June 14, 2007

UCI conferring record number of doctorates

Gary Robbins

THAT'S DR., TO YOU

UC Irvine's rapid growth as a research university is showing up in the number of doctorates it confers. The campus will award a record 298 doctorates during this year's commencement, which begins next week.

"There were swells in doctoral student population starting in fall 2001; that's why you're seeing these numbers now," said Court Crowther, assistant dean for planning and administration in the graduate division.

A look at the numbers:
Doctorates conferred
• 2006-07: 298
• 2005-06: 266
• 2004-05: 211
• 2003-04: 187
• 2002-03: 188
• 2001-02: 175
• 2000-01: 187
Source: UC Irvine

ENGINEERING CHANGE

Whither the future of engineering education? Will colleges and universities better prepare students?

You can find out at 7:45 tonight when Raman Unnikrishna, dean of engineering at Cal State Fullerton, discusses the matter at The Rupee Room,1170 N. Tustin Ave., Orange.

Dean Unni, as he is known, has spoken for years against what he calls "the fictitious four-year degree," the inertia inherent in requiring engineering students to finish their undergraduate studies before they move on to upper-level engineering.

He has said that engineering education hasn't changed in three decades, and needs now to integrate software, nanoelectronics, biological sciences and systems thinking. He can be expected to continue these threads at tonight's speech to the Orange County Engineers Council, an umbrella group for engineering professionals, corporations, societies and universities.

THINK YOU'RE SMART, EH?

An early Greek anatomist believed that the brain controlled perception and movement. A century later, Aristotle disagreed, attributing those abilities to the heart. What is the name of the person with whom Aristotle disagreed? The first person with the right answer wins a book. E-mail answers to grobbins@ocregister.com.

And the winner is ...Ivan Turpin, who knew the answer is Alcmaean. This question brought a variety of answers, ranging from Herophilos to Hippocrates to Democritus to Galen. The question was drafted by my summer intern, Alex Baron, who is wicked smart.