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Human rights best practices

Political scientist Alison Brysk examines international human rights success stories in new book, Global Good Samaritans

President Obama's signing of executive orders to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and limit interrogation techniques in U.S. facilities worldwide is a big step forward for what has been a lagging overall national policy on international human rights, says Alison Brysk. A UCI political science professor who specializes in human rights research, she is the author of Global Good Samaritans, a new book in which she provides a comparative look at human rights foreign policy best practices abroad.

UCI researchers to study brain region with links to autism and musical ability

fMRI technology will be used to measure brain activity in area that may be key in making auditory and motor connections

UCI cognitive neuroscientists Gregory Hickok and Kourosh Saberi have received a five year, $2,169,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the organizational make-up and role of the planum temporale (PT), a region of the brain recent studies suggest may have links to autism, schizophrenia and stroke induced aphasia. The small area of the brain has also been linked to spatial hearing, lip reading skills and musical abilities.

President Obama pushes the stimulus bill

Matthew Beckmann, political science assistant professor, studies how presidents push their policy proposals in Congress and the consequences of partisan polarization

The U.S. Senate has passed President Obama's $838 billion economic recovery plan, but Democrats and Republicans will negotiate further before voting on the final bill. Matthew Beckmann, UC Irvine political science assistant professor, studies how presidents push their policy proposals in Congress and the consequences of partisan polarization in Washington. Beckmann weighs in on how Obama is handling the first major challenge of his presidency: garnering bipartisan support for a bill to help the country bounce back from economic crisis.

Street-wise scholar

Chicano/Latino studies and psychology undergrad Pamela Ruiz studies ways to end gang strangleholds in Honduras and the U.S.

She read up on gangs in textbooks and news articles. She watched documentaries. She talked to family members about how to stay safe. Her mother, who moved Ruiz and her sister to the U.S. when Ruiz was 4, told her not to attract attention, not to wear jewelry or flashy clothes, and not to use a cell phone in public. Her grandparents, who are surrounded by gangs in Honduras, told her they lock their doors and stay inside at night, not daring to look out the window if they hear trouble on the street. Still, nothing prepared Ruiz for what she saw in neighborhoods where gangs rule.

The inside track

'05 alumnus and DHS inspector shares insight on careers in government service

Undergrads enrolled in political science associate professor Caesar Sereseres' Homeland Security course had the opportunity in February to hear from Tatyana Martell, an '05 international studies alumnus and current inspector for the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General. Invited by Sereseres to discuss how she came into her role in federal government - a career field of key interest to many of those enrolled in the course - the Lithuanian native and former Fulbright Community Service scholar outlined both her road to her current position and her overall duties as an inspector.

UCI's Mock Trial teams are on to nationals for second year running

National tournament will be hosted by UCI March 21-22

UCI's two senior Mock Trial teams closed out their regular season arguments Saturday amidst a flurry of awards for individual courtroom performances and overall team efforts at the Rancho Cucamonga California Regional Tournament. Their success follows last weekend's equally victorious junior team performances at Fresno's Regional Tournament. All four teams qualified for nationals which will be hosted this year at UCI March 21-22. Judges are needed for the weekend tournament. Interested participants interested in serving as judges should contact Carol Spencer, cspencer@uci.edu or 949.824.1312.

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SPOTLIGHT EVENT - Former Gov. Dukakis to speak on American politics and presidential campaigning