UC Berkeley Emeriti Association

Report on Activities, 2008-09

Following established practice, the Emeriti Association held five lunches, with speakers, during 2008-09.

These were:

September, 2008: “Urology and the Aging Population” by Professor Marshall Stoller, M.D., Urology, UCSF.

November, 2008: “Why Play New Music?” by Sarah Cahill, Pianist.

January, 2009: “Fuels for the Future – Cellulosic Biofuels” by Professor Chris Sommerville, Plant and Microbial Biology.

March, 2009: “The 7-Up Documentary Film Series and Different Ways of Inhabiting Time” by Professor Barrie Thorne, Sociology.

May, 2009: “How Did We Get Here? – Understanding the Recession and the Route to Recovery” by Professor Martha Olney, Economics.

In addition, members of the Emeriti Association played a major role, in cooperation with the campus Retirement Center, in developing topics and recruiting speakers for the Center’s Learning in Retirement program. This consists of three, four, or five- lecture sequences on topics of current interest open to emeriti and staff retirees of the University. The 2008-09 program was as follows:

Fall, 2008: “Perspectives on Human Aging”:

“Perspectives on the Presidential Election”:

Spring, 2009: “Economic Challenges for the New Administration”:

“Issues and Challenges in Our Food System”:

Already, in Fall, 2009, the program has presented a series on the Victorian Novel and on the Great War of 1914-18. Both have attracted large attendances.

The Board of Directors of the Emeriti Association met five times during the academic year. These meetings have addressed issues of concern to emeriti such as emeriti parking, the status of the University’s health care program, the Panunzio, Dickson, Emeritus of the Year awards etc. The issue that has consumed the most attention is that of the Association’s legal status, and whether steps should be taken to seek formal 501c/7 status. This possibility is now being explored.