UC IRVINE EMERITI ASSOCIATION REPORT

JANUARY – JUNE 2009

Chancellor Michael Drake spoke at the 3^rd annual reception hosted by the UC Irvine Center for Emeriti and Retirees on January 23. He presented a campus update, centered on the new capital campaign. The 3^rd Annual Emeriti and Retirees’ Art Exhibit was held in conjunction with the reception. The art displayed included paintings, photographs, and many craft items.

On April 4, Erwin Chemerinsky, Founding Dean of the UCI School of Law and constitutional legal scholar, spoke to the Emeriti and Retiree Associations on his vision for the school, progress on its development, and implications of the results of the November 2008 election.

The 2008 Emeriti Benefits and Activities Survey revealed that two-thirds of the responding units provide private or shared office space to Emeriti who desire it. Only 30% of Emeriti did not want office space. In the future, a more realistic approach was suggested. The campus provides some common space for Emeriti and Retirees. Unlike some other campuses, UCI Emeriti rarely participate in department or school activities, possibly due to the lack of campus initiatives to invite them.

The UCIEA Executive Committee voted to contribute $1000 to Past-President Roland Schinzinger’s Memorial Fund, permitting the fund to become an endowment for an annual prize to a graduating senior in engineering who demonstrates great promise as an engineer, especially one with a strong commitment to community or community service.

June 9 was the date of the UCI Inaugural Retirees and Friends Golf Tournament, a very successful event.

Finally, the UCIEA Annual Meeting was held on June 10. Prior to the meeting we heard an inspiring presentation by Kenneth Mease, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, about “The Free Wheelchair Mission: Engineering at UCI.” This project by a group of engineering faculty and students improved on the original plastic lawn chair-based wheelchair, designed by retired Irvine engineer, Don Schoendorfer, to be more flexible and sturdy.

(See www.freewheelchairmission.org and www.uci.edu/uci./features/feature_wheelchair_090311.php.)

During the June 10 meeting, the UCIEA Mentoring Awards were presented to Laura Mosqueda, M.D., Professor of Clinical Family Medicine and Director of the

UCIEA Report January-June 2009

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Program in Geriatric Medicine, and Robert Folkenflik, Professor Emeritus of English. The Outstanding Emeritus Award was presented to Professor Hal Moore,

former Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Dean of the School of Physical Sciences.

The following UCI Emeriti passed away during this period: Richard Kroll, Professor of English and Director of the Summer Masters Program in English; Louis Gottschalk, founding Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior; Brenda Ross, Ed.D.; John William Roche, UCI Retiree and Emeritus; Stanley van den Noort, Professor of Neurology and former Dean of the College of Medicine, and Peter Odegard, Professor of Music.

Barbara A. Hamkalo