Guillen joins CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE as academic coordinator
Melissa Guillen (she/her) joined UCCE in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties as a CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE academic coordinator. In her new role with UCCE, she will leverage her expertise and collaborative approach to support community-driven solutions in food systems and nutrition.
Guillen brings extensive experience in food systems, nutrition and organizational leadership. With a strong background in both nonprofit and business operations, she is committed to advancing community health, sustainability and equitable food access.
Prior to joining UCCE, she served as chief operating officer at Backyard Bowls, where she led strategic growth, operations and team development. Previously, she managed youth and nutrition programs at the San Luis Obispo Food Bank, focusing on food literacy, food security initiatives and public health advocacy. Her expertise spans program development, business strategy and cross-sector collaboration, making her a valuable addition to the UCCE team.
Guillen serves as chair of the board of directors for Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara and as president of the Board for Standing Together to End Sexual Assault (STESA).
She holds a master's degree in nutrition from Meredith College and a bachelor's degree in animal science from North Carolina State University.
Guillen is based at the UCCE office in Ventura County and can be reached at mpguillen@ucanr.edu.
Rios returns to UC ANR as SGMA educator for SoCal small farms
Sonia Rios returned to UC ANR on Jan. 16 as a Sustainable Groundwater Management Act technical assistance community educator IV for small farms. In this role, she will provide technical assistance and extension education and conduct policy analyses to support small-scale farms during the implementation of the SGMA in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. She is part of a statewide team that works with the UC ANR Small Farms Network, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), nonprofit organizations and local government agencies.
Prior to rejoining UC ANR, Rios was the environmental manager at SeaWorld San Diego. She also has been a crop protection technical development representative with Bayer Crop Science, a forestry technician with the USDA Forest Service in the Sierra National Forest, and an agriculture aide I with the California Department of Food and Agriculture,
Before this role, Rios worked for UC ANR for over 12 years. She first served as a staff research associate in Tulare and Kings counties with emeritus farm advisor Steve Wright for three years. She also served as the UCCE subtropical horticulture farm advisor in Riverside and San Diego counties for over eight years. As a farm advisor, she studied herbicide resistance, efficacy and crop phytotoxicity. She conducted a high-density trial in “Gem” avocados and collaborated with UCCE specialists and advisors in irrigation management and entomology studies in permanent tree crops. The National Association of County Agricultural Agents presented Rios with its Early Career Achievement Award in 2021.
Rios earned a bachelor's degree in plant science from Cal Poly Pomona and a master's degree in plant science from Fresno State. She served as USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture Graduate Fellow in 2013 and 2014. She also holds a California Department of Pesticide Regulation Pest Control Adviser license.
Her children, Robert and Bella, raise and show rabbits and chickens as active members of their local 4-H club, and Rios spends her free time volunteering for 4-H.
Rios is based at the UCCE office in Riverside and can be reached at sirios@ucanr.edu.
Anika named SGMA educator for Central Valley small farms
Jarin Tasnim Anika joined UC ANR on Jan. 16 as a Sustainable Groundwater Management Act technical assistance community educator for small farms for Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. In her role, Jarin focuses on helping small-scale farmers navigate SGMA. Through technical assistance, educational outreach and tailored support, she works to ensure farmers understand and comply with SGMA rules and regulations.
Anika is currently completing her master's degree in horticulture and agronomy from UC Davis. Her research is focused on crop water use of cherries and the application of deficit irrigation strategies on cherry orchards in the Central Valley. She also holds a master's degree in environmental science and bachelor's degree in soil, water and environment from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Anika is passionate about fostering community engagement and supporting small-scale farmers. She wants to integrate science-based knowledge and practical solutions to address the challenges faced by small-scale farmers in the region.
Anika is based in Modesto and can be reached at janika@ucanr.edu.
Rodriguez named SGMA educator for Fresno, Madera counties' small farms
Erik Rodriguez joined UC ANR on Jan. 16 as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act technical assistance community educator for small farms in Fresno and Madera counties.
As a technical assistance community educator, Rodriguez supports small farmers and operations by gathering information from the meetings of various governing bodies implementing SGMA and communicating it to small farm operators. This includes well registration, irrigation fees, informing community members when meetings have key issues on the ballot, obtaining translations of key points from meetings as well as advocating for small-scale farmers in meetings they may not be able to attend.
He hopes to include more small farmers in discussions regarding SGMA implementation and partner with local community organizations that small growers may already be familiar with to spread information.
Rodriguez holds a master's degree in habitat management and ecological restoration from the University of Idaho and a bachelor's degree in natural resource management from Fresno State. Rodriguez has worked in various aspects of agriculture. His experience includes hands-on farming on small farms and at Fresno State's Vegetable Crop Unit, conservation education at Fresno Chaffee Zoo, data collection for National Ecological Observatory Network in the Sierra Nevada mountains and soil conservation for USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Southeast Idaho.
“I grew up in Fresno and hoped to be back to help smaller farms in my community,” he said.
Rodriguez is based in Fresno and can be reached at erdrodriguez@ucanr.edu.
Paniagua named SGMA educator for Tulare, Kings counties' small farms
Luis Carlos Paniagua joined UC ANR on Jan. 16 as a Sustainable Groundwater Management Act technical assistance community educator for small farms with UC SAREP, serving Tulare and Kings counties.
As a community education specialist, Paniagua will provide technical assistance, outreach and policy accessibility to small-scaled and underserved farmers during implementation of SGMA. This includes assessing regional needs, developing education materials and connecting farmers to resources such as hydrogeological consulting, legal assistance and irrigation system analysis. He will engage with local groundwater sustainability agencies and review groundwater sustainability plans to ensure small farmers are informed and supported throughout SGMA implementation.
Paniagua has worked throughout California in grassroots, union and lobbying efforts that highlighted underrepresented communities as important stakeholders in decision making. He seeks to build partnerships that will bring resources to small-scale farmers during SGMA implementation.
He is currently in his last year of a master's in public policy and administration from CSU Bakersfield and holds bachelor's degrees in interdisciplinary studies and Chicana/o studies from San Diego State University.
Paniagua is based out of the UC Cooperative Extension Office in Tulare and can be reached at lcpaniagua@ucanr.edu.
Russell joins UCCE as forestry and natural resources advisor
Kane Russell joined UC Cooperative Extension on Jan. 2 as a forestry and natural resources advisor serving Plumas, Sierra and Lassen counties.
He will work to promote sustainable forest management and wildfire resilience on private and public lands in the region. Through close collaboration, research, and outreach with local partners, Russell aims to address critical issues like post-wildfire recovery, fuels reduction and barriers to implementation.
Prior to joining UCCE, Kane worked as a forest ecologist at Yosemite National Park, where he helped manage a mechanical fuels reduction program to protect the park's iconic landscapes and at-risk communities from high-severity wildfire.
Russell earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in forestry from UC Berkeley, where he studied the effects of prescribed burning and other fuels reduction treatments on young Sierra Nevada mixed conifer stands. After graduation, he continued his research at Berkeley's Blodgett Forest Research Station, focusing on ways to incorporate prescribed fire into conventional silvicultural practices.
Raised on the Central Coast, Russell said his first introduction to the Sierra Nevada was at Berkeley's forestry field camp in Meadow Valley.
“I'm excited to return to the place that sparked my passion for forestry,” Russell said. “I look forward to working with and learning from the many devoted people and organizations here to build more resilient forests and communities together.”
Russell is based at the UCCE office in Quincy and can be reached at kwrussell@ucanr.edu and (530) 283-6125.