The University of California Office of the President has announced the opening of the application period for the next staff advisor-designate to the Regents.

UCOP Learning and Development is starting the New Year by offering classes to help you meet your development goals. Upcoming topics include:

• Conducting Effective Meetings, Feb. 23
• How to Deal with Difficult People, March 31

Want to share your views about UC pension and retiree health benefits? You can do so via a short and confidential online survey. Just go to the Future of UC Retirement Benefits website between February 5 and March 1 and select the survey button. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and all answers are confidential.

California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science (COSMOS) is giving students who love math and science a chance to spend four weeks at one of five UC schools this summer learning about astronomy, biomedical sciences, engineering, robotics and more. tudents are invited to apply to one of the four campus programs. Students should apply online at http://www.ucop.edu/cosmos by March 15.

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.