On January 21, the Libraries Speaker Series presented renowned memory researcher and UCI founding faculty member, James McGaugh, in a program and book signing to celebrate the publication of Memory & Emotion: The Making of Lasting Memories, an authoritative look at how emotion and experience influence long-term memory.

University Librarian Gerry Munoff welcomed an enthusiastic audience of nearly 250 that included Chancellor Ralph and Professor Carol Cicerone, friends and colleagues of Dr. McGaugh’s, Library Partners, and members of the campus and local community. McGaugh discussed the writing of his book, described his pioneering research on memory, and the importance of the UCI Libraries. Following the program, guests returned to the library for a lovely reception and to purchase signed copies of the book and talk one on one with Dr. McGaugh.

“I very much enjoyed participating in the Libraries Speaker Series,” said Dr. McGaugh. “It gave me the opportunity to talk about my new book, Memory and Emotion, with an interested and intelligent audience, and to talk with guests while signing books after my talk. As I told the audience, UCI is privileged to have a great library with wonderfully accessible material. Our library has been essential for my research and teaching during my four decades here at UCI and was especially helpful to me as I was writing my recent book.”

Author James McGaugh and University Librarian Gerry Munoff

McGaugh is the Director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory and Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior at UCI. His pioneering studies of drug and stress hormone influences on memory are recognized internationally. Memory and Emotion, his first book written for a general audience, is a highly informative and readable book on the psychological science of everyday memory. McGaugh is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. At UCI, he has served as Dean of the School of Biological Sciences, and Executive Vice Chancellor of the campus, and has received the Distinguished Faculty Award for Research, the Extraordinarious Award, and the highest campus honor, the UCI Medal.

“I’m delighted that the Libraries Speaker Series provided a forum for this engaging discussion with one of UCI’s most respected faculty members,” said Munoff, who also thanked Dr. McGaugh for his generous donation of the royalties from the event book sales to The Library Endowment, a fund that insures the excellence of the Libraries’ collections.