Announcements

In memoriam: Charlie Summers

Charles Geddes Summers, UC Davis emeritus entomologist, passed away on Aug. 12 from acute respiratory failure in his hometown of Clinton, Utah. He was 79. 

Summers earned bachelor's and master's degrees in zoology and entomology respectively at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and a doctorate degree in entomology at Cornell University in 1970, the same year he joined the UC Berkeley faculty and began working at Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center. He later moved to UC Davis.

“The job at Kearney was an absolutely perfect fit for me,” Summers said 42 years later when he retired in 2012. “It was a dream job. I look forward to coming to work every morning and would sometimes shake my fist at the sun going down at night. I've loved every minute I've been here.”

Although Summers had an Agricultural Experiment Station appointment, he made a point of working with UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors and specialists to deliver pest-management research results to farmers.

“Extension work has been one of the most enjoyable things I've done,” he said. “I've worked with farm advisors on research projects, farm calls and given hundreds and hundreds of extension talks at their grower meetings.”

Reflective mulches were a unique and effective pest-management strategy introduced by Summers and his longtime research partner, Jim Stapleton, UC Cooperative Extension integrated pest management advisor.

Stapleton shared the following memories of working with Summers.

Charlie Summers As I Knew Him

By James Stapleton

I first connected with Charlie when I was transitioning to my new job as IPM Plant Pathologist at the Kearney Agricultural Center in 1990. I knew him casually at first, as one of several entomologist colleagues at that time on our Kearney faculty. However, later in 1991, my lab crew and I were out in the field applying an experimental, sprayable bed mulch product and painting the mulched beds silver. At one point, Charlie pulled up to the edge of the field in his car, and after watching us for a few minutes, got out and walked over to me to ask what we were doing. I told him we were doing product feasibility testing and one of the potential applications was vegetable crop virus control using reflective bed mulch. He asked if we were working with an entomologist and after my negative reply, he indicated that he would be interested in becoming a collaborator on the project. Little did we know at that time that we would spend the next 15+ years in nearly daily contact as close collaborators and friends.

I believe our friendship was deepened when we discovered that both of us had historical family ties to Ogden, Utah, a formerly rough-and-tumble frontier and railroad town. We often shared anecdotes and old family photos of times gone by. 

Our labs meshed well right from the beginning – Charlie's lab was run by staff research associate Albert Newton, and I had an excellent lab crew with future UCCE advisors Roger Duncan, Tom Turini, and a little later, Ruth Dahlquist-Willard. Over the years, Charlie was absolutely top-notch as a field entomologist and project co-director. Under his leadership, Charlie's teams were always highly motivated, organized, and productive. We published our first collaborative research report in 1992.

In 1995, I started teaching plant pathology courses part-time at nearby Fresno State, which provided the opportunity to bring many students out to Kearney to do internships, independent studies, and thesis projects on various aspects of pest management and agronomy. They would be assigned to conduct research for both of our labs, and they received excellent training on the field projects. Over the years we trained dozens of students.

Charlie and I initiated our collaboration to evaluate reflective, sprayable bed mulches. It did not take long to confirm that they were quite effective at repelling insects and providing control of plant viruses. Our findings struck a chord, and we soon began to garner grant funding to study additional facets of light-mediated insect repulsion and plant virus control. Later, we began looking at effects of various cover crop mulches, and Kearney-based cropping systems specialist Jeff Mitchell joined our group in the late 1990s, to focus on the agronomic aspects of the work. 

Before we ended our active work, shortly before Charlie's retirement, we had published more than 35 reports and research papers, conducted dozens of outreach trainings, and had our work highlighted in numerous news outlets including the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and by national radio commentator Paul Harvey on his Noon News and Comment broadcast. 

I was deeply honored, as I'm sure Jeff Mitchell was, that Charlie chose to recognize our collaboration when he received the Entomology Society of America's C.W. Woodworth Award in 2009. Charlie sometimes presented a somewhat gruff exterior persona, but once you got to know him you realized that he was a very compassionate and caring man. I always looked forward to receiving Charlie's annual, tongue-in-cheek Christmas e-mail he sent out to everyone at Kearney – “Bah, Humbug to All!”

It was with great pleasure and satisfaction that I had the privilege of working closely with Charlie (and Jeff) for many years. We had a great time and we motivated each other to be highly productive. My memories of Charlie will always be very special to me.

For more about Summers' life, see his obituary at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/charles-summers-obituary?id=6302785.

Names in the News

Bunn named vice provost of research and extension

David Bunn joined UC ANR as Vice Provost of Research and Extension on Aug. 16. He will oversee the Research and Extension Center System and county-based UC Cooperative Extension.

Bunn served as director of the California Department of Conservation, managing a staff of more than 600 scientists and professionals to promote the judicious use and conservation of energy, land and mineral resources. Previously, he served as deputy director of the California Department of Fish and Game and as a natural resources policy consultant for the California State Senate and Assembly. 

For the last 18 months, Bunn directed the development of the UC Davis Graduate Program of Environmental Policy and Management, a unique professional program designed to train the next generation of environmental leaders and natural resources managers. 

Bunn also served in previous positions at UC Davis, including associate director of the International Programs Office (now Global Engagement) in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. As an international project manager at the One Health Institute in the School of Veterinary Medicine, he managed research, training and capacity-building activities in East and West Africa and in Nepal over a nine-year period.

"I am thrilled to be appointed Vice Provost for Research and Extension," Bunn said. "I am passionate about translating science to action and the critical role of extension for improving the lives of people in urban and rural communities.”

"I look forward to working with all of the terrific researchers and educators in UC Cooperative Extension and throughout the UC System, and with the many external collaborators. In particular, I am eager to support the County and REC Directors in their important work," he added.

Bunn earned a Ph.D. in ecology, an M.S. in international agricultural development, and a B.S. in wildlife biology, all from UC Davis.

Bunn is based at the ANR building in Davis and can be reached at (530) 750-1369 and dabunn@ucanr.edu.

ASHS honors Culumber with Early Career award 

Mae Culumber, UC Cooperative Extension nut crops advisor for Fresno and Kings counties, was chosen by the American Society of Horticultural Science to receive its 2021 ASHS Early Career Extension and Outreach Award.

Culumber, who joined UC ANR in 2016, is the first to receive this ASHS award. Established in 2020, the ASHS Professional Early Career Award recognizes ASHS members for outstanding contributions to horticultural science through their professional activities within 7 years of completing their final degrees (BS, MS, PhD, etc.) prior to their employment. 

“Despite being an Assistant Advisor, Dr. Culumber has led University of California professors, specialists, advisors, and USDA researchers in large-scale research projects as PI or Co-PI,” Luke Milliron, UC Cooperative Extension orchard systems advisor for Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties, wrote in his nomination letter. “Her leadership on studying the soil physical, biochemical, and greenhouse impacts of almond whole orchard recycling is a prerequisite to orchardists receiving cap and trade carbon credits for recycling their orchards, a sustainable alternative to removing and burning the trees at the end of the orchard's life. She also serves as Co-PI on studies of pistachio tree training techniques that increase yield, and variable rate irrigation in almond that enhances productivity, while preserving water and nutrient resources. Dr. Culumber's early research program is already delivering contributions to horticultural science with the potential to enhance orchard productivity and resource use efficiency across hundreds of thousands of acres.”

Since 2017, Culumber, who works with almonds, pistachios and walnuts, has published nine articles in peer-reviewed publications and helped secure over $1.25 million in grant and funding support. Her work as an advisor also earned her UC ANR's “Outstanding New Academic Distinguished Service Award” for 2019-2020.

She and other career award recipients received their awards at a ceremony on Aug. 6 at the 118thASHS Annual Conference in Denver. 

Perring wins ESA award for IPM excellence

Thomas Perring, a professor in the Department of Entomology at UC Riverside, will receive the Entomological Society of America's 2021 Award for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management.

This award recognizes outstanding contributions that have a direct relation to integrated pest management (IPM). 

Perring's research has developed management options for growers of 20 cropping systems involving 17 pests and five pathosystems. His lab has provided information on three predatory insects, four predatory mites, 12 parasitoids, and two entomopathogenic fungi in support of biological control. This research has resulted in 154 reviewed articles and chapters and five edited books. 

His work includes creating a multistate partnership to develop IPM strategies for the stink bug, Bagrada hilaris; spearheading a classical biological control program against the mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus and describing a new parasitoid, Anagyrus callidus (Triapitsyn, Andreason and Perring); conducting studies that launched a worldwide investigation into whether Bemisia tabaci consists of biotypes or species (currently at least 40 species are recognized); and implementing biocontrol of date mite and mating disruption of carob moth in dates.

Perring will receive the award during Entomology 2021, ESA's Annual Meeting, taking place in-person and online, Oct. 31 – Nov. 3, in Denver.

New UCCE positions process and timeline announced

Because of the state's acknowledgement that growing the UC ANR academic footprint is of great benefit to the state, recruitment of UCCE Advisor and UCCE Specialist positions will resume. Earlier this year, the Program Council recommended release of 20 positions (15 UCCE Advisor plus 5 UCCE Specialist positions). Ten of these positions have been released for recruitment; the remaining positions will be released soon. Program Council will review other currently identified needs in September and advance additional recommendations to Vice President Humiston. Up to 75 additional UCCE Advisor and 18 additional UCCE Specialist positions are expected to be released in the next 12 months.

The currently identified needs reflect a position call process conducted in 2018, plus vacancies since that time. With new support from the state, we must carefully examine our needs for the future. To this end, UC ANR will be conducting a position call for UCCE Advisor and UCCE Specialist position proposals. This process will be expedited as follows, with a goal to identify priority positions early next year. A timeline, below, is followed by greater detail of the process.

Please note that the processes and timelines below are for UCCE Specialist and UCCE Advisor positions. Identification of all other positions – academic and staff – to be filled as a result of new state funding will use different processes.

UCCE Specialist positions	Campuses*	Directors*	Program Teams*	Program Council	Vice President
5 positions	Identified 2018 -2021		Prioritized spring 2021	Recommended May 2021	Released July through fall 2021
12 to 20 additional positions	Proposals developed, due Dec 10, 2021		Prioritize proposals Dec 17 – Feb 15 2022	Recommend March 2022	Select and release beginning spring 2022
UCCE Advisor positions	Campuses*	Directors*	Program Teams*	Program Council	Vice President
15 positions		Identified since 2018; prioritized spring 2021	Identified since 2018; prioritized spring 2021	Recommended May 2021	Released July through fall 2021
15 to 25 additional positions		Identified since 2018; prioritized spring 2021	Identified since 2018; prioritized spring 2021	Recommend September 2021	To be released winter 2021/2022
Up to 50 additional positions		Proposals developed, Aug 23 – Dec 10 2021	Proposals developed, Aug 23 – Dec 10 202	Recommend January 2022	Select and release beginning February 2022

*Stakeholder input considered in process of position identification. Campus members are part of Program Teams.

**Directors include county, REC, statewide program and institute directors.

 

2021 Call for CE Positions Process

Please see the 2021 position call webpage for more information including important documents. This is where submitted proposals will be available for review.

UCCE Advisor positions

County Directors, REC Directors, Statewide Program/Institute Directors, and Program Teams can submit a limited number of UCCE Advisor positions until December 10, 2021. Position number limitations are as follows for individuals or teams: County Director (1) for every county they direct, but positions do not need to be headquartered in the CD's counties), REC Director (1) per REC Director, but positions need not be headquartered at the REC), Statewide Program/Institute Director (1), Program Team (1).

Individuals, teams and units are expected to seek stakeholder input and work collaboratively across ANR units to make the best use of submission restrictions. Units are also encouraged to review thematic cluster areas for hires. UC ANR thematic cluster areas include Fire Advisor Network; Food System Resilience Network; Health Resilience Network; and Urban Community Development Network. Building capacity in each thematic cluster area is of high priority to UC ANR.

UCCE Specialist positions

Working closely with Program Teams, campuses are invited to propose UCCE Specialist positions, paying particular attention to thematic cluster areas. The UC Berkeley, UC Davis and UC Riverside campus submissions are restricted and must be submitted by a single Dean or Provost on behalf of the campus; 4 proposals each from UCR and UCB, plus 6 proposals from UCD. All other campuses are restricted to no more than 2 submissions per campus, to be submitted by the Provost or Chancellor. More information regarding how appointments will be handled between UC ANR and UC campuses other than UCB, UCD, and UCR is available on the 2021 position call webpage.

Stakeholder input

Units are expected to seek stakeholder input and work collaboratively to make the best use of submission restrictions. Program Teams, Directors and Work Groups are encouraged to work with campus units to co-develop specialist positions, particularly around cluster hire opportunities. Following campus submissions, due December 10, 2021, each Program Teams is invited to review UCCE Specialist proposals and identify their top two priorities, no later than February 15, 2022. Program Teams may propose amendments to proposals and are encouraged to solicit consent from campus leadership, in particular, the Executive Associate Deans who are members of Program Council.

 

Borrow from any UC library with systemwide library search

A new, more robust and more efficient library search experience has arrived. UC Library Search connects the libraries on all 10 University of California campuses through a unified discovery and borrowing system.

UC Library Search features the following enhancements:

• Search your home campus library collection as well as the collections of all 10 UC libraries in the same system
• Locate the full text of millions of print and online books, journal articles, and other content
• Borrow and renew materials from any library in the UC system without retyping your library card number

The enhanced features of UC Library Search will replace Melvyl as the UC-wide library catalog search tool. As a single, unified system, UC Library Search offers powerful tools to help the UC Libraries make data-informed decisions around collections development and new services for library users.

See it on each campus:

• UC Berkeley
• UC Davis
• UC Irvine
• UCLA
• UC Merced
• UC Riverside
• UC San Diego
• UC San Francisco
• UC Santa Barbara
• UC Santa Cruz

Strategic Initiative Brief: Nutrition and Health Vision

Unify-Communicate-Advocate

The UCANR Strategic Initiatives offer a home for strategic thought - drawing on members of the wider UC ANR community and beyond to 1) help people connect and 2) to help them identify and address issues of current and emerging importance. 

Nutrition and health vision takes shape 

Want to provide input on creating our UC ANR vision for health? Contact Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, who is facilitating the effort, at lschmittmcquitty@ucanr.edu.  

Why are we looking at our health vision now?  

1.    There are resources to do this now

• “People like to fund winners.” The increase in state funds means others are interested in supporting our work - that includes building on our current health efforts. It's an opportunity to leverage that state funding.
• Due to COVID, there is more awareness of physical and emotional health needs. The increased awareness will lead to more resources available to address health needs (federal, state, NGO, donor resources).

2.     There is a need

• The health needs across California are immense, and growing
• Health spans the lifecycle and is a component of all of our program areas (social, emotional, physical health)
• Farmer stress, positive youth development, diabetes prevention, aging demographics

3.     We are the right partner to contribute to meeting needs

• We already do a lot in the area of health. We just haven't tended to use “health” to describe our work, even though we talk about “Healthy Californians” and we have a public-value statement related to health: “Promoting healthy people and communities.”
• We already play a role. So we want people to imagine how new capacity in UC ANR could make a difference in addressing unmet needs. What more might we do with expanded capacity?
• These efforts would utilize new capacity without reducing capacity in existing areas. It would build on existing areas.

4.     It's a window that won't stay open forever and will increase overall awareness of UC ANR

• There is increased national dialogue on workforce development and health in the world of Extension. That means a window of opportunity. We should be ready with ideas and capacity to leap at opportunities before the funding is distributed elsewhere.
• Activity in non-traditional health areas for UC ANR will increase awareness of all of our program areas. Such awareness has spillover effects thereby “lifting all boats.”

For more on the SIs and their activities, contact

Jim Farrar: Pests (EIPD)

OPEN: Natural Ecosystems (SNE) (Let us know if you are interested in making sure SNE has a voice)

David Lewis: (Water)

Deanne Meyer: Food Systems (SFS)

Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty: Families and Communities (HFC)

Mark Bell: Vice Provost (Strategic Initiatives and Statewide Programs)

 

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