The Office of Research is preparing for its third annual open house — and, no, it won’t be held in the office itself. The UC Davis research enterprise is much too large for that.

You’ll find the open house in the Activities and Recreation Center Ballroom, from 9:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday, April 30. This year’s theme: “Partners in Research: Cultivating Research Potential.”

Research examples will be on display, along with exhibits on facilities, resources and support services for researchers. Staff from the Office of Research will be on hand to meet and talk with visitors.

The program also includes two panel discussions:

• “Building International Research Partnerships” — With Alan Bennett, professor, plant sciences; Lovell “Tu” Jarvis, agricultural and resource economics; Suad Joseph, distinguished professor, anthropology; Harold Levine, dean, School of Education; Adrienne Martin, associate vice provost, University Outreach and International Programs; and Jonna Mazet, professor and director Wildlife Health Center. 9.30-10.30 a.m.
• “Becoming a Successful Grant Writer” — With Jorge Dubkovsky, professor, plant sciences; Susan Kauzlarich, professor, chemistry; Kent Lloyd, surgery; Angelique Louie, professor, biomedical engineering; and Anthony Wexler, professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering. 11 a.m.-noon.

Advance registration is requested and can be arranged online.

Doc helps save the day on Southwest flight

Scott Porter, chief resident of orthopaedic surgery at the UC Davis Medical Center, made national news after helping restrain a passenger who threatened to open a door on a Southwest Airlines flight.

With 139 passengers and crew onboard, the April 13 Chicago-Sacramento flight had to make an emergency landing in Nebraska.

Porter jumped to his feet along with two other passengers when he heard a flight attendant yelling for help in the back of the plane. "At first, I thought it was a medical emergency,” said Porter. Instead, he found a man causing the commotion by trying to exit the plane.

Worried that the passenger might have a weapon, Porter went after the man’s hands.

“Another guy grabbed his neck, and another grabbed him, too, and we collectively wrestled him to the ground. He remained combative and wanted to break free and hurt people," Porter said.

Read more.

Handritten thank-you notes, to donors

Students are invited to a Thank-a-Thon next week to put pen to paper to write thank-you notes to donors like those who contributed to The Campaign for UC Davis.

The fundraising effort does not officially conclude until May 31, but officials announced in November that email.

Catch up on Napolitano's Web chat with staff

A recording of UC President Janet Napolitano’s Web chat with staff has been posted online, and the Office of the President has also prepared a written summary of the hourlong chat.

The Web chat is here, on YouTube, and the recap is here.

The recap provides Napolitano’s comments on these topics: salary increases for nonrepresented staff (also see last week’s Dateline UC Davis article), career development and advancement opportunities, employee benefits (including a reference to employee contributions to the UC Retirement Plan), educational benefits/tuition discounts for UC staff and their families, advice regarding the skills that staff need to advance at UC, the role of the Office of the President, and her goals for UC.

Orchard Park housing's closure delayed

Emily Galindo, associate vice chancellor, Student Affairs, issued the following message on April 15, in regard to the planned closure of Orchard Park housing:

"The planned closure of the Orchard Park apartment community at UC Davis originally scheduled for July 31, 2014, is being delayed to accommodate the needs of the community's current residents.

"The university believes it is imperative to ensure our families who remain at the complex are provided the necessary time and resources to find new accommodations. Representatives from Student Affairs will be in touch personally with each of the remaining tenants to assist them in the transition and relocation process.

"We will continue to be flexible with the timeline for this important project which ultimately will create a dynamic, contemporary residential complex that our students and their families will call home for generations to come.  Further, we are committed to ensuring that students and other members of our campus community are consulted and actively engaged in assisting us develop and finalize plans for Orchard Park's redevelopment.

"We sincerely appreciate the patience of all involved and anticipate an update on the timeline for closure and reconstruction of the Orchard Park community in the coming weeks."