UA law students beat other Ariz. law students with bar scores

Graduates of the UA James E. Rogers College of Law led the state in bar exam passage by a wide margin this summer. According to results recently released by the Supreme Court of Arizona, 96 percent of juris doctor graduates from the UA passed the two-day exam last July in their first attempt to be admitted to the practice of law in the state. The overall pass rate for first-time takers was only 78 percent.

"Although our students typically perform very well on the bar, this is an unusually high pass rate," said Toni M. Massaro, dean of the College. "It's a very challenging and exhausting test."

Prof. named president of world's biggest group of neuroscientists

Carol Barnes, a professor of psychology and neurology, has been elected president of the Society for Neuroscience. With more than 34,000 members, SFN is the world's largest organization of scientists devoted to the study of the brain.

"This is an incredible honor and distinction for professor Barnes," said Al Kasniak, head of the psychology department, "and it underscores the extraordinary high esteem in which professor Barnes and her work are held by colleagues world-wide."

Barnes is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research on the neurophysiological bases for changes in learning and memory in aging, Kazniak added. Barnes has a doctorate from Carleton University and has published more than 140 articles and given approximately 350 invited presentations and papers/abstracts at scientific meetings.

Construction project will close Cherry Avenue over winter break

North Cherry Avenue, between East University Boulevard and East Fourth Street, will be closed to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians from Sunday, Dec. 21 through Tuesday, Jan. 13, so work can be completed on the Meinel Optical Sciences project.

East University Boulevard and East Fourth Street will remain open.

The Cherry Garage will remain open, but accessible only from East Fourth Street or East Enke Drive. Access to the Optical Sciences loading dock will remain open from the south.

The sidewalks between East University Boulevard and North Fourth Avenue will be closed. Pedestrians will be detoured through the Main Library breezeway.