The Employee Spotlights blog shares the stories and work of just some of the outstanding UC ANR academics and staff who strive to make a positive impact in communities across California.
International Year of the Woman Farmer
Logo courtesy of CA GROWN
In 2026, we are proud to celebrate, alongside the California Department of Food and Agriculture, CA GROWN and partners across the globe, the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Declared by the United Nations, this designation recognizes women’s vital role in agriculture and their tremendous contributions to every aspect of our food systems.
Be sure to visit the commemorative page at CA GROWN, and check back here throughout 2026 to read profiles of some of the women at UC ANR who support agriculture in California.
On a sunny morning in San Bernardino, Clara Wilshire, with palpable energy and a warm smile, greets the participants of her nutrition class, part of the EFNEP (Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program) at the University of California Cooperative Extension office. Good morning.
Costumed as river creatures with papier mch heads and dressed as the Army Corps of Engineers, Cleo Woelfle Hazard and a performance art group called The Water Underground dazzled the biennial Bay Delta Science Conference a few years ago. Woelfle Hazard then a Ph.D.
From her Hmong family's roots to the vast expanses of Fresno's fields, Lilian Thaoxaochay weaves a story of unwavering commitment to the land and community.
Through music, movies and other media, many people know about Compton, a city located in southern Los Angeles County. Keith Nathaniel knows it from firsthand experience.
