Gene Gurkoff '94, Tramatic Brain Injury Expert

Gene is currently a post doctoral researcher at UC Davis, and he took time to visit our Peninsula Bridge students this summer and talk to them about the ravages of brain injuries from accidents and sports. Here he is introduced to the students by Ned Diamond, CSUS math teacher and Bridge Site Director.

Gene became interested in the brain while at CSUS in Mr. Paterson's science class and has developed his passion for research, and especially teaching, over the past dozen years at Davis. He hopes to become a full professor and devote his career to teaching about TBI.

With a vivid powerpoint and video presentation, he made several important points that were especially important to his middle school audience. He encouraged the kids to always work hard and take full opportunity of opportunities like Peninsula Bridge. He made a strong pitch for them to go on to college and not to worry about the expense. Only 2 of his 11 current, very diverse doctoral students paid full tuition.

He moved on to some sobering head injury statistics. There are 1.7 million reported brain injuries a year and 50,000 of those patients die. He had some rather graphic pictures and video that caught the students attention, and he finished with, "Always wear your helmet."

Many thanks for Gene's presentation, and believe me, he is a great teacher.

Liz Stewart Maurage '84 visits campus

Liz has lived for the past 19 years just north of Paris in the quaint town of Bovelles. She and her husband, Francois, have two children ages 6 and 8, and Liz teaches English at a local engineering college. We have plans to set up a regular Skype conversation in English and French for some of her students and some of our advanced French students.

When Liz came home to visit her parents recently, I invited her to join Dave and me for lunch and a long stroll down memory lane. Liz was sorry to have missed Dave's retirement party in May, but they used our lunch together to quickly catch up and talk about her important role in our athletic program of the late 70's and early 80's. Dave referred to Liz as a consummate athlete who was always a solid performer in cross-country (Cross-country athlete of the year in 1981), track, basketball and swimming.

Liz has fond memories of Crystal in those days and looks forward to a return visit in February.

Alums around the world and Skype

It was 6:00 PM Thursday and 9:00 AM Friday morning in Taiwan when we connected our Skype video camera with David Schainker '04 for a student to alumnus conversation about life in China.

Nine of our Mandarin language class students addressed "life in China" with David and got riveting answer from a man who is walking the walk and prefers to be totally immersed in the language and culture.

Two or our current students commented off mike that they really believed what a younger alum had to say, and they were ready to make the plunge.

Thank you David. Let's do it again.

Rebecca Miller DuMaine and Dave Miller Trio

Rebecca knocked it out of the park at the Oak City Bar and Grill recently in Menlo Park. She is the vocalist with her dad's trio backing her terrific pipes.

They return to the same venue on Friday, May 20, and I suggest we gather a bunch of Crystal alums to kick back and enjoy some really great jazz. Standing room only so make a reservation for dinner to get a seat! See you there.

See you there!