July 3, 2000
Conferences and camps keep UCSC busy for the summer
By Francine Tyler
Some 15,000 visitors from more than 30 countries are expected to come to UCSC this
summer to participate in more than 100 conferences, academic institutes, camps, and
outreach programs.
The ten-week conference season started on June 18 and will run to August 26 this year. Its diverse offerings range from a conference focusing on the biology and ecology of larval forms of life to an annual retreat for the El Camino Youth Symphony.
The conference program generates more than $3.5 million annually for UCSC. Conference guests occupy the 2,400 beds at UCSC's nine residential colleges, purchasing food and other services from the campus. Income from the summer helps to offset room-and-board rates charged to UCSC students by about $200 each year. Income is also returned to UCSC's colleges to help support student programs.
"The conference season greatly benefits members of the local community as well," said Nancy D'Angelo, assistant director of Housing, Dining, and Child Care Services. "The 15,000 visitors brought to the area by these conferences and camps often spend money at local businesses."
Approximately 60 percent of summer bookings come from UCSC Extension, Summer Session, and academic programs sponsored by faculty and staff. Businesses, sport and school groups, and professional organizations make up the remaining 40 percent.
For more information about this summer's conferences or about services offered
by UCSC's Conference and Summer Housing Office, call (831) 459-2611 or go to their
Web site. This year's conferences include:
• Larval 2000
(June 24-28). At the Fourth International Larval Biology Meeting, some 200 researchers
and professors will discuss the ecology and evolutionary biology of the larval stages
of all aquatic organisms. Through informal symposia and reports of research-in-progress,
the conference will address questions such as: Are larval forms of fish and invertebrates
being destroyed by toxic releases from sewers, agriculture, and oil production? Where
do fish and invertebrates birth their young? Why do organisms, from rockfish to barnacles,
take up residence where they do?
• Johns Hopkins-Center for Talented
Youth (June 25-August 4). The Center for Talented Youth draws students from
40 states and 38 countries who are within the top 2 percent of their age group academically.
The youth participate in three-week sessions. Students from grades five and six study
topics such as writing and imagination, and those in grades seven, eight, and nine
tackle subjects ranging from engineering design to neurobiology and the cold war.
• California State Summer School in
Mathematics and Science (June 26-July 22). This new summer school
program, nicknamed "COSMOS," introduces academically gifted high school
students to advanced topics not traditionally covered in high school curricula. COSMOS
programs are taking place this summer at UC Santa Cruz and UC Irvine and were started
in partnership with the state legislature. At UCSC, 150 students will explore Earth
and ocean sciences, learning skills that include analyzing satellite pictures and
writing programs to control simulated robots.
• National Summer
School in Nuclear Physics (July 3-14). This summer school program provides
young researchers with broad exposure to the major themes in the field of nuclear
physics. The program is cosponsored by the UCSC Division of Natural Sciences, the
University of Washington, and the Department of Energy's Institute for Nuclear Theory.
• Proyecto Avance (July 5-29). This intensive four-week residential program
enhances academic achievement for migrant students from Monterey County. Most of
the students--from grades five through seven--are two years older than their classmates.
Avance offers a rigorous, all-day academic schedule, with an emphasis on English-language
and study skills, important math concepts, computer literacy, and self-advocacy abilities.
• Yo Puedo (July 5-29). Yo Puedo aims to provide migrant high school students
with the skills they need to succeed academically. Through a rigorous study program
of academic classes and leadership training, participants gain communication skills
and self-confidence. Students in the four-week residential program earn 10 units
toward their high school graduation.
• Summer School on Adaptive
Optics (July 8-14). Graduate students, researchers, and others interested
in learning about adaptive optics will learn techniques for using adaptive optics
technology and how it is applied in practice. Adaptive optics is a method for removing
the blur caused by distortions within optical systems, and its use has implications
for astronomy and vision science. At the weeklong conference, a series of lectures
will explore such topics as atmospheric turbulence and the fundamentals of vision.
The conference is sponsored by UCSC's Center for Adaptive Optics and the National
Optical Astronomy Observatories.
• Summer Youth Leadership (July 11-August 18). Ninth- and tenth-grade students
attending East Side Union High School in San Jose will learn about higher education
at this summer program. The students come from disadvantaged backgrounds and most
would be the first in their families to attend college. The students will learn how
to apply to colleges and develop a four-year academic plan. Workshops are designed
to enhance study habits and improve note-taking, time management, critical thinking,
and analytical skills. The program is run by UCSC's Educational Partnership Center.
• Dickens Universe/Victorian
Waste (July 30-August 6). At the 20th annual Dickens Universe conference,
scholars, graduate students, teachers, and members of the general public will discuss
Dickens's last completed novel, Our Mutual Friend. The conference features
lectures and seminars, a book fair, daily workshops for teachers, Victorian teas,
a Victorian dance with live music, and evening film screenings of the BBC movie version
of Our Mutual Friend. A related conference focuses on the topic of Victorian
waste. The programs are sponsored by the Dickens Project, and conference volunteers
may attend for free. Call (831) 459-2103 for information.
• UC College Prep
AP Summer Institute (August 13-17). This summer institute for high school
teachers focuses on Advanced Placement courses and exams. Participants will learn
the latest College Board guidelines, learn from other teachers how to teach the courses
successfully, and gain new strategies for turning the curricula into positive exam
results.
• El Camino Youth Symphony (August 13-18). Young violinists, flutists, and
other school-age musicians will make use of UCSC's Music Center this summer as part
of the El Camino Youth Symphony. The annual retreat allows the symphony to prepare
for its upcoming season.
• Forum2000 (August
20-23). The theme of the 14th annual Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) Forum is "e-Xtreme
server synergy," encompassing web-enabling applications, professional services,
servers, and development administration. The forum is an annual conference for business
and information technology professionals that combines keynote speakers, seminars,
exhibitions, and social events. More than 2,000 people are expected to attend.
