FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 13, 1996
Rick Malaspina (510) 987-9179
Rick.Malaspina@ucop.edu

UC TO OPEN REGIONAL OFFICE IN NEW MEXICO

The University of California will establish an office in northern New Mexico as a focal point for strengthening its relationship with regional communities and other entities within the state.

The University of California Northern New Mexico Office will be based in downtown Los Alamos at 1350 Central Ave., Suite 101, adjoining the Bradbury Science Museum. The office telephone number and hours of operation will be announced with the opening of the office later this month.

V. Wayne Kennedy, UC senior vice president for business and finance, said the work of the office will be purposely diverse in nature to demonstrate and make greater use of the range of capabilities UC brings to its management of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. A particular, initial emphasis of the office will be to support joint efforts directed toward increased development and diversification of the northern New Mexico economy and the development of new initiatives in technology transfer, educational outreach, and corporate citizenship.

"We view this office as a key link in our commitment to work more closely with the laboratory and its neighboring communities, the Department of Energy and other constituencies in areas crucial to the future of the relationship we share and the stability of the region," Kennedy said.

Impetus for the office came in part from the Community/UC/LANL Working Group. Formed by local civic and business leaders, the group included UC and LANL representatives, members of the northern New Mexico civic, business and educational communities, and representatives of the state economic development agency. Plans for the office, including its location, were developed in consultation with members of the working group.

Kennedy has appointed Robert L. Van Ness, UC interim-special assistant for laboratory administration, as the University's lead representative in New Mexico in connection with activities of the regional office. In carrying out the work of the office, Van Ness, who heads the UC Laboratory Administration Office, will work with members of his staff and other UC officials whose expertise will be useful in increasing UC's community presence and participation.

Operations of the new UC office will be coordinated with LANL offices responsible for industrial partnerships, community relations, public affairs and media relations, and governmental relations. The UC office will make use of the laboratory's Espanola Outreach Center and other locations as appropriate. The office initially will be staffed on a part-time basis, with specific office functions and resource needs to be developed, assessed and modified over time.

Christina Armijo, group leader in the laboratory's Community Involvement Office, will serve jointly as leader of the UC Northern New Mexico Office. She will direct on-site operations, reporting to Van Ness, whose primary operations will remain at UC headquarters in California. Van Ness and other UC representatives will use the new office as their base in New Mexico.

Activities to be directed by Van Ness include:

Meeting with community and legislative representatives on issues of concern to New Mexico.
Participating on the Northern New Mexico Defense Adjustment Task Force and other regional economic development groups.

Participating with groups representing regional school districts and institutions of higher learning in activities related to education outreach and academic collaboration.
Coordinating UC participation in action plans initiated by the Community/UC/LANL Working Group.
Meeting with Department of Energy officials on matters within UC's purview and coordinating with laboratory management on issues within the laboratory's area of responsibility.
Facilitating community interactions with the laboratory.

Among the UC representatives who will work with Van Ness are Carl Poppe, associate vice provost for research and laboratory programs; Terry Feuerborn, executive director for technology transfer; Rick Malaspina, associate director for news services and national laboratory liaison; and various members of the Laboratory Administration Office. They include Ronald A. Nelson, director of contracts management; Howard Hatayama, director of environment, safety and health; Buck Koonce, manager of program evaluation and integration; Marissa Verceles, manager of human resources; and Chuck McDonald, manager of procurement and property management.

In addition to the Los Alamos laboratory, UC manages two other DOE laboratories -- the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, both in California. The DOE recently announced its intention to enter into negotiations with the University to extend the laboratory management contracts. They run concurrently for five years and expire in September 1997. The UC Board of Regents is scheduled to vote on whether to negotiate extension of the contracts at its June 20-21 business meeting.

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