FWC's 4TH GENERAL MEETING with featured speaker 

                      DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR NEIL K. GARG

Professor Neil K. Garg discussed his teaching and research career at our Fourth General Meeting on April 16th 2024. He is the inaugural holder of the Kenneth N. Trueblood Endowed Chair in Chemistry and Biochemistry. He also served as Faculty-in-Residence in the UCLA undergraduate community for nine years. He is a co-founder of his start-up company ElectraTect, designed to develop technology for the drug testing industry, specifically targeting fairness in detecting consumption of THC.

More details about Professor Garg's academic achievements, his service to the UCLA community, and his background, are all published on the title page of FWC's newsletter UPDATE, April-June 2024 issue. 

From left: Marianne Afifi, Past President (FWC)
Ayesha Dixon, VP Programs, and Professor Garg
Photo credits: Karen McClain

The 4th General Meeting was our business meeting. The following officers were elected for 2024-25

Anne-Marie Spataru President

  Renee Fortier President Elect

      Helene DesRuisseaux VP Programs

         Rochelle Caballero  VP Sections

            Katie Lee Corresponding Secretary

                Dorota Dabrowska  Recording Secretary

                   Jane Permaul  Treasurer

                      Velma Montoya  Historian/Archivist 

                                                                Congratulations to All

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR, GOOD HEALTH, HAPPINESS, and FUN

As of this morning in the Daily Bruin, February 16, 2024, under ARTS, we read great news about one of our FWC "scholars," a recipient of the 2014 FWC Scholarship, India Carney https://dailybruin.com/2024/02/15/qa-alumnus-india-carney-talks-passion-for-arts-education-upcoming-event-at-the-nimoy

          I took a photo of India 10 years ago when she was a recipient of the FWC Scholarship:

India Carney in 2014 at the FWC Scholarship Dinner
photo credit: Zorana Ercegovac

India Carney is celebrating Young Artists at NIMOY. She is the singer, songwriter and producer's two-night "Riding the Rollercoaster: An Artist's Life in Los Angeles."

Many among our FWC scholarship recipients have had successful and productive careers. 

Again, we start off the New Year with our annual Scholarship Dinner (February 6, 2024) and with another group of UCLA students who are awarded the Scholarship (see the group photo below).

Dr. Victoria L. Sork holds two distinguished professorships: in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and the other in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

More details about Professor Sork are given on the title page of FWC's UPDATE, Jan-Mar 2024.

We will honor eleven FWC Scholars. I will update this BLOG, so visit us soon to see the group photo and more. UPDATE (Jan-Mar 2024, pages 2-3) gives short bios of each of the eleven Scholars.

In preparation for the Dr. Sork presentation, you can learn more about the UCLA BOTANICAL GARDEN, a 7.5 acre public garden on the UCLA campus, right here. Learn how to design your own sustainable garden, learn about their "open air" classrooms, research, and vast collections. During the Covid isolation era, I used to spend hours in the garden watching the plants, trees, blooms, fish and turtles in the stream flowing through the garden.

Here is a group photo of FWC SCHOLARS 2024. 

From left: Our featured speaker Prof. Victoria L. Sorkin, 10 awardees 
and Marianne Afifi, Scholarship Committee Co-chair
Scholars: Vanessa, Naomi, Paula, Deja, Ginger Rose, Alyssa, Emerald, Lanxin, Edgar
Dr. Kele Kirschenbaum, Scholarship Committee Co-chair

The event was well attended inspite of a heavy rainfall. We enjoyed seeing old friends with their guests and meeting the FWC 2024 scholars. 

Our own FWC member and past President Margaret Churchill with
her husband and grandson, visiting them from Sweden.
Naomi Hammonds, a 4th year student majoring in psychobiology, joined them

The event offered the unique opportunity for the student scholars
majoring in different areas to network

Lanxin is in the School of Public Health; Alyssa is the School of Engineering and Applied Science;

Edgar and Naomi are pursuing a degree in psychobiology, and Ginger Rose is a prolific harpist.

Wei Chen, our featured artist, performing on GuZheng
ti be held on April 17th at 12 noon

Music Section in Cultural Contexts, chaired by Zorana Ercegovac, is one among the first in-person 

SING-A-LONG sessions, performed in November 2023 at the home of Jarka and Tom Wilcox. 

We have invited members from other FWC sections to join in, including play-readers, hikers, and guests.

AT-A-GLANCE: Mark your calendars

Wednesday, February 21st at 12:30 PM via zoom -- there will be a special presentation on a theme of 

SOUND <-> IMAGE <-> POETRY

with guests reading selected poems by William Blake, and much more. 

STAY TUNED.

FWC WOMAN OF DISTINCTION HONORED at the October 17, 2023 FWC General Meeting

 Sheila James Kuehl, BRUIN, lawyer, politician, California State Assemblymember and Senator, Los Angeles County Supervisor, educator, activist, actress, and our FWC WOMAN OF DISCTINCTION!!

Sheila James Kuehl, FWC's Woman of Distinction 
at the October 17, 2023 General Meeting

Sheila is the woman of FIRSTS, and she described and explicated in such a wonderful way some of the major achievements in the areas of improving the quality of life for LA County residents!! 

THANK YOU, for sharing your life experiences with us BRUINS!!

Our dearest Bruin Bear at the HOCO 2023!!
Sheila has been a true BRUIN all these years

I just read, and want to share with our community that our UCLA Chancellor Charles E. Young died at 91.

More details are published in the DailyBruin Oct 23, 2023.

Chancellor Charles E. Young
DailyBruin

For the FWC Centennial 2018, I (Zorana Ercegovac) prepared an Album of FWC's Voices, photos, and stories (digital, annotated). An important part of our historical (and archival) images include Chancellor's wife Mrs. SUE YOUNG, who was an active participant in the lives of our programs and events. This memory has been made alive through images of Mrs. Chancellor as the hostess of some of our events at their UCLA residence. 

SPRING VIBES 2023 at the UCLA'S Faculty Women's Club, at the Faculty Club

The GROUND THEFT ECO: Environmental Futures of Los Angeles project was presented at the Spring Luncheon by Ursula K. Heise and Daniel Snelson.

Daniel Snelson and Ursula K. Heise speak at the
6th GENERAL MEETING
May 16th 2023
The Faculty Club

Details are published in the May/June 2023 UPDATE of the Faculty Women's Club.

FWC Spring General Meeting has awarded Bette Billet as FWC's 2023 Outstanding member. CONGRATULATIONS !!

Bette Billet, the FWC Outstanding Member 2023
with Marianne Afifi, President 2022-2023
and Helene Desruisseaux, Past President

 

Finally, here is a celebratory group of FWC's 14 Past Presidents with traditional yellow roses.

Past Presidents with our current 2022-2023 FWC president Marianne Afifi

Exploring Jupiter and its moons with magnetometers

Prof. Margaret Kivelson was our featured speaker at the FWC's 4th General Meeting. Her research focused on Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, and Jupiter's Galilean moons. Prof. Kivelson earned her degrees including her PhD at Radcliffe College, Harvard University. She holds appointments as research professor at both UCLA and the University of Michigan. She is the recipient of numerous distinguished honors and awards.

Magnetometer measurements helped us understand the space
environment of the planets

  

Starting with William Gilbert's publication in 1600, the scientific world found that the EARTH itself was magnetic. Prof. Kivelson's presentation was focused on Jupiter, the largest planet with a diameter more than 10 times that of Earth. Galileo looked at Jupiter through his telescope in January 1610, and kept the log of his observations. 

Since these pioneering days, much more has been discovered due to technologies for data capturing, analyses, processing, and interpretation.

Large teams of scholars and scientists are needed to sort out massive data sets

A lively QA session followed the presentation. As always, refreshments were always a treat, especially on a rainy March 21, 2023. 

INTRODUCING The FWC 2022-2023 SCHOLARS

 Congratulations to the FWC 2022-2023 Scholars !! 

The Scholars' names from left are:
Dalal (Computer Science -- CS); Matthew (CS & Econ); Hanna (Molecular, Cell & Dev Bio);
Anthony (Neuroscience); Jade (English, Asian American Studies); 
Lorraine (Human Bio & Society); Melissa (Bioengineering);
Anoushka (CS); Cecelia (Molecular, Cell & Dev Bio); Ian Paul (Astrophysics).
Photo credit: several photo attendees

California Assemblymember ISAAC BRYAN could not be in person. He delivered a video welcome. A proud UCLA Bruin himself, he discussed his career path in his presentation: "Overcoming Barriers to Success and Opportunity -- From Housing Insecurity to the State Assembly."

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan video speaking 
at the FWC Scholarship Dinner and Event,
February 7, 2023 at the UCLA's Faculty Club

Certificates of Recognition were presented to each of our awardees, a very special moment in their lives.

The Certificate of Recognition was presented to each recipient

Did you know that one of FWC's Woman of Distinction winners was UCLA's Professor Andrea Ghez, who was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics and Astronomy in 2020.  Prof. Ghez is the eighth UCLA faculty member a Nobel laureate. She was honored for her pioneering research on the Milky Way's supermassive black hole. Superb scientist, enthusiastic mentor, a wonderful speaker and inspirational scholar. It was a special treat that Professor Ghez was in the attendance at our Scholarship event.

Professor Andrea Ghez

And here is the group photo with Professor Andrea Ghez (far right).

Now that you know their names, here is another photo of the 2022-2023 FWC recipients
along with the 2020 Nobel Prize winner in Physics Prof. Andrea Ghez

THE OMNIPRESENCE of Nikola TESLA'S Work and Ideas

 UCLA's Faculty Women's Club 2nd General Meeting was held on November 15th 2022 at the Faculty Club. The featured speaker was Distinguished Professor Milos Ercegovac. Thee topic was about Tesla's Work and his Ideas.

The Meeting was well attended and followed by a lively discussion. 

Distinguished Professor Milos Ercegovac at the podium
FWC General Meeting #2 November 15, 2022

Tesla's unique way of problem solving was explained:
MENTAL VISUALIZATION before the experimental lab work

 

UCLA's Faculty Women's Club celebrates our new beginning

 Welcome back to our traditional in-person One hundred-and-Fourth (104) Season!

We start off with the General Meeting, on October 2022, with a presentation by Liza Bercovici, our Woman of Distinction 2022

Join us for the live performance of the HINDUSTAN CLASSICAL SITAR concert on October 19th. The event will be held at the SHERIE LOUNGE & BAR venue, at the UCLA's Faculty Club. This event celebrates the first decade of the MUSIC IN CULTURAL CONTEXT Section. 

Professor RAHUL  NEUMAN

Our Book Section met on October 11, 2022 to discuss THE MANNINGTREE WITCHES (2021) by A. K. Blakemore. The book opened up interesting questions related to historical perspectives of witch-hunting, as well as a broader set of feminist theory ideas.

From left: Marjorie Friedlander (zoomer); Zorana Ercegovac (leads discussion); Barbara Crandall;
Middle row: Rochelle Caballero; Joy Frank; Simone King;
Bottom row: Lorraine Young; Amelita Fronsdal; Norma Stein

UCLA's HAMMER Museum has opened its doors in the Fall of 2022 with exciting exhibits featuring JOAN DIDION: What She Means; PICASSO Cut Papers; and a retrospective of the painter BOB THOMPSON. 

Special Interest Group leaders, aka FWC SECTIONS, met in September at the home of Patti Nagy.

Photo credit: Zorana Ercegovac (not in the phot), Founder and Chair of Music in Cultural Contexts

From left to right:
Diane Childs (German); Melissa Ward (Hiking); Rochelle Caballero (Play reading);
Marianne Afifi & Dianne Homsher (International Cooking); Sandy Spolsky (Birthdays);
Jarka Wilcox & Mary Ann Sherritt (Bridge); Marjorie Friedlander (Writing); Virginia Rossy (French)
Patti Nagy and Debby Wagger are Section VPs.