UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

News for Faculty and Staff of the University of California, Riverside

June 28, 2017

$1.5 million Gift to Support Humanities and Social Sciences Research Teresa and Byron Pollitt’s endowed professorships will promote interdisciplinary problem-solving that engages undergraduate students and community partners

By Bettye Miller

UC Riverside alumni Teresa and Byron Pollitt have given $1.5 million to establish three term professorships that will support interdisciplinary research in the humanities and social sciences at UCR.

The gift establishing the Teresa and Byron Pollitt Endowed Term Chairs for Interdisciplinary Research and Learning in the Humanities & Social Sciences was announced on June 7. The professorships in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) will support research that invites collaboration among dis-ciplines within CHASS and across UCR as well as with other universities and research institutions, and will engage undergraduate students and community partners, both local and global.

“UCR has a long tradition of interdisciplinary scholarship aimed at solving society’s most pressing issues, and the generosity of Teresa and Byron Pollitt ensures that this legacy will live on for years to come,” said Chancel-lor Kim A. Wilcox. “Teresa and Byron are both distinguished alumni who have dedicated themselves to the public good their entire careers. We are grateful for their support that benefits our students and the communi-ties we serve.”

Teresa and Byron Pollitt view their $1.5 million gift as an investment in UCR, as well as in future students.

Research for the public good is a primary goal of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and the Pollitt Chairs will further that effort, said CHASS Dean Milagros Peña.

“I am so excited about the opportunities this gift will provide,” she said. “I love the idea of research for the pub-lic good and involving undergraduates in that experience, whether it is participating in fieldwork or some other activity. The requirement to partner with a community organization makes it clear that we expect research undertaken by the Pollitt Term Chairs to contribute new insights or understandings of issues that will have a lasting impact in our communities.”

The Pollitts said they view their support as an investment in UCR and future students.

“We’re huge believers in giving back,” Byron Pollitt said. “Your undergraduate education is the early founda-tion which, for us, led to two very successful professional careers. At the time when Teri and I went through UCR, the university had a science side, but it was a classic, liberal arts-oriented campus. It made us better citizens, better parents, better people, and more worldly.”

Byron Pollitt graduated from UCR in 1973 with a B.S. in business economics and later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he graduated as a Baker Scholar. He began his career at McKinsey & Com-pany, and served as CFO for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Gap, and Visa, where he helped lead the then-largest IPO in U.S. history in terms of money raised. Now retired, he serves on the board of Voya Financial and the Finance Commission of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. He received UCR’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2015.

Teresa Pollitt graduated from UCR in 1974 with a B.A. in psychology and later earned an MBA from the Uni-versity of Southern California and the Chartered Financial Analyst credential. She worked for 15 years as a security analyst with the investment counsel firm of Scudder Stevens and Clark, rising to the level of vice presi-dent. She has also served on the national board of the National Charity League and held numerous volunteer leadership positions supporting Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, the Junior League, and the public schools that educated their three daughters.

Teresa Pollitt said the opportunity as an undergraduate student to participate in research projects enabled her to work closely with tenured professors and hone skills that helped propel her career as a research analyst for an investment firm. “When I was being interviewed for a promotion I was asked what my degree was in,” she recalled. “I said, ‘Psychology.’ The Director of Research commented that was a pretty good degree to have on Wall Street.”

To read the full story, visit: ucrtoday.ucr.edu/46461.

UC Riverside to Host Science Fiction Research Association Conference“Unknown Pasts / Unseen Future” conference runs from June 28 to July 1

By Mojgan Sherkat

UC Riverside will host the 2017 Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA) conference on Wednesday, June 28 to Saturday, July 1. This year’s conference theme is “Unknown Pasts / Unseen Futures.”

Home to the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy, UCR also runs the Speculative Fictions and Cul-tures of Science graduate program, and has a robust research community focused on speculative fiction across media.

“We are absolutely delighted that UCR is hosting the SFRA 2017 conference,” said Alison Scott, associate Uni-versity Librarian for Collections & Scholarly Communication. “Bringing scholars, students, and creative artists to campus is such a great opportunity for shared learning and engagement. We’re thrilled.”

Sherryl Vint, the director of Speculative Fiction and Cultures of Science, said UCR’s collaboration with SFRA is in part thanks to the backing of UCR Library and the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS), with a significant amount of funding and staff support made available by CHASS Dean Milagros Peña.

“Without Dean Peña’s support, we wouldn’t even have started down the path of having a conference,” said Vint.

JJ Jacobson, UCR Library’s inaugural Jay Kay and Doris Klein Librarian for Science Fiction, will be on one of the SFRA conference panels. Her discussion is about the dialogue between researchers and curators.

“We’ll be talking with two UCR graduate students – one current, one prior – who have done research in the Ea-ton Collection,” Jacobson said. “We’ll talk about their experience and how researchers and librarians can work together, what constitutes librarians’ work and what constitutes researchers’ work.”

Read the full story: ucrtoday.ucr.edu/47993.

Revamped UCR ‘Accelerator’ Names New DirectorExCITE offers help to Riverside County startups

By John Warren

Taj Ahmad Eldridge has joined UC Riverside, as director for the newly revamped ExCITE Accelerator. ExCITE works with startup companies in the region to increase high-tech jobs in Riverside County.

“The support of small business, especially entrepreneurs in high-knowledge industries, is crucial for the eco-nomic vitality of our region,” said Michael Pazzani, UCR’s vice chancellor for research and economic develop-ment. “Taj brings experience and energy to our collaborative efforts with the Riverside community.”

ExCITE was created two years ago as a partnership between local business leaders, the City of Riverside, River-side County, and UCR. It helps startup companies beyond their “proof of concept” stage. As such, it is the next stop for graduates of UCR’s new Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept and Innovation Center, or EPIC, which is an entrepreneurial training program.

Eldridge’s career began in the 1990s as a Wells Fargo corporate banker for tech companies and other business-es. He has since been a venture partner with Los Angeles-based investment firm TRW, and an investment man-ager with UBS Investment Bank in Beverly Hills. In 2013, he became COO of an online fashion brand called WBA, partnering with celebrity fashion designer Waraire Boswell. Most recently, he was an equity partner and interim CEO for startup ILTG Media and board advisor for Voter (acquired by Brigade) and Xtopoly, which was recently acquired by global brand Vincit.

He has a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Texas A&M University, an MBA from Pepperdine University, and conducted doctoral studies in geopolitical economics at Claremont Graduate University.

To read the full story, visit: ucrtoday.ucr.edu/47710.

UCR Assistant Psychology Professor Awarded $225,000 Research GrantThe grant comes from the Whitehall Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation focused on assisting basic re-search in vertebrate (excluding clinical) and invertebrate neurobiology in the United States

By Mojgan Sherkat

Edward Zagha, assistant psychology professor at the UC Riverside, was awarded a $225,000 research grant from the Whitehall Foundation. The Whitehall Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation focused on assisting basic research in vertebrate (excluding clinical) and invertebrate neurobiology in the United States.

Zagha’s research will focus on neural mechanisms of impulse control. These studies aim to reveal how different cortical neurons contribute to action initiation versus action suppression, and enhance our understanding of the neural bases of ADHD and substance abuse disorders.

Whitehall research grants are available to scientists of all ages working at accredited institutions in the US. Ap-plications are judged on the scientific merit and the innovative aspects of the proposal.

Grants of up to three years are provided, and they normally range from $30,000 to $75,000 per year. Zagha was awarded a three-year grant, for $75,000 per year.

The Top: 2016-2017 Year in Review (videos included)Reflect on all the best events, activities, and memories at UCR

By Shannon Koga

Welcome to The Top! Occasionally we present a list of UCR staff and faculty favorites — from walking spots to gardens to events.

As students graduate and summer vacation begins, let’s reflect on the top 10 accomplishments during the 2016-2017 academic year, from setting new records, to fundraising campaign symposiums, to anniversaries:

1. New Student Convocation Welcomes Largest Class of Undergraduates in UCR’s History

2. KUCR Celebrates 50 Years on Air

3. UC Riverside Launches Comprehensive Fundraising Campaign

4. UCR Recognized as National Leader in African American Graduation Rates

5. Philosophy Department Ranks No. 1 In the World

6. Groundbreaking for New Multi-Disciplinary Research Building

7. UC Riverside Wins Prestigious Award for Student Success in Degree Completion

8. Building Dedication of the Center for Advanced Neuroimaging

9. School of Medicine’s Graduates Matched to Residency Programs

10. First Class: School of Medicine, and Public Policy Graduate Students

Read the full story, see photos and watch videos at: ucrtoday.ucr.edu/47809.

Did You Know? Beautifying the Landscape

A team of UCR landscapers worked on a renovation project that transformed an arid space into a decorative, serene, xeriscape garden, located in front of the CHASS Interdisciplinary building (across from the Arts build-ing).

The work began with about 30 volunteers on Highlander Day of Service this past April. Volunteers helped turn the soil and ripped away dry vegetation. A few weeks later -- before UCR’s commencement ceremonies -- UCR landscapers worked quickly to revitalize the area and welcome the thousands of visitors who come across cam-pus for graduation ceremonies.

This renovation was one of three beautification projects on campus, said Toshio “Tos” Ishida, assistant director of Landscape and Refuse Service with Facilities Services.

Raymond Bolles, landscape supervisor, said it was important to complete the project before graduations in order to give visitors “a warm welcome with an esthetically pleasing garden.”

To view photos of the garden, visit: ucrtoday.ucr.edu/48056.

UCR Citrus Products for Sale on Campus

Some of the new UCR citrus products are now available on campus. Currently at the Scotty Store in the HUB are items within the Citrus Collection, including citrus olive oil, citrus vinegar, honey vinegar, and Parliament Citron Chocolate bars.

Several items are also available in the Market at Glenmor and the Barnes & Noble bookstore on campus.

For more information regarding the Citrus Collection, visit citrusgifts.ucr.edu.

Awards & HonorsCristina Rosetti Named Tanner Fellow in Mormon Studies

Cristina Rosetti, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Religious Studies, has been named the Mormon Studies Fellow at the Tanner Humanities Center of the University of Utah. The Tanner Fellowship is a nation-ally competitive, prestigious fellowship that is offered each year to a graduate student in the field of Mormon Studies.

The fellowship offers a $20,000 stipend that will allow Rosetti to continue archival and ethnographic research during the 2017-2018 academic year. Her research project during the fellowship is titled “The Veil was Thin: Mormon Interactions with Spiritualism in Contemporary Mormon Movements.”

“The Tanner Fellowship is one of the most prestigious fellowships in Mormon Studies,” said Amanda Lucia, associate professor of religious studies and Rosetti’s dissertation advisor. “Cristina’s dissertation research uncovers the narratives of people, practices, and ideas heretofore marginalized and buried in the archive. I am so pleased that the Tanner committee has recognized the originality of Cristina’s research and the significant intervention that she is making in the field.”

Rosetti expects to complete her Ph.D. in June 2019. Her dissertation uses ethnographic and archival research to investigate the extent to which members of Mormon groups were involved in 19th century Spiritualist prac-tices and how this involvement manifests in the present.

UCR ARTSblock Receives Grant from California Arts Council

The UC Riverside ARTSblock has received an $8,000 grant for its summer Off the Block Video Documentary Workshop for Teens. The workshop is open to promising filmmakers, ages 15 to 19. They will learn the basic skills for producing a short documentary video as well as techniques in interviewing, storyboarding, filming, and editing.

The final productions will be shown for friends and family. Past participants have had their works showcased at local film festivals, PBS, and Adobe.

The California Arts Council’s mission is to advance the state through the arts and creativity. Its vision is to en-rich the lives of all Californians by creating access to and participation in a diverse spectrum of artists and arts, and cultural experiences. They engage in partnerships, collaborations, and collective endeavors with other government agencies, private, and nonprofit entities across sectors, and encourage other constituents to do the same.

Research & ScholarshipAssistant Professor and Research Team Receives $16,000 Grant

Loren Collingwood, assistant professor of political science, is part of a team of researchers from the University of Washington-Tacoma and Highline College in Des Moines, Washington, who have received a $16,365 grant from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Election Data and Science Lab. The grant will fund a one-year study of the joint impact of ballot drop boxes and get-out-the-vote advertising on voter turnout in Pierce County, Washington.

The state of Washington is one of only three to conduct its elections exclusively by mail. Many states are adopt-ing vote-by-mail procedures to make voting easier, and the ballot drop box plays an important role in providing a free, secure, and sometimes more convenient alternative to mailing in a ballot. In Pierce County, more than 60 percent of votes were cast via drop box in the most recent election.

There is very little research on the effectiveness of ballot drop boxes in increasing voter turnout, Collingwood said. The team of political scientists and economists will coordinate with county election officials to random-ize the installation of several new drop boxes in the 2017 primary and general elections in Pierce County. By analyzing data from these drop boxes and as well as targeted get-out-the-vote mailers, the researchers hope to

determine how these two tools can be combined for maximum impact.

Assistant Professor and Research Team Receives $16,000 Grant

An organism’s DNA is comprised of four letters or “bases” – A, C, T, and G, representing adenine, cytosine, thymine and guanine, respectively.

Genes are regions of DNA read by cellular machinery that makes messages and proteins which display the traits of an organism. Chemical modifications of DNA bases can affect whether genes can be read. One modifi-cation is the methylation of the base cytosine “5mC” and is found widely in eukaryotes (cells or organisms that have a clearly defined nucleus). Another modification, “6mA”, involves adding a methyl group to adenine.

The role of these different methylation strategies is not yet fully understood but in most cases 5mC turns off genes while 6mA may be a step in turning them on.

Jason Stajich, a professor of plant pathology and microbiology, was a coauthor on a paper published in a May issue of Nature Genetics that reported the unexpected prevalence of 6mA in several lineages of fungi that are typically understudied.

“While the more common and well-studied 5mC is found to mark DNA in most lineages of the tree of life, the 6mA mark has only been described in a green algae, a few animals, and prokaryotes – but never in fungi,” Sta-jich said. “Our work shows it is present and relatively abundant in some of the chytrid and zygomycete lineages of fungi which are typically understudied groups that my lab and other labs are focusing on in order to improve understanding of their evolution and cell biology.”

To read more Research & Scholarship, visit: ucrtoday.ucr.edu/48036.