΢²ªÊÓƵ

The PG&E rebates keep on coming! This week, ΢²ªÊÓƵ received $1 million for a Briggs Hall energy conservation project that cut the university’s electric and gas bills by an estimated $350,000 a year.

The March 14 presentation, in the form of a giant check, took place on the steps of Briggs Hall, a lab-research building more than 40 years old — but with a retrofit that is saving more than 4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 80,000 therms of gas annually.

A second giant, ceremonial check, for $2.6 million, represented everything paid to ΢²ªÊÓƵ to date for projects that qualified for 2012 rebates through the state’s Strategic Energy Partnership, which is funded by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

The 'flaming' cake in pictures

Remember last week's , and the "flaming" guitar cake? Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi presented the cake to Professor Christopher Reynolds when they interrupted Reynolds' "History of Rock Music" class on March 8 to announce that he was the recipient of the 2013 ΢²ªÊÓƵ Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement.

Why the guitar? It was modeled after the Fender Stratocaster that rock legend Jimi Hendrix set on fire and smashed at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. And Hendrix is Reynolds' favorite musician of all time. (Reynolds knows and loves Renaissance music, too!)

Read the and click on the photo here to see the cake in the making, at the university's Harvest Bakery, and being delivered by a pair of rock stars.

'Soar' your way to the ticket office

It’s time again to soar! In other words, it’s time to get your tickets for Soaring to New Heights, the campus’s premier celebration of diversity.

The 23rd annual event, featuring an international buffet, is scheduled from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, in .

Department-unit representation is highly recommended, and release time with supervisory approval is appropriate.

Only 500 tickets are available; they are available for $5 each on a first-come, first-served basis, through an extended deadline of Friday, March 29, or until sold out. None will be sold at the door.

IET arranges discount on Identity Finder

is constantly urging faculty, staff and students to safeguard sensitive information in campus computers. But IET also wants you to be careful on your own computers.

To help out, IET announced that it has arranged for to buy Identity Finder’s home edition software at a big discount: $10, which is 75 percent off the list price. can get the software for free.

The software flags such information as passwords and access codes, account numbers, and Social Security and driver’s license numbers, giving you the opportunity to delete the information, encrypt it or store it offline.

U.S. News: Med school among the best

U.S. News & World Report has ranked ΢²ªÊÓƵ School of Medicine among America's best medical schools for the quality of its educational programs in primary care and research. The news magazine's annual listing appeared March 12 on the publication's website and will be published in its guidebook, America's Best Graduate Schools 2014.

The magazine assessed 114 of the 149 accredited medical schools and schools of osteopathic medicine around the country. This year's rankings place ΢²ªÊÓƵ School of Medicine at 19th for primary care and 42nd for research.

Aggie Kickbacks: double points on iPads

announced a doubling of Aggie Kickbacks reward points for faculty and staff on iPad purchases on Thursday (March 21). Apple representatives will be at the that day, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., to demonstrate the iPad and answer questions; and light refreshments will be served.

The Customer Rewards Program, which began last fall, gives a point for every dollar you spend (after discount and before sales tax) on most everything except gift cards and postage stamps and other nonmerchandise expenditures. Collect 500 points and you’ll get a $10 voucher — and, as the program evolves, other rewards will be offered, say, a $5 coupon for an off-campus restaurant (50 points) or 30 percent off a ΢²ªÊÓƵ clothing item (100 points).

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