Join your colleagues and cheer for the Cal Bears basketball teams at an upcoming staff outing! UCOP has an opportunity to purchase a block of tickets at discounted prices.

I would like to be the main chef in the White House.

UCOP's Alfred White was one of eight Bay Area artists selected to design a 5-foot, 400-pound fiberglass heart for a San Francisco citywide art installation and fundraiser for the San Francisco General Hospital.

UCOP’s Ricardo Vázquez appears on Univision each Friday to educate Latino parents and students on higher education issues—in Spanish.

I eat soup with a fork.

• UC's public health schools take the lead
• UCI researchers ward off sophisticated cyber attacks
• UC Davis tackles malnutrition with a $16 million Gates Foundation grant
• UCLA researchers complete genomic sequencing of brain cancer cell line
• UC Santa Cruz joins ranks of top large universities for Peace Corps enrollment

It's not too late to get off to a healthy start in 2010 and reap the rewards. Faculty, staff and their spouses or domestic partners enrolled in a non-Kaiser medical plan are eligible to complete the StayWell health assessment.

More than 50 people received seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccinations at last Wednesday’s flu shot clinic at UCOP. Nurses from UC Berkeley’s Tang Center administered the shots. Participating at the clinic were Pam Cameron, Elaine

Michael Waldman has accepted the position of Customer Service Manager in UCOP's Retirement Administration Service Center.

The Office of the President has approved an exception to Policy 41-Vacation to extend the vacation maximum accrual “grace period” from four months to six months. This extension is being implemented to facilitate the use of vacation time for employees participating in the Furlough/Salary Reduction program. This exception will be effective January 4, 2010 through January 15, 2011.

Beginning with a noon-time event today, UCOP’s Nancy Coolidge will offer a series of talks aimed at helping parents of college-bound students understand financial aid.