October 2009

Mellon Fellows Have
International Reach

With teaching and research experience from Venezuela all the way to Istanbul, five new post-doctoral scholars will spend the next two years at Berkeley as the 2009-2011 Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows.  Read story

Ugly History of Discrimination
For more than a century many American cities had so-called “Ugly Laws” on the books, which made it illegal for a person who was “diseased, maimed or mutilated or in any way deformed” to appear in public. Professor of English Susan Schweik’s book The Ugly Laws explores a time when there was little or no safety net for the poor and disabled.

Berkeley Economist Oliver Williamson Wins Nobel Prize
Economics Professor Oliver Williamson, whose work has had broad influence both within and beyond his field, was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work explaining why some decisions are made more efficiently inside corporations rather than by markets.

Why UC is Not a Luxury
Acting Executive Dean Janet Broughton shares her thoughts about the value of UC to California.

Multimedia Feature of the Month
Video: Preparing for a Harpsichord Marathon
Watch and listen to Berkeley Musicologist and renowned harpsichordist Davitt Moroney explain how he prepared for a weekend-long marathon performance of J.S. Bach’s masterpiece The Well-Tempered Clavier Books 1 and 2.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Berkeley Arts & Ideas is published monthly by the College of Letters and Science. It highlights the latest research, news, and events related to the arts, humanities, and the social sciences at U.C. Berkeley. For past articles, visit the Arts & Ideas Archive.

Support L&S’s excellence. Make a gift or call 510.643.1964 for additional information.