Turning Stars into Gold: BSLUG Spring Speaker Dessert Event Saturday Evening, April 18

UCSC Professor Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz has been a Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University this past academic year and has graciously accepted our invitation to talk to the BSLUGS.  Please come to another fabulous evening for UCSC alumni in West Newton where we’ll learn a lot, indulge in delicious dessert, and meet old and new friends.  As always, all friends and family are welcome!

Turning Stars into Gold

Most beginning chemistry students struggling with the complexities and underlying structure of the Periodic Table will simply accept the existence of the approximately 90 stable elements. Rarely does it occur to them that somewhere and in some way, all of the elements had to be synthesized. Such element generation or nucleosynthesis, through transmutation of one element into another, is a crucial byproduct of stellar energy generation. It has occurred since the birth of the first stars in the Galaxy, and without it life on Earth would not be possible. Although the general picture of element formation is well understood, many questions about the nuclear physics processes and particularly the astrophysical details responsible for forming the heavier elements such as platinum and gold remain to be answered. Here I focus on advances in our understanding—still very incomplete— of the origin of the heaviest and rarest elements in the Universe.

WHEN: Saturday, April 18

7:30-10 p.m. (7:30 p.m. dessert | 8:15 p.m. talk begins)

WHERE: At the home of Sloan Nota and Rob McKean in Newtonville, Mass. 02460

WHAT:  a fascinating talk, interesting discussion with fellow UCSC alums, and delightful dessert  

RSVP to the BSLUG Facebook Event invitation or by email to Beata (beata Panagopoulos verizon.net) by Monday, April 23

Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz is a Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). He is also the Director of the Theoretical Astrophysics Santa Cruz Institute and the Sophie and Tycho Brahe Visiting Professor at the Niels Bohr Institute. After studying at the University of Cambridge, he was the John Bahcall Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Since joining the UCSC faculty, Ramirez-Ruiz has won a number of national awards for his research, including a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering  and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award. He is also a highly regarded teacher and public lecturer. In 2010, he was elected a member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences. Then 35, he was the youngest scientist ever elected to the academy.

Spring Speaker Dinner Event Friday Evening April 25

Come one, come all – the BSLUGS are hosting another fabulous evening for UCSC alumni in West Newton!  Join us for a provocative presentation and discussion with UCSC politics professor Dan Wirls.

"Partisanship and Constitutionalism:  Why We Let the Former Determine the Latter, and Why that is a Very Bad Idea"

Friday, April 25, 2014
7:30-9:30 p.m.
At the home of the Suzmans in West Newton, Mass.
Dessert reception with presentation to follow.

WHAT:  a fascinating talk, interesting discussion with fellow UCSC alums, and delightful dessert created  by chef extraordinaire and our host, Mary Jane Suzman.

WHEN: Friday, April 25
7:30 p.m. dessert | 8:15 p.m. talk begins

WHERE: at the home of Mary Jane and Peter Suzman
14 Leonard Ave., West Newton, MA

RSVP to Beata on Facebook or by email (beata.panagopoulos@verizon.net) by Friday, April 18
Cost: $5 cash at the door

Spring Speaker Event with Prof. Paul Lubeck--Great Dinner + Thought-Provoking Talk

Each year the Boston Chapter of the UC Santa Cruz Alumni Association, aka the BSLUGS, look forward to hosting a faculty speaker for a dinner-talk event. This year we were very fortunate that the UCSC’s East Coast Regional Team made it possible for us to have a splendid speaker, Dr. Paul Lubeck, who dissected U.S. foreign policy in the Muslim world and clarified many of the complexities of that relationship for us. Our event was a huge success: 18 UCSC alums and friends gathered for dinner, conversation, and discussion at the home of Mary Jane and Peter Suzman in West Newton, Mass. The topic attracted BSLUGs who have never attended previous programs. Prof. Lubeck was a very engaging speaker. If the dinner hadn’t taken place on a week night, we would have been discussing Islamic culture and U.S. politics into the wee hours. We are very grateful to UCSC for providing us the star power for this event!

BSLUGS Host UCSC Sociology Prof. Paul Lubeck Mon. Apr. 26 Dinner/Talk in West Newton

We are happy to announce that UCSC Professor Paul Lubeck*, an expert on political sociology, religion and social movements, will be giving a talk for us called:

"The Cost of Permanent Warfare versus Soft Power - How will the US engage in Civic Diplomacy with the Muslim world."

Dr. Lubeck, who specializes in Nigeria and Islam, founded the UCSC Global Information Internship Program (GIIP) and the Center for Global, International and Regional Studies at UCSC. Check out UCSC press release: "Students forging a new frontier in global health."

• ON THE AGENDA: a fabulous talk, interesting discussion with fellow UCSC alums and a delicious light dinner (Yugoslav filo-cheese egg dish-Gibanica, a big salad, breads, and desserts) prepared by chef extraordinaire and our host, Mary Jane Suzman. (The sooner you can rsvp, the easier you make it for Mary Jane to prepare for the grocery shopping.)
  

• WHEN: Monday, April 26, 6:30-9 p.m. (6:30 p.m. dinner- 7:45 p.m. talk begins)
• COST: $8
• DEADLINE to RSVP: Sunday, April 18
• WHERE: At the home of Mary Jane and Peter Suzman, 14 Leonard Ave., West Newton, MA

RSVP to me and send your checks NOW made payable to "Boston Chapter" to:

Erika Tarlin, 7 Bradford Ave., Somerville, MA 02145

Questions? Contact Beata at tel. 617-491-3871 or by email: beatapana@gmail.com

*Paul M. Lubeck is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Global Information and Social Enterprise Studies Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research focuses on global political economy, civil society and information studies, and the global sociology of Muslim social movements. His recognized expertise lies in the analysis of political, economic, and discursive changes in Muslim world, specializing on Nigeria. His wide-ranging intellectual interests have produced a corpus of work that bridges the boundaries between n scholarship, advocacy and social policy. For the past three decades, Lubeck’s work has extended from organizing cooperatives among Muslim peasants in Niger, to conducting intensive urban field work in Nigeria, Ghana, Mexico and Ghana. More recently, he has consulted with NGOs from the Global South on implementation of information strategies, and advised Nigerian state governments on the regional industrial policy lessons to be drawn from Malaysia. Lubeck’s first book, Islam and Urban Labor in Northern Nigeria: The Making of a Muslim Working Class, was awarded the Herskovits Prize.

Dr. Sandra Faber to Host Astronomy Salon, Friday Evening, April 3, in West Newton

"Iconic Images from the Hubble Space Telescope: Their Meaning for Astronomy and for Humanity"

Dr. Faber will tour the Universe using the most beautiful and notable images from the Hubble Space Telescope and will use these as a springboard to discuss the impact that modern astronomical images have had on our thinking about the history of our species and its role and future in the Universe.

Dr. Faber has been chosen to receive the 2009 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science from the historic Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. She will be honored on April 23 for "extraordinary advances in our knowledge of the properties of distant galaxies, dark matter, large scale structure of the Universe, and black holes in galactic nuclei; and for innovative leadership in the development of astronomical facilities." Dr. Faber is the discoverer of the so-called "Faber-Jackson relation" linking the brightness of elliptical galaxies to the speeds of stars orbiting within them. Her work with Hubble Space Telescope focuses on the centers of galaxies, which often harbor massive black holes, according to evidence gathered by her team. She has played a major management role in the construction of the world's largest telescopes, the twin 400-inch Keck Telescopes in Hawaii.

ON THE AGENDA: an amazing talk and slide show, interesting discussion with fellow UCSC alums and a delicious light dinner cooked by our cherished host, Mary Jane Suzman. (The sooner you can rsvp, the easier you make it for Mary Jane to prepare for the grocery shopping.)

WHEN: Friday, April 3, 6:30-10 p.m. (7:30 p.m. dinner- 8:30 p.m. talk begins)

COST: $7

DEADLINE to RSVP: Friday, March 27

WHERE: At the home of Mary Jane and Peter Suzman, 14 Leonard Ave., West Newton, MA

RSVP to me and send your checks NOW made payable to "Erika Tarlin" to:

Erika Tarlin, 7 Bradford Ave., Somerville, MA 02145

Questions? Contact Beata at tel. 617-496-1775 or by email: beata_panagopoulos@harvard.edu

BSLUGs Enjoyed a Great Evening with Dean Georges Van Den Abbeele Friday, March 7

About 20 BSLUGs gathered at the warm and inviting home of Mary Jane and Peter Suzman in West Newton this past Friday evening, March 7, to hear Dean of Humanities, Georges Van Den Abbeele give a talk about "Ethics of Cultural and Historical Preservation." He was accompanied by Liz Sandoval, a UCSC Pioneer Class alum, and development officer for the Humanities Dept.

We were welcomed by hot hors d'oeuvres of empanaditas, and mushroom and cheese quesadillas. Although most of us who attended are old friends, it was great to have at least 5 new Slugs join us. Once we all had arrived, having braved the Greater Metro Boston Friday evening rush hour traffic, we enjoyed an absolutely delicious dinner of enchiladas, cornbread, green salad with oranges and jicama. Even after this feast, we still found room for a wonderful dessert of cornmeal pound cake with berries and butterscotch cream. This entire menu for more than 20 people was prepared and cooked by chef Mary Jane (and I'm sure ably assisted by Peter). Mary Jane's cookery skills and talent are, by all measures, astonishing.

Once everyone was ushered into the living room, Dean Van Den Abbeele gave an informal, fascinating talk about the areas of concern and professional debate related to preserving and interpreting significant places of our heritage. The Dean gave us vivid examples of historical preservation efforts in California which illustrated the difficulties involved such as those at: Angel Island , Manzanar , and Sutter Buttes . We could have gone long into the night, with our discussion, relating our stories and asking questions, but it was late Friday night, the end of a long week, and we had to call it a night to let people get home before the expected downpour.

The BSLUG Board would like to thank Dean Van Den Abbeele, Liz Sandoval, Allison Garcia, and Mary Jane and Peter Suzman for their hard work and generosity, making this lovely event possible.

Spring Speaker Dean Georges Van Den Abbeele, Friday eve., Mar. 7 at the Suzman's in West Newton, Mass.

Come join us Friday evening, March 7 for a delicious Mexican dinner by Mary Jane Suzman and a fascinating talk by UCSC Dean of Humanities, Georges Van Den Abbeele on:

"National Treasures: The Ethics of Cultural and Historical Preservation"

The fastest growing sector of the tourism industry today is in the cultural and historical area. Once the purview of talented amateurs and creative docents, sites of cultural/historical interest are increasingly coming under critical scrutiny by a new generation of tourists who are far more demanding and well-informed than past visitors. What are some of the key areas of concern and professional debate among those dedicated to preserving and interpreting the significant places of our heritage? Dean of Humanities Georges Van Den Abbeele is a leading expert in the history of tourism and travel literature, having both published scholarly research in the field and served as a consultant on a variety of preservation/interpretation projects.

Van Den Abbeele was appointed dean of humanities in July 2006. He began his career at UCSC as a visiting assistant professor of literature in 1981 and spent five years on the campus. Before returning to UCSC as dean, he spent 15 years at UC Davis where he was a professor of French and Italian and director of the Davis Humanities Institute and the Pacific Regional Humanities Center. Since 1999 he has served as president of the Western Humanities Alliance, a growing consortium of 23 west coast universities, that was founded at UCSC.

Check out the dinner menu!
Appetizers: empanaditas (small turnovers filled with a beef-chorizo filling, and a cheese and bean filling); guacamole and chips.
Main dish: chicken enchiladas, cheese enchiladas, cornbread, green salad with oranges and jicama.
Dessert: cornmeal pound cake with berries and butterscotch cream

ON THE AGENDA: a great talk, interesting discussion with fellow UCSC alums and a delicious light dinner cooked by our cherished host, Mary Jane Suzman.

WHEN:
Friday, March 7, 6:30-10 p.m. (7:30 p.m. dinner - 8:30 p.m. talk begins)
COST: $7

DEADLINE to RSVP: Wednesday, Feb. 27

WHERE:
At the home of Mary Jane and Peter Suzman, 14 Leonard Ave., West Newton, MA

RSVP and send your checks NOW made payable to "Erika Tarlin" to:
Erika Tarlin, 7 Bradford Ave., Somerville, MA 02145

Questions? Would like to share a ride? Contact Beata at tel. 617-496-1775 or by email: beata_panagopoulos@harvard.edu