he Monterey Bay Aquarium, very strong sense of connection to the which Julie Packard helped found environment,” Packard says. 40 Years Tand has led as executive director Her passion for marine science, in par- since it opened 20 years ago, is among the ticular, was kindled by a class in intertidal ...and Counting world’s most popular attractions. A recent na- biology she took in her sophomore year at tional survey ranked it the best aquarium and UC Santa Cruz. The class brought students one of the top family destinations of any kind, out to the tidepools and introduced them to ahead of Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo. field research; it also introduced Packard to Four decades But the aquarium is not just about family biologist William Doyle, founding director Since receiving an Academy of UCSC grads fun and entertainment—it aims to educate of UCSC’s Institute of Marine Sciences. She Award for his work editing the and inspire people to care about the oceans conducted research with Doyle both as an blockbuster film Traffic in 2000, are making their and help protect them. And with nearly undergraduate and as a graduate student at Steve Mirrione (theater arts– 2 million visitors a year, the aquarium UCSC, studying the ecology of marine algae. film, ’91) has had no shortage reaches a lot of people. Packard has made sure that the aquari- of work. His credits since mark on the world his Oscar include Ocean’s “We provide an opportunity for people um’s programs and exhibits are always Twelve and Criminal (2004); to connect with ocean wildlife and establish firmly grounded in science. In addition, 21 Grams (2003); Confessions a sense of caring for it,” says Packard, an as concern about human impacts on the of a Dangerous Mind (2002); o celebrate eloquent and passionate advocate of ocean marine environment has escalated, the and Ocean’s Eleven, Tribute, conservation. aquarium’s mission has evolved to become and Thirteen Conversations this anniversary year, T In 1998, Packard was awarded the more explicitly focused on ocean conser- About One Thing (2001). UC Santa Cruz’s 40th, Audubon Medal for Excellence in vation and advocacy. Environmental Protection, and in 2004 Packard says she has been pleased to see we decided to tell the stories she received the Ted Danson Ocean marine scientists at UCSC and other insti- Hero Award from the conservation group tutions focusing more of their research on of a half-dozen UCSC alumni Oceana. She also served on the Pew Oceans questions that relate to conservation issues. city of san jose courtesy who have never been profiled Commission, which issued an influential “Many UCSC scientists are working at the report on ocean policy in 2003. forefront of where I believe science needs in the pages of this publica- The Pew Oceans Commission, in paral- to go, which is interdisciplinary approaches As mayor of San Jose, Ron lel with the U.S. Commission on Ocean that are linked to real-world environmental tion. We also couldn’t resist Gonzales (B.A., community Policy, undertook the first comprehensive problems,” she says. studies, ’73) grapples with recalling some of the many jones r. r. review of national ocean policy in 30 years. She also says that getting undergraduates reshaping city government These two independent efforts reached es- involved in research is essential for training the to promote teamwork and ef- outstanding graduates we sentially the same conclusions: “Our oceans next generation of environmental scientists. ficiency, stoking the economic engine that powers San Jose, have featured in the past. are in trouble, and the federal regulations “There’s just no match for that kind of Julie Packard we have now are not working to protect experience to get students engaged with the balancing economic and The impressive accomplish- marine ecosystems,” Packard says. subject matter and fired up about exploring environmental concerns, and supporting the schools that Executive Director, Monterey Bay Aquarium Packard’s interest in science and nature the natural world,” Packard says. “The op- ments of our alumni say educate tomorrow’s work- B.A. Biology, Crown College, 1974; M.A. Biology, 1978 started early. Her father, David Packard, portunity for undergraduate research and force. Before becoming mayor more about UC Santa Cruz cofounder of the Hewlett-Packard the focus on undergraduate education is a in 1999, Gonzales served Company, was both a scientist and an real strength of UCSC.” on the Santa Clara County than we ever could. avid outdoorsman. “I grew up with a —Tim Stephens Board of Supervisors. 10 UC Santa Cruz Review / Spring 2005 UC Santa Cruz Review / Spring 2005 11 40 Years ...and Counting rom pundits to presidents, moved to the Minneapolis Star, where she regular readers of the New York Times was a columnist and deputy opinion-page Frely on the paper’s Sunday “Week in editor. Three years later, she was recruited Review” section to tell them what they need by the Times. to know. In a field where learning never stops, One of the most influential publications Roberts says her liberal arts background has in journalism, the section provides context been an asset. She has had to become an courtesy john doolittle courtesy mickey pfleger mickey for the week’s top stories, combining insight expert in space shuttle technology, New York U.S. Representative John When Geoffrey Marcy and analysis with fine writing on topics City taxis, Nicaraguan dynasties, immigrant Doolittle was unanimously was 14, he watched Neil from politics and religion to science and the health care, and forest fire policy, among reelected by his Republican Armstrong’s historic walk on symphony. other topics. colleagues to a second two- the Moon. In 1996, Marcy In short, section editor Katy Roberts “I did my undergraduate work at Santa year term as House Republican (M.S., astronomy, ’78; Ph.D., shoulders the burden of sifting through Cruz, and my graduate work at the ‘Week Conference Secretary for the astronomy and astrophysics, mountains of news and information so we in Review,’” says Roberts. “It’s a continuing 109th Congress, a position ’82) took his own leap don’t have to. “Keeping up with the news education.” he held the two prior years. for mankind when he and The position is the sixth-high- a fellow astronomer discovered used to be relatively easy. Now it’s impos- Roberts lives in Manhattan with her est-ranking elected post in the two distant planets located sible,” Roberts says with typical candor. husband and has been known to watch surf- House leadership. Doolittle between 40 and 70 light- “Accepting that is the only way to survive.” ing documentaries when she’s not reading (B.A., history, ’72) represents years from Earth. The planets Roberts’ self-effacing manner belies the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Review of northern California’s 4th were only the second and her achievements: During more than 20 Books, or the New Yorker. Congressional District. third to be discovered outside years at the Times, she has held several Asked about her worst day in journalism, our solar system. positions, including a two-year stint as Roberts describes the morning of September national editor and five years as editor 11, 2001, when, as national editor, she got a of the op-ed page. She believes her great- call at home from the office. Stepping outside hockney david r. r. jones r. r. est impact was on the op-ed page, where her Greenwich Village apartment, she saw she brought in voices “outside the Eastern one tower, then another, on fire. Heading to Establishment” and sped up the page’s the office on foot, she kept looking over her responsiveness to events. shoulder as the tragedy unfolded. fred conrad/new york times york conrad/new fred “I’m not a producer of ideas, but an en- Inside the newsroom, however, the scene For the past two decades, thusiastic consumer of them,” says Roberts. was “awe-inspiring as the paper’s staff went to New Yorker staff writer “I learned to question conventional wisdom work.” Sixteen hours later, she and a reporter Lawrence Weschler (B.A., A UC Berkeley bioengineer, philosophy and Western Katy Roberts and authority, wherever it was vested.” trooped to the only subway that was running. Kimmen Sjölander (B.A., com- After graduating from UCSC, Roberts They stood alone on the dead-quiet platform, civilization, ’74) has written puter and information sciences, about unexpected relation- earned a master’s degree in journalism waiting for the downtown train. ’93; Ph.D., computer science, Editor, New York Times “Week in Review” ships among art, culture, war, and Russian area studies from Indiana “The paper is criticized from every quar- ’97) has made key contributions B.A. Politics, Kresge College, 1974 and peace. His latest book, to the arsenal of computa- University. Although she says she got ter, and sometimes we make mistakes,” says Vermeer in Bosnia, is a col- tional tools available for protein “abysmal grades” in her journalism classes, Roberts. “But you’d be hard-pressed to find a lection of 22 stories written analysis. Her software programs Roberts picked up some reporting experi- more honest, dedicated, thoughtful group of for the magazine and other are sorting out the evolutionary ence and landed a job at the Hayward (CA) people on earth.” publications. William relationships among proteins, Daily Review in 1977. By 1979, she had —Jennifer McNulty Finnegan (B.A., literature, allowing scientists to infer the ’74), also an award-winning structure and function of newly New Yorker staffer, has filed discovered proteins. stories from around the world.