University Communications

Lifestyle awareness: We take it as a given now, but School of Public Health Dean Emeritus Lester Breslow, along with the supporting research of a UCLA faculty member, was among the first to show that simple health practices such as eating breakfast, exercising moderately, getting enough sleep and not smoking are linked to living a longer, healthier life. www.ph.ucla.edu

Kicking the habit: With more than 400,000 people a year dying from lung disease, a UCLA professor emeritus of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the School of Medicine may be indirectly responsible for keeping that number below what it might otherwise be. Dr. Murray E. Jarvik M.A. '45 and his brothers, Jed and Kace Rose, invented the first nicotine patch. The product, marketed as Habitrol, delivers nicotine in regular and controlled doses to people trying to quit smoking.

Forecasting futurist: If you believe that weather forecasts are not all that accurate today, think about what it was like before landmark research by UCLA atmospheric scientist Jacob Bjerknes, beginning in the 1940s, that transformed the field of weather forecasting from unreliable guessing into a modern-day science. The results of his work can be seen today in every weather map and forecast. He was awarded the National Medal of Science for his research. www.atmos.ucla.edu

It's a small world after all: Faculty in the School of Engineering and Applied Science are accomplishing some of the most advanced research in the world in the new field of micromachines, miniature sensors, actuators and gears. UCLA researchers are creating sensors that will monitor the performance and status of factory machinery and all the components of our cars; biomedical sensors will monitor heartbeats and the need for medication; and sensors specializing in transportation, pollution and battlefield awareness. Some of these sensors will be wired, some wireless; some smart with built-in processors, some simply reporting back to computers; some will be stationary and some will move like tiny robots. Says William Kaiser, chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering, "From the battlefield to the film studio, the home to the global environment, they [sensors] will be ubiquitous." www.ee.ucla.edu

Athletic pioneers: UCLA is the alma mater of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play major league baseball; Kenny Washington '41, the first African American to play in the National Football League; Don Barksdale '47, the first African American to win a gold medal in Olympic basketball; and Arthur Ashe '66, the first African American to win the Wimbledon tennis singles championship. Ann Meyers '79 was the first woman to sign a free agent contract with an NBA team.

Avant-garde artists: UCLA in 1962 established the nation's first university dance department and, in the 1980s, the first Department of World Arts and Cultures. UCLA is the leading arts and cultural center of the West and more than 500,000 people annually attend visual and performing-arts programs here. UCLA Performing Arts is one of the nation's leading presenting organizations, with more than 200 sponsored events each year. The Department of Art is one of the finest in the nation, influencing the next generation of artists. Alumni have won Grammy, Tony, Emmy and Academy Awards, among numerous other distinctions. www.arts.ucla.edu

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