Fresh platelets Rehydrated platelets

Seeing Double

The article “Just Add Water” [fall 2004] contains an error in the photos of “Platelets treated with trehalose. . . .” The two photos are views from the same image and not of rehydrated versus fresh platelets. I hope the study authors did not make the same error in their published work!

Charles Sevadjian, M.D.
via e-mail

You’ve got a sharp eye! We did indeed run the same image twice; thanks for calling it to our attention. The correct comparison is at right.

Car Costs

I appreciate Professor Sperling’s attempt to provide readers information about newly available hybrid automobiles in his “Ask The Expert” column [fall 2004]. However, I believe an important point was overlooked. Fuel cost savings from a hybrid vehicle are substantially overshadowed by the purchase cost of such cars versus traditional internal combustion-powered automobiles. I have seen some reports asserting that it takes fuel cost savings over many years of operation just to break even. Of course, this analysis ignores the environmental benefit of hybrid cars, but it is an important point since the “question” asked about fuel economy of new cars and not emissions.

Brian D. Jones ’90
via e-mail

Remembering Professor Hawkes

I was sorry to hear of the passing of Glenn Hawkes. I was a graduate student in the early ’70s and seeking to change my field in a very radical way: from biochemistry to applied behavioral sciences. Glenn was a dean at the time and was very open to listening to my plans and giving me encouragement to make the move. Once in the program, I took a very interesting course from him that involved spending a week in the Bay Area visiting courts, city planners, half-way houses, prisons and other “Community Resources,” which was the course title. It was a life-changing experience. Eventually I earned my Ph.D. in psychology and wound up as a college administrator myself. I never forgot how Glenn was open to my new directions and have tried to emulate him ever since. He will be missed.

Ken Tokuno ’69, M.S. ’73
via e-mail

Cordy Prize

I was shocked a couple of weeks ago when I found out that Dr. Donald R. Cordy, D.V.M., emeritus professor of the veterinary school, was dead. I was very upset when I found out that he died Jan. 23, 2003. . . . It is embarrassing that so much time has passed, but do you suppose you could at least put in something about the “Cordy Prize”? Dr. Cordy hired me and I started working for him July 1, 1951, so he is very special to me and I want him acknowledged.

Gladys Cosens
Davis

Donald Cordy was a founding member of the School of Veterinary Medicine’s pathology department, which he chaired from 1960 until 1969. He retired from the faculty in 1983, though he continued to publish and pursue his study of veterinary pathology until his death at age 90. In his honor, the Cordy Prize in Veterinary Pathology was established to provide support for students interested in the field; those wishing to contribute can do so by making their gifts payable to the UC Regents and sending them to Cordy Prize in Veterinary Pathology, Development Office, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616.

Mines-to-Vines Participants

While it was nice to read about UC Davis’ participation in the Roots of Peace project in Afghanistan (News & Notes, “Mines to Vines,” fall 2004), it would have been really nice to recognize that two UC Davis graduates participated in the project. First and foremost, Ken Tourjee (M.S. ’89 and Ph.D. ’94) is the long-term horticulturalist based in Kabul for this project. I participated as one of the short-term agricultural business consultants. Both Ken and I received our master’s in international agricultural development. Ken continued on to receive his Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics.

Maura Schwartz, M.S. ’88
Culver, Ore.
via e-mail

Thanks for the additional information. Other alumni and students who have participated in the project include Farbod Youssefi, M.S. ’95, Ph.D. ’98; Adel Kader, M.S. ’62, Ph.D. ’66; Dan Marcum ’69, Ph.D. ’80; Refah Maani ’88; Lisa Kitinoja, M.S. ’83, M.S. ’84; Todd Rosenstock, M.S. ’05; Kraig Kraft, M.S. ’05; and Erin Hardie, M.S. ’06.

Missing Millions

On page 11 of the fall 2004 issue you noted UC Davis is a research power-house, ranking “14th in the nation for research spending with nearly $457 million.” But by the time I had turned the page, in a table on UC Davis “growth” we had slipped to “research spending in 2003–04 to $324 million.” Yikes! Which is it? “A million here, a million there, . . . pretty soon you’re talking real money” (paraphrased from former Sen. Everett Dirksen).

Professor Mont Hubbard
Sports Biomechanics Laboratory
via e-mail

Thanks for pointing out that confusing discrepancy. Both figures are correct, but the $324 million didn’t include the indirect costs associated with research grants (such as administrative costs, operations and maintenance, building depreciation and other support costs).

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