Monday, July 20, 1998
Community Briefs
School of Dentistry dean selected
Administrators continue to play musical chairs as Dr. No-Hee
Park was approved by the UC Board of Regents to be the next dean of
UCLA’s School of Dentistry.
The appointment took effect July 1, the same day his
predecessor, Rory Hume, took over as executive vice chancellor.
Park will serve the remainder of Hume’s five-year appointment,
which began November 1996.
"During his distinguished 28-year career, (Park) has earned a
reputation as one of the world’s finest oral-cancer scientists,"
Chancellor Albert Carnesale said in a statement.
Park was previously director of the Dental Research Institute,
associate dean of research and professor of oral biology. He joined
the UCLA faculty in 1984.
"My challenge will be to maintain the momentum for improvement
in the School of Dentistry’s pre-doctoral curriculum, physical
facilities, capital campaign and research programs," Park said.
Research has been Park’s focus since coming to UCLA and will
continue to be his focus as dean. In his 14 years at the
university, Park has attracted almost $10.6 million in research
grants.
Wilson signs casino pact with Indian tribes
Governor Pete Wilson signed a pact with five Indian tribes last
Monday to allow legal gaming in California.
This compact allows each of the 100 federally recognized tribes
in California to conduct any type of gaming that the California
Lottery conducts.
The terms of agreement included economic development zones to
generate lost revenue, licensing of allocation rights from one
tribe to another, a community voice in policy-making and employees’
rights as covered under the State’s workers’ compensation laws.
"These compacts will allow the tribes to operate legal games in
California while protecting employees and patrons of Indian casinos
as well as the surrounding communities," Wilson said.
Employee parking fee program to be tested
The university is proposing a plan that would allow all eligible
employees’ parking fees be taken out before taxes, up to the IRS
limit of $175 a month.
The money employees would save on lower taxes would depend on
their federal tax bracket and whether the employee is subject to
full or partial FICA coverage.
Reducing the current taxable income under the pre-tax programs
would reduce the maximum an employee could contribute annually to
their retirement funds.
The pre-tax deductions, which would start in September 1998,
would not affect the salary used in calculating benefits under the
university’s retirement plan.
Group hopes trees will transform Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Environmental Affairs Department, in association
with the National Park Service, has completed the Exposition
Greenway project, which planted 2,500 trees along Exposition
Boulevard.
The project was commenced in hopes of "transforming
underutilized corridors into shady, tree-lined greenways,"
according to Lillian Kawasaki, general manager of the environmental
affairs department.
The project was launched in 1994. Maps of existing, planned and
potential greenways have been completed, and the Environmental
Affairs Department is working with the planning department and
other agencies to make these maps readily accessible to the
public.
Compiled from Daily Bruin staff reports.