Dear Fellow Phi Betes:
By the time you are reading this, our Asilomar Conference will probably be in progress or just over, so that I am not as yet able to tell you how wonderful it was. Jae Emenhiser has once again put together an outstanding program (see page 6), which provides intellectual stimulation for our members as well as welcome money for our scholarship program. Last year, we funded two full $5,000 scholarships from our attendees’ conference fees. We have been able to expand our scholarship program in this way due to an idea Mel Shattuck initiated a number of years ago. It was he who proposed charging participants a fully tax-deductible conference fee, which covers expenses beyond those levied by the Asilomar management, as well as augmenting our scholarship fund.
As for other valuable contributions, many of you have participated in the wonderful programs put together by Stanley Kahn, who has performed yeoman’s service as First Vice-President, Programs. Together with his gracious wife Adeline, Stanley has organized, publicized, and attended a wide variety of activities that attract members and get them involved in the Association (see pages 4-7). Although his term officially ended at last May’s Annual Meeting, he has agreed to continue until April 1, when Judy Hardardt will be free of other obligations and will assume the position. Thank you, Stanley, for a job well done, and welcome, Judy, to the Board.
Because of this change in program leadership, our newsletter schedule will also change temporarily. Members will still receive four newsletters a year, but after this one the next will be sent the beginning of June. After that, there will be one in September, followed by those of November and February. The June newsletter will contain the names of our paid members, so if you want to be included and have not yet submitted your dues, it is not too late. Letitia Sanders, our Membership V.P., would be only too happy to receive your check.
An additional enticement to pay your dues is our Directory, an invaluable reference tool which our Association publishes every three years. Our next issue will be published in the Fall. If you have not paid your dues, your name will not be included. (Remember, our membership year runs from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, so if you sent in a check in July 2007, you are paid only for 2007.) So please get those checks to Letitia.
Speaking of Letitia, she and Ray Hendess (our new Newsletter Chair and Webmaster), have been working closely together to augment our membership. Years ago we used to obtain a mailing list from National every year and send our November newsletter to all initiated members in the Northern California area. As a result of Letitia’s cost analysis of the last mass mailing and the disappointing results it had in attracting new members, the Board decided on some cost-effective changes. First, we attempted to obtain a more accurate mailing list from National. Second, we decided to send the mass mailing only every three to five years. And third, we decided to send a letter, rather than the newsletter, to the non-member Northern California Phi Betes. According to Letitia, the results of this new procedure have been gratifying.
Gratifying, too, is the hard work and dedication of all our Board members. I can’t tell you what a joy it is to work with such responsible, committed volunteers. I am happy to report that all the current Board members have agreed to continue in their positions (with the aforementioned exception of Stanley).
I am looking forward to another successful year, culminating in our Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner. To hear both the Scholarship and Teaching Excellence awardees tell about their work and how much our awards mean to them is an inspiration to us all, so please plan to join us on May 4.
Respectfully submitted,
, President
Volunteer for a ΦBK initiation ceremony and rekindle your college memories! From April though June each year, the eight Northern California universities with ΦBK chapters initiate new members. My job as your Chapter Liaison is to coordinate our Association's participation. At each ceremony we provide a ΦBKNCA representative who may be asked to speak informally about joining our Association, and to inform the initiates about our Teaching Excellence Awards and graduate Scholarships. We have a four-page welcoming packet for each initiate that includes all the information you need for any remarks.
I have not yet had a chance to contact all of the volunteers from last year, and we do not have all the specific initiation dates yet, but here is the line-up so far:
Mills College - usually a weekday in April (no date set yet) - Jean James to attend if possible.
San Francisco State University - Thursday, May 8 is tentative. NCA representative speaks at 4 PM, ceremony at 5 PM, followed by an optional dinner. Last year Georgia Maslowski attended.
Santa Clara University - Friday night, June 16, Janiece Nolan to attend.
Stanford University - Saturday night, June 14, 7:30 PM, dessert reception. Last year Narcinda Lerner and Hershey Julien attended.
UC Berkeley - Wednesday, May 14, 4 PM, Joanne Sandstrom to attend.
UC Davis – usually a weeknight in May - Jean James and Letitia Sanders to attend if possible.
UC Santa Cruz – usually a Friday afternoon in June. Need a volunteer!
University of the Pacific – No date set yet. Last year Marci Coglianese and Wilson Heefner attended the installation and initiation of our newest chapter.
Please contact me if you want to volunteer. We particularly need someone for Santa Cruz. Our volunteer from last year has moved out of the state. Thank you!
, Chapter Liaison
Your Scholarship Money at Work
Robert Mitchell Pringle, Biological Sciences,
Stanford (Elizabeth Reed awardee)
Robert Pringle received a $5,000 Scholarship in 2007 from our Association to further his research.
He was elected to ΦBK at the University of Pennsylvania, then took a few years off to earn two MSc degrees (with distinction) from Oxford. As he noted in his application, "My career is dedicated to the following proposition: academic theory has an essential role to play in mediating conflict and engineering harmony between nature and society, but those solutions must marry sound, generalized science with place-based socio-cultural understanding. This is a philosophy that demands to be taken out of abstraction and applied." With these principles in mind, Rob will continue to work on implementing the kinds of changes necessary to improve the efficacy and equity of biological conservation.
From his recommendations come these comments: Rob was flat out the best undergraduate "volunteer" that I have had from any U.S. university working with my 25-year-old biodiversity project. He has a wonderful breadth of interest and ability and a dazzling list of accomplishments (including co-captaining the Penn tennis team and holding it together when the coach resigned).
At present (January 2008) he's working in Kenya with Professor Todd Palmer of the University of Florida, studying "mutualism." The ΦBKNCA grant helps support him in this research.
The thorny acacia trees of East Africa live in close harmony with ant colonies, and each depends on the other for health and survival - but disrupting that relationship can lead to death and danger, scientists have discovered.
And that, they say, could threaten the habitats of Africa's largest animals in many regions of the continent.
Normally, the huge swollen thorns on the branches of the scrubby trees provide housing for the ants, and they feed on rich nectar from the base of the acacia leaves. In exchange, the tiny biting insects guard and protect the trees by swarming out to repel big browsers like elephants and giraffes that would otherwise feed destructively on the acacia leaves.
The entire article is in the "San Francisco Chronicle", January 11, 2008, main section, "Tiny changes can trigger big evolutionary shifts," by David Perlman (Chronicle Science Editor), p. 6 (in dead-trees version), or online.
, Second Vice President – Scholarships
(And any others willing to help!)
Remember the day you were initiated into Phi Beta Kappa? Probably that memorable occasion included some festivities with your family, friends, and fellow initiates to commemorate the special event. The new ΦBK members at the UC Berkeley (Cal), do not have any university-sponsored reception or dinner to welcome them into the Society. Due to limited funds, Cal had to make the choice between sponsoring a dinner for their graduate students who have received scholarships, and providing a reception for their initiates. Unlike those in other Northern California universities that harbor chapters, Cal initiates have been left with no university-sponsored celebration of their considerable achievement. Therefore, several Cal graduates would like to sponsor a reception for the initiates this May. We plan on serving cookies, lemonade, and strawberries, with volunteers taking on the set-up, serving, and clean-up duties. The rough cost estimate of this affair is $400. Since Northern California Association funds cannot be used for other than scholarships and teaching awards, your help is needed to make this reception a reality. Although we are especially interested in soliciting funds from Cal grads, we would welcome donations from anyone in any amount. If you feel you can help make such a celebration a reality, please make your check out to ΦBKNCA (Phi Beta Kappa Northern California Association) and send it to me, Georgia Maslowski, 1132 Walnut Street, Berkeley, 94707. If you have any questions, please email me at gegemaslow@comcast.net. Thanks, in advance, for helping us honor our new Cal initiates. Go Bears!
, (Cal ’71)
Nominations for the 2008-2009 Board and Nominating Committee
PRESIDENT Jean E. James - ΦBKNCA: President, 2006 - present; Corresponding Secretary, 1998-2006; Nominating Com., 1995-96, and 1999-2000; Asilomar Chair, 2001-2006. B.A., German, DePauw U., 1967; M.A.T. (German), Northwestern U., 1969; post-Master’s work, Stanford and U. of Chicago. Retired teacher of College Prep. English and English as a Second Language. Now an enthusiastic dressage rider (currently looking for a horse), gardener, and tennis player.
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT, PROGRAMS Judith Hardardt - ΦBKNCA: member since 1997. R.N. Englewood (NJ) Hospital School of Nursing, 1959; A.B., History (with Honors), Douglass College, Rutgers University, 1973; Ed.M., Rutgers, 1979. Studied at Cambridge University (Pembroke College) in 1975; completed Executive Program for Smaller Companies, Stanford University School of Business, 1992. Worked as a clinical nurse (OR, medical, surgical); high school teacher (history, psychology), six years; clinical pharmacologist, 28 years. Officer and board member, Associates of Clinical Pharmacology (now Association of Clinical Research Professionals); former founder and president of The Hardardt Group, provider of consulting services to pharmaceutical and medical device companies worldwide (now part of Omnicare, Inc.); currently president, Society for Humanism in Medicine; board member, LabConnect LLC; volunteer for Short Term Emergency Assistance Committee (STEAC) in Davis; avid skier and traveler.
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT, SCHOLARSHIP Joanne Sandstrom - ΦBKNCA: 2nd Vice President, Scholarship, 2006 – present. A.A., Glendale Junior College (as it was then), 1957; B.A. in English and teaching credential, UC Berkeley, 1959 and 1960, respectively; M.A. in English, Cal State Long Beach, 1968. Taught English at Costa Mesa High School, Saddleback College and Long Beach City College, 1969-1975. Sailed around the world, 1975-1980. In charge of the publications program at the Institute of East Asian Studies, UC Berkeley, September 1980 - present (editor, typesetter, proofreader, marketer, publicist, etc.).
THIRD VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBERSHIP Letitia Sanders - ΦBKNCA: 3rd Vice President, Membership, 2000 – present. A.B. (magna cum laude) English, Sweet Briar College, 1962; M.A.T. (English), Emory U., 1964. English teacher, Atlanta Public Schools, 1964-67; IBM system engineer & instructor, 1967-91; data processing instructor, College of Marin, 1982-83; Systems Advisory Committee, College of Marin, 1983-present; Board member, California Nevada Arabian Sport Horse Assn., 2002-03. Special interests include collecting books illustrated by early 20th century artists and (with husband Donn Downing), pages printed in the 15th and 16th centuries.
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY Georgia Maslowski -ΦBKNCA: Corresponding Secretary 2006 - present. B.A., Sociology, University of California, Berkeley; M.S., Counseling Psychology, California State University, Hayward. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist; thirteen years in private practice as psychotherapist; past instructor, California State University, Hayward, Department of Counseling Psychology; past coordinator, Intern Counseling Program, California State University, Hayward; ten years experience as probation officer and counselor for Alameda and Contra Costa counties; past Child Abuse Prevention Coordinator, Contra Costa County; Instructor, Wright Institute, Berkeley.
RECORDING SECRETARY Mary D. Granger - ΦBKNCA: Recording Secretary 2005 – present. B.A. in Government, University of Rochester, 1958; M.A. in Education, University of Rochester, 1959. Taught English and social studies in the Rochester City School District from 1959 through 1961. Masters of Library Science, SUNY, Geneseo, 1972. Served as Library Media Specialist in the Gates-Chili (NY) Central School District from 1971 through December 1991. Retired and moved to Sausalito in 1991. Member of AAUW since 1992; member and officer of an investment club from 1992 through 1999; San Francisco City Guide from 1992 through 1999. Member of the Sierra Club since 1988; continues to hike weekly with a Marin County group.
TREASURER Mary Turner Gilliland - ΦBKNCA: Treasurer, 2001 - present. B.A., Home Economics (Textiles & Clothing) and French (Medieval Language emphasis), U.C.S.B., 1969. “Professional Volunteer” since 1971: President, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles Board, 2000-2006; Member (Co-chair 2002-2005), Committee on the Ministry, Section A, United Church of Christ, Northern California-Nevada Conference, 1999-2005; Co-chair, Textiles Committee, International Federation for Home Economics, 2004 - present; member, Board of Trustees, First Congregational UCC of Palo Alto 2007 - present.
Marvin D. Richards, M.D. FACP, NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR - ΦBKNCA: Chair Nominating Committee, 2007-8; (was chair 2 previous years and a member several other years.) B.A., U. of Iowa; (summa cum laude), 1948; M.D., U. of Iowa, 1951 (Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society); Post Graduate Medical training Mt. Zion Hospital, San Francisco and Veterans Adm. Hospital San Francisco, 1951-4; Damon Runyan Cancer Hematology Fellowship, Stanford U., 1954-5; Associate Clinical Prof. Medicine, Stanford U., 1955-82; Emeritus, 1982-2008; Private practice Internal Medicine/Hematology Redwood City, CA, 1955-82; Staff Physician, San Mateo County Med Center, 1993-2008; Fellow American College Physicians, 1973-2008.
Jacqueline Dever Celenza - ΦBKNCA: Nominating Committee, 2007-present; Immediate Past President, 2002-2004; President, 2000-2002; Asilomar Chair, 2000; V.P. Programs, 1995-2000. B.A. English, UC Berkeley, 1986; public relations, health education, 1991-1998; editor, 1999-present.
Mary A. Hanel - ΦBKNCA: Nominating Committee, 2007-present; President 2002-04; First Vice President, Programs, 2000-02; Chapter Liaison Chair, 1997-2000; Recording Secretary, 1995-97. B.A. History, UC Davis, 1978; M.L.S. Library Science, UC Berkeley, 1979, Library Program Coordinator - Local History/Genealogy, Santa Clara City Library. Hobbies: hiking, sewing, reading and historic house museum docent.
Larry Lerner - ΦBKNCA: Teaching Excellence Committee (sometime chairman) 8 years. A.B. (Honors) in Liberal Arts, 1953, S.M. Physics, 1955, Ph.D. Physics 1962, U. of Chicago. Research Scientist, Hughes Research Labs, Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Research Lab, 1962-68, Professor/Professor Emeritus, Cal State Long Beach, 1969-present. Consultant on K-12 science curriculum, 1985-present. Friend of Darwin Award, 2004.
Narcinda (Cindy) R. Lerner - ΦBKNCA: Teaching Excellence Committee, 2000-2006; Nominating Committee, 1997-99. B.S., Hofstra University; Ph.D., University of Chicago. Retired after working over 30 years as a chemist at the NASA Ames Research Center.
Gordon W. Repp - ΦBKNCA: Nominating Committee, 2006-present; Newsletter Chair, 1991-2001. UC Berkeley: BA Physics (Highest Honors), 1950; Ph.D. Physics 1955; ΦBK, 1949, Student Council President, 1950; Executive Council, 1950-1955. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (UC), 1955-1989 (retired).
Brenda Shank – ΦBKNCA: Nominating Committee, 2006-present; M.D., Univ. of Med. Dent. N.J., 1976; Ph.D., Biophysics, Case Western Reserve Univ. (CWRU), 1966; B.A., Chemistry, CWRU, 1961; Resident/Fellow, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), 1976-80; Instructor to Assoc. Prof., Radiol., and Radiat. Oncol. Med., Cornell U. Med. Coll., 1980-89; Clin. Asst. to Assoc. Member, MSKCC, 1980-89; Asst. Attending Radiol. To Assoc. Attending Physician, New York Hosp., 1981-89; Professor, Rad. Oncol., Mount Sinai Sch. Med., 1989-98; Attending Radiat. Oncol., Mount Sinai Hosp., 1989-98; Director and Ratiat. Oncologist, J.C. Robinson, M.D. Regional Cancer Center, Doctors Medical Center, San Pablo, 1998-present; 1999-present, Clin. Prof., Radiat. Oncol., U.C.S.F. Med. School, 1999-present; 1988 – Distinguished Alumna Citation, Case Western Reserve Univ.; 1990 – Phi Beta Kappa Alumna Member; 1991 – Fellow, American College of Radiology.
Standing Committee Chairs Appointed by the Board to Serve as Board Members
ASILOMAR COMMITTEE CHAIR JeDon A. (Jae) Emenhiser ΦBKNCA: Asilomar Chair, 2007 – present.
AB University of the Redlands, 1955 and Ph.D. University of Minnesota, 1962. Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Humboldt State University, 1977-1987. Professor of Constitutional Law and political science, 1959-present at various universities in the U.S. Fulbright Professor at University of Saigon (Vietnam) and University of Mons-Hainaut (Belgium). Visiting scholar Congressional Research Service and National University of Ireland, Galway.
CHAPTER LIAISON CHAIR Janiece S. Nolan ΦBKNCA: Chapter Liaison 2005 – present. B.A. and M.A., University of Texas, Austin; MPH, Dept of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley; Ph.D. (Biology), Tulane University; Postdoctoral, Physiology-Anatomy, UC Berkeley. Currently President/CEO: John Muir Physician Network. Retired U.S.N.R. Captain, Medical Service Corps. Rotary; Corporate Advisory Board for Graduate Program in Health Management, UC Berkeley; Industry Advisory Board for Center for Health Management Research; Woodrow Wilson Fellow.
NEWSLETTER CHAIR Ray Hendess ΦBKNCA: Newsletter Chair, 2006 - present; Webmaster 1997 - present; President, 1995-1998; Program Chair, 1994-1998; Scholarship Committee, 1991-1994. ΦBK Western District Secretary/Newsletter-Editor/Webmaster, various dates. B.S., Chemistry (magna cum laude) Bates College, 1960; Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, Princeton, 1964. Research scientist, Eastman Kodak, 1964-1981; real estate owner/manager, 1976-2000; computer system administrator 1998-2002; web design 1997-present.
TEACHING EXCELLENCE CHAIR Narcinda (Cindy) R. Lerner - See above
Asilomar
ΦBK NCA Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner - Sunday, May 4, 2007
Tour of the Audubon Canyon Ranch: The Bolinas Lagoon Preserve Saturday, May 17, 2008 
Tour of the Buck Institute on Aging - July 17, 2008
Since our first tour of the famed Laboratory overlooking the UC Berkeley campus was oversubscribed last year, we were obliged to turn some prospective attendees down.