Something Old, Something New…
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fter having attended our Asilomar Conference for many years and having heard Ranger Roxann present her Julia Morgan architectural tour numerous times, who would ever expect that it would once again be thoroughly entertaining and full of new information? For example, did you know that one of the historic buildings at Asilomar was the result of peanut butter cookie sales? Even Gordon Repp, the only member who has participated in the walk with Ranger Roxann more times than I, learned new information. But that walk was only one of the many highlights of the conference, run flawlessly by Cal Wood and his wife Dixie.
As always at Asilomar, it was a pleasure to renew friendships with so many people who come year after year. And it was especially gratifying to welcome more new attendees this year than I can ever remember from the past. Our Association continually works to attract more “younger” folks (“younger” defined as anyone under 65!) to this conference, as well as other events, since our “regulars” are aging rapidly. So if you’ve been thinking about attending, please mark your calendars now for Feb. 18-21, 2011. (To find out more about this year’s memorable conference, please read Cal’s article on page 4.)
Embracing available technology and the skills of Ray Hendess, we are excited to announce that this is the first newsletter to be received “green” by some members who have opted for an email notification containing a link to the newsletter online. If you choose this option, not only will you receive the newsletter about two weeks earlier than by snail mail, you will also save the Association money. Try it; it’s quick and easy, even for those of us who are “technologically challenged.” Just go to www.pbknca.org/1010
This is the last President’s Letter that I will be writing for the newsletter, as Janiece will assume the office in July. She will be leaving her post as chapter liaison. Two other Board members are also leaving: our recording secretary, Mary Granger, who has served us admirably for a number of years, and Joanne Williams, who has been our capable corresponding secretary this past year. I will miss them, and I will also miss working with the other Board members who are staying on. I have truly enjoyed my years on the Board, first as corresponding secretary, then as Asilomar chair, and finally as president. My job in the latter category has been made infinitely easier by our wonderful Board. All unpaid volunteers, they have done their work cheerfully and efficiently. I cannot thank them enough for making my job a pleasure and for serving you, the members, so well.
Jean Ellen James, President
, President
Board Positions Open Starting July 2010
Recording Secretary needed July 2010. Contact Peete W. Baer, Chair Nominating Committee (peete.baer@c2002c.com 510-632-7000) if you are interested in this position.
Treasurer needed starting July 2011. Mary Turner Gilliland has graciously offered to continue as ΦBKNCA Treasurer for the coming term of 2010-2011. During the coming year, we shall be searching for her successor. Mary has offered to explain the requirements of the position and, also, to assist in the training of any one interested. You may contact Mary (Mltg@aol.com 650-321-9966) or Peete W. Baer, Chair, Nominating Committee (peete.baer@c2002c.com 510-632-7000).
Job descriptions are available here:
ΦBKNCA BOARD NOMINATIONS
For the term July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011
PRESIDENT Janiece S. Nolan - ΦBKNCA: Chapter Liaison and NCA Board Member 2005 – 2010. B.A. and M.A., University of Texas, Austin; M.P.H, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley; Ph.D., Department of Biology, Tulane University; Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physiology-Anatomy, UC Berkeley. Over thirty years experience in hospital/health system administration as President/CEO: John Muir Physician Network and Chief Operating Officer, John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek (now retired). Served on numerous boards and commissions. Woodrow Wilson Fellow; Captain, Medical Service Corps, USNR (Retired): commanding officer hospital units and numerous decorations including Navy Commendation Medal (three times). Rotarian, Life member Naval Reserve Association, Diplomate American College of Health Care Executives. Currently member of Writers’ Workshop, University of California Section Club, Berkeley, as well as tap dance performer with the Rossmoor Hot Flashers.
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT, PROGRAMS Judith Hardardt - 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) 7 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.); board member & past president, Society for Humanism in Medicine; board member, LabConnect LLC; volunteer/docent Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts 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 - 2009 (editor, typesetter, proofreader, marketer, publicist, etc.). Retired and doing freelance editing.
THIRD VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBERSHIP Alex Harding - University of Colorado, Boulder, 1992, humanities (magna cum laude); graduate studies in comparative literature at University of Southern California. Cost Tech Consulting, working in niche area of the tax code to provide benefits for commercial real estate owners. Currently serving on boards for local PTA and Kentfield schools foundation.
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY Letitia Sanders - ΦBKNCA: 3rd Vice President, Membership, 2000 - 2008. 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. 2008-current Exec Board El Marinero Chapter DAR, instructor PC class Whistlestop. Special interests include collecting books illustrated by early 20th century artists and (with husband Donn Downing), pages printed in the 15th and 16th centuries.
RECORDING SECRETARY - open
TREASURER Mary Turner Gilliland - ΦBKNCA: Treasurer 2001-present; BA (High Honors) French and Textiles & Clothing, UCSB, 1969; Community Volunteer, 1971-present; CA Assn. of Family & Consumer Sciences: Extended Education Fund Treasurer; American Assn. of Family & Consumer Sciences: Community of Global Perspectives; Leader; Int'l. Federation for Home Economics: Textile & Design Committee Chair; Int'l. Fed. for Home Economics-US: Development Fund Investment Manager; P.E.O. Sisterhood/CA: Finance Committee; 1st Congregational Church of Palo Alto; UCC: Board of Trustees.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS
For the term July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011
Peete W. Baer, NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR - ΦBKNCA: Member since 2000. B.A. (1968) with distinction in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley. Worked for twenty-two years at Safeway, Inc. Last position held (1994) Assistant Vice President, Asset Finance. Currently owner of Concepts 2000 Consulting, a computer software firm specializing in on-line access to the records of the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Member of the United States Navy League, currently holding the position of Executive Vice President, Lake Merritt Council. Past President, International Computer Consultants Association, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. Tennis player, golfer, and member of the Taos Mandarins writing group for aspiring novelists.
Marvin D. Richards, M.D. FACP - ΦBKNCA: Nominating Committee Chair, 2007-9; (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 Honor Society); Postgraduate medical training Mt. Zion Hospital, San Francisco, and Veterans Adm. Hospital, San Francisco, 1951-54; Damon Runyan Cancer Hematology Fellowship, Stanford U., 1954-55; Associate Clinical Prof. Medicine, Stanford U., 1955-82; Emeritus, 1982-present; private practice, Internal Medicine/Hematology Redwood City, CA, 1955-82; Staff Physician, San Mateo County Medical Center, 1993-2009; Fellow American College of Physicians, 1973-present.
Jacqueline Dever Celenza - ΦBKNCA: Nominating Committee, 2007-present; Immediate Past President, 2002-04; President, 2000-02; Asilomar Chair, 2000; V.P. Programs, 1995-2000. B.A. English, UC Berkeley, 1986; public relations, health education, 1991-1998; editor, 1999-present. Student, MS Nursing program, Samuel Merritt Univ. 2008-10; awarded Anita M. Heeney nursing scholarship, 2009.
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, all at U. of Chicago. Research Scientist, Hughes Research Labs, Hewlett Packard Labs, Lockheed Research Lab, 1962-68, Professor/Professor Emeritus, Cal State Long Beach, 1969-present. Consultant on K-12 science curriculum, 1985-present. Whitely Lecturer at Pacific University in 2002; Friend of Darwin Award, 2004; University of Chicago Distinguished Alumnus Lecturer, 2008.
Gerald T. Richards - ΦBKNCA: Newsletter Chair 2001-2007, Scholarship Committee 2005-present, TBP 1956, BS Ind. Engr. (magna cum laude) 1957, Lafayette College; SPS, MS Engr. Purdue 1963; physics graduate work, Lehigh U. and UC Davis; J.D. Golden Gate U. 1976; Physicist 1967-81; lawyer 1981-93; retired 1993, UC Lawrence Livermore Nat’l Lab.; Staff Member, Cal. Boys’ State, 1996-present; Member, Standing Comm. On Senior Lawyers, 2002-2005, Cal. State Bar; Member, Board of Administrative Appeals, Antioch, CA 2003-2004; Member, Contra Costa Council on Aging, 2005-present, President 2008-2009; Board Member Contra Costa Senior Legal Services, 2009-Present.
Calvin D. (Cal) Wood – ΦBKNCA: Asilomar Chair, 2010 – present. UC Berkeley, BA Physics (honors and ΦBK honors), 1957; Ph.D. Physics, 1961. Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Utah, 1962-1964. Senior Design Physicist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (UC), 1964-1993 (retired). UN Inspector in Iraq, 1991; with others, found and eliminated Iraq’s Nuclear Weapon program. Board of directors (member and vice president) for several organizations concerned with the elderly and needy (adult day care, low cost housing, interfaith sharing, substance abuse ministry at Asbury United Methodist Church, Livermore).
Standing Committee Chairs Appointed by the Board to Serve as Board Members
ASILOMAR CHAIR– See Calvin Wood, above
CHAPTER LIAISON CHAIR Marci Coglianese A.B. (with Honors) English, 1980, Juris Doctor, 1983, ΦKΦ, 1980, ΦBK, 1981, ΦΛΦ, 1982, University of California, Davis; Associate Attorney, Kronick, et.al., Sacramento, 1983-84; Solano County Deputy Counsel, 1984-89; Assistant and Interim Fairfield City Attorney, 1989 - 98; Of Counsel, McDonough et.al., Sacramento, 1998 - 2000; Rio Vista City Council, 1997 -2004; Mayor, 2000 - 2004; President, Solano Women Lawyers, 1989-90; President, Solano County Bar Assn, 1995; State Bar Conference of Delegates, 1985 - 96; Solano Farmlands and Open Space Foundation, Board Member and President, 1991-2000; state Delta Protection Commission, 1999 - 2004; CalFed Public Advisory Committee, 2001-2010; Delta Vision Advisory Committee, 2007- 09; Friends Outside National, Board Member, 2006 -09.
NEWSLETTER CHAIR Ray Hendess ΦBKNCA: Newsletter Chair, 2006 - present; Webmaster 1997 - present; President, 1995-1998; Program Chair, 1991-1995; 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. Avid skier.
TEACHING EXCELLENCE CHAIR 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.
The tax-deductible amount of your Asilomar payment, made in 2009 for the 2010 Asilomar, is $90.
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f you pre-registered for Asilomar while at the conference, please note that the date at the top of the pre-registration sheet was incorrect. The correct dates for the 2011 Phi Beta Kappa Conference at Asilomar are February 18-21, 2011. Please make any necessary changes to your calendar.
What a wonderful weekend! The weather was fantastic, with immense, booming waves crashing ashore on Saturday and lovely sunshine the whole time. It seemed almost sacrilegious to spend any time indoors, but those of us who did were richly rewarded.
Our opening speaker on Friday night, Dr. Jay Davis, Scientist and Past Founding Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DoD), was masterful at making very complex issues understandable, explaining both the technical and the political problems that face us in working to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world’s arsenals. He also shared with us a realistic timetable for accomplishing various levels in the future. A truly meaningful reduction in numbers will require decades to achieve, and must ultimately include all nations that now have such weapons.
Saturday morning, Father Leo Arrowsmith, American Orthodox priest and artist, completed a rough draft of the painting of an icon, all the while entertaining us with his gentle spirit and sound insight, as well as astounding us with his artistic ability. The icon was auctioned for the scholarship fund (the winning bid was $200, but several folks came forward afterward to contribute to the scholarship fund, so the total is now up to $450). Fr. Leo will finish detailing the icon, which we have decided to donate to his Church when it is finished since none of us has the wall space to hang a 3x4 foot painting at home. I think we can get a fine reproduction of the icon made (say, 5x7 inches, on a mounting board), that we can make available to the membership at a nominal price, which can also contribute to our scholarship fund. That would make a great memory of the weekend for us. If there is enough interest, I will pursue the matter. Please let me know by sending an email to calandix@comcast.net.
Saturday afternoon we had an interesting travelogue of the Chilean Fjords and Antarctica (penguins, orcas and all), by Cal Wood.
Saturday evening Special Agent Ron Umbel, of the FBI’s Infragard Program explained how ordinary people and businesses can help us remain alert to terrorist threats.
Sunday morning Mr. John Seager, President of Population Connection, gave an excellent summary of Jeffrey Sach’s Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet, and led us in discussing the book. In the afternoon, Mr. Seager, overcoming the lack of a microphone, gave us a most enlightening talk that updated us on what countries can do, and what some have already done, to address the very real problems created by a growing world population faced with limited resources. His insights into this pressing matter proved to be encouraging for those who are taking things seriously and working to solve the problems, as well as a bit frightening in light of those who are not yet “on board” for long term solutions.
Sunday evening our own Marci Coglianese, former mayor of Rio Vista and member of several boards and commissions for Delta Water problems, shared with us her considerable expertise about many of the political difficulties and technological problems that face anyone trying to find equitable, common ground for water use in California. (More references at www.pbknca.org/)
Monday morning we found ourselves again in the company of our dear friend, Ranger Roxann, who has such enthusiasm coupled with extensive knowledge of Asilomar and Julia Morgan, its architect. She gave us a guided tour that left us all feeling satisfied and filled to the brim with the ‘Asilomar Experience.’ She has promised to return next year. Yippee! See you all there.
Don’t miss this great event. For more information, contact Cal Wood, (925) 447-8666 or email , Asilomar Chair
After his obituary was mistakenly published in the American press, Mark Twain sent a cable from London stating "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." Unlike what appeared in the newspapers, rumors of this play were not exaggerated - it received its world premiere on Broadway in 2006 - and it’s a live one! Jean-François Millet, a brilliant but unrecognized painter, can’t sell a landscape to save his life (literally). His wacky bohemian friends convince him that faking his death is just the ticket for raising his stock. So Jean-François disappears from life and re-emerges as his imaginary twin sister, a widow both mad and madcap. Here’s gold dust in your eyes, as extended horseplay involving the stench of Limburger cheese and the deconstruction of a woman of “artificial parts” will make you howl for more. 
Come join us on May 2, in the collegial setting of the UC Berkeley Faculty Club for our Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner. On this occasion, we members of the Phi Beta Kappa Northern California Association celebrate our primary mission, the awarding of scholarships to deserving scholars and teaching awards to professors to enhance their research and educational activities.
One of the world's foremost collections of historic United States currency can be found at the San Francisco Fed. Our 90 minute-long pri-vate tour of the Fed will include the Currency Pro-cessing oper-ation areas, the cash vault, the interactive lobby exhibit and the historical currency collection. Be prepared for a unique experience! No souvenirs or samples will be available, however.