction.
The campus, in return,
agreed to contribute $250,000
toward the mutual development
of a transportation master plan
for Sanra Cruz; the city is
contributing the same amount.
The campus also agreed not to
pursue in the near future the
idea of an eastern access route
rhat would connect the campus
to Highway 9-
Speaking in the office of
Assembly Speaker Pro Tern Fred
Keeley, who facilitated
discussions between the two
sides, Chancellor Greenwood
said the agreement ushers in a
"new era of cooperation between
the university and the city."
The parking structure is
expected to be completed a year
from now.