A letter from the Director, May 2013

A salute to our students
June provides a time of transition for many of us at the UCMP — we close our books on the academic year and make plans for summer fieldwork, writing, research, reflection and relaxation. As I look back on all that we have achieved this year, what stands out most for me was the huge round of applause our graduate and undergraduate students received as I introduced them at one of our UCMP events. I was reminded of the vital source of renewal they bring to UCMP, with their energy, new questions, ideas, and perspectives.

Throughout the year, for example at extremely successful events such as Cal Day, our students serve as enthusiastic ambassadors for the museum. They highlight their research and help to showcase a wide range of projects currently underway in UCMP, from the rehousing of the USGS invertebrate fossil collection, to the preparation of fossils from the CalTrans project, to developing a new web resource on Understanding Global Change.

As we say farewell to our graduating students this summer, we congratulate them on all of their achievements and wish them well. We also salute our retiring Assistant Director for Education and Outreach Judy Scotchmoor for her enormous contributions, which this year are being recognized by her receipt of the 2013 Stephen Jay Gould Prize from the Society for the Study of Evolution and the Chancellor's Award for Public Service. She will be greatly missed by the UCMP family. Her influence on the UCMP programs is beyond easy measure and will be long lasting. We have been greatly enriched by her contributions, enthusiasm, and bridge-building good cheer!

Sincerely,
Charles Marshall
Director, UCMP
 

Photo by Jennifer Skene