N
THE RECORD
OH
OH
CH 3
Brian Maple , MS ’ 65 , PhD ’ 69
CH 3
Michael Sharpe
CH 3
OH OH
Katja Lindenberg
PHYSICAL SCIENCES AT 60
A look back at our founding departments .
BY MARIO C . AGUILERA ’ 89
IF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE is part of UC San Diego ’ s DNA , then physical science could be regarded as the university ’ s prime mover . Just consider how campus growth was envisioned upon reaching 2,300 students in 1968 : At that time , “ fission ” would occur and the diversion of students and faculty to form the nucleus of another college . In fact , the first classes of 1960s proto-UC San Diego — the graduate school known only as “ The School of Science and Engineering ”— were largely students of physics and chemistry . These departments would eventually make up the Division of Physical Sciences , along with mathematics in 1964 . Triton caught up with some of the division ’ s first professors to reflect on the early days and learn what is in store for the next 60 years .
Brian Maple , MS ’ 65 , PhD ’ 69 , distinguished professor and chair , Department of Physics : I came here as a graduate student in 1963 , part of the third entering class in physics . By then , Harold Urey was here , and we ’ d even have lunch with him sometimes . He and Maria Goeppert Mayer — both Nobel laureates — were hired right at the beginning .
That certainly helped bring UCSD instantaneous recognition and stature . Really , it was the up-and-coming place . That could even be taken literally — I started down at Scripps , and the next year , we moved into one of the only three buildings then — A , B and C .
Katja Lindenberg , distinguished professor emeritus , Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry : As for me , I ’ ve been on the same floor of Urey Hall — or Building B , I suppose — for 50 years . I arrived first as a researcher , half in physics and half in chemistry . My interests in chemistry became academically more inspiring to me over the years . Even as a researcher I could attend faculty meetings and group discussions and build rapport . Not to mention the classes back then — the big ones had maybe 75 students , but most had around 30 . So we had an unusually good rapport with faculty and students , with each other and with students , teaching such small classes .
Michael Sharpe , professor emeritus , Department of Mathematics : When I came into the math department in 1967 , I was impressed with the initial conception of the campus , how departments were going to be split among the colleges to allow for collaboration with people who shared interests but were in different disciplines . That was one of the great things at the beginning , that vision of Roger Revelle . And of course , the many experts — not only leaders in their fields but young people who were not yet known but soon became very notable .
Lindenberg : From the very beginning , it has been a world of science that is singularly international . Universities from all continents send visitors here , and it lends a wonderful picture of science around the world . It was diverse in that regard , if not so much with respect to gender . Being a woman and a Latina , I was often the first of things : first female department chair , first female Academic Senate chair . I had to really get myself out there and always speak up . And I should say , as the first woman to hold such positions , it took forever to see the second woman do so . I ’ m glad to see this change , but I would like to see more .
Maple : It ’ s important to have role models who can help make it so that talented young women don ’ t have to face what Katja did . In the physics department ,
10 TRITON | SPRING 2021