- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
The UC ANR Advisory Committee, appointed by President Janet Napolitano to consider options for UC ANR's structure, governance and funding, submitted its recommendations to her, Don Bransford told the UC President's Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources (PAC), which met Dec. 18 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Berkeley.
PAC Chair Bransford, who also served on the UC ANR Advisory Committee, said the committee saw opportunities to strengthen governance, increase budgetary transparency, provide more stable and predictable funding models and enhance collaborations between UC ANR and UC's broader academic and research enterprise.
The committee, which included deans Kathryn Uhrich of the UCR College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and Michael Lairmore of the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, consulted internal and external stakeholders, then conducted its own analyses in consultation with UC ANR leaders.
The committee made four key recommendations:
- Maintain UC ANR's status as a systemwide program within UCOP, reporting to the president.
- Create a UC ANR governing council for oversight and to promote greater understanding of UC ANR across the university.
- Create a funding model using a combination of the “set-aside” and “corridor” models.
- Retain campus oversight of and reporting responsibility for state Agricultural Experiment Station funds.
Napolitano told the PAC she would be moving forward on the recommendations because she thinks they will ensure ANR greater budget stability, a broader understanding of ANR across the UC system and create more opportunities for collaboration between ANR and campus academics. She issued a statement Dec. 19 on her decisions for UC ANR.
Uhrich said she sees the governing council as an “opportunity to educate, integrate and be inclusive” to have people from across the UC system and outside of UC participating.
UC expertise
In other discussions, Napolitano commended ANR employees for their responses to the Camp Fire and Woolsey Fire, noting that employees and volunteers lost homes in the devastating wildfires.
At a recent meeting with some legislators to discuss automation and the future of work, wildfire, health issues and homelessness, Napolitano said the policymakers told her they want to hear more from UC experts to help them think through policy challenges.
One commissioner commented, “We're going to have more fires, more foodborne illness outbreaks. Let's have our folks out there to talk to media and have them wearing a UC shirt.”
Napolitano replied, “I like the idea of folks wearing UC garb when they're on TV.”
Budget
Humiston and Tu Tran, associate vice president for business operations, briefed the PAC on ANR's budget. Administrative costs are up this fiscal year to invest $4 million to join UCPath, the new systemwide payroll and personnel system. UC ANR has begun the transition and will go live in March-April. “Ultimately UCPath will save us money, but it's costing us now,” Humiston said.
Due to budget constraints, Humiston explained that UC ANR isn't offering competitive grants nor announcing UCCE positions to be filled in 2018-19. Recruitment for previously approved positions is ongoing and new hiring will begin as resources become available to make the long-term commitment to support positions.
In her budget PowerPoint presentation for the PAC, Humiston listed actions ANR has taken in the past to compensate for budget cuts and steps that will be taken in FY 2018-19.
Tran explained that UC ANR relies on six sources of funds – state, federal, county, extramural, endowments and income from gifts, patents, investments and program fees. State funds, which constitute the largest portion of the division's funding, pay for employee salaries and benefits. He noted government funding is highly volatile so “we are trying to raise money in other ways.”
California Agricultural Resources Archive
UC Merced's librarian HaiPeng Li, project archivist Lisa Valens and project director Emily Lin gave a presentation on the California Agricultural Resources Archive or CARA. The UC Cooperative Extension archive project, which was launched after UC Cooperative Extension's centennial in 2014, started with UCCE in Merced, Humboldt and Ventura counties. The team has been digitizing annual reports and historical photos to make them accessible to the public and researchers.
“The data isn't just history,” Humiston asserted. “There are notes on research that may hold the key to something like huanglongbing.”
Mining the data, advanced analysis and linking to other information might open new avenues of research, she said.
UC ANR is seeking partners and trying to raise funds for the archive project. Jim Downing, publications director, will assume leadership of the project to succeed Jan Corlett, chief of staff to the vice president, who plans to retire in July.
Deans' updates
To help students with career planning, Helene Dillard, dean of the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, said she seeks UCCE advisors to show students the research and outreach being done in the counties and planning a course on Cooperative Extension to introduce students to career options. She is in talks to partner with UC Davis medical center on health research such as the connection between diet and disease.
David Ackerly, dean of the UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources, announced the recent hiring of new Cooperative Extension specialists Ellen Bruno for policy analysis and Rob York for fire and policy, and that he is striving to create new faculty positions that will not depend on state money. He also announced that UC Cooperative Extension specialist Adina Merenlender received a $5 million gift to train California climate stewards through a program similar to California Naturalist. Ackerly also noted that Giannini Hall is closing temporarily for seismic upgrades so faculty and staff are packing to move out during construction.
Katherine Uhrich, dean of the UC Riverside College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, announced CNAS has hired 24 faculty this year including two Nobel laureates – Richard Shrock and Barry Barish. She also announced that Givaudan, a Swiss company that creates fragrances and flavors, is donating funds to cover UCR's citrus variety collection, to protect the trees from pests and diseases.
Michael Lairmore, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, announced that his veterinary team worked tirelessly treating animals injured during the Camp Fire, taking in 70 animals, most of which have returned to their families. About $2 million has been donated to offset the costs of treating the animals. Veterinarian Jamie Peyton covered burns on cats and dogs with tilapia skin to help with healing and has a provisional patent for the fish skin treatment. Lairmore also announced the school is planning to build a Livestock and Field Service Center. “We are in need of donations and there are naming opportunities for interested individuals or companies,” Lairmore told PAC members. He also announced the hiring of Emmanuel Okello, the new UCCE specialist in antimicrobial stewardship.
The PAC, which meets twice a year, will meet next in the spring.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Bruno named dairy advisor in Fresno and Madera counties
Daniela Bruno joined UCCE on Nov. 5, 2018, as the area dairy advisor in Fresno and Madera counties.
Bruno completed a Ph.D. in comparative pathology from UC Davis and a DVM from The Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Throughout her professional and academic career, Bruno has carried out work related to animal health and welfare, food safety, milk quality, wastewater and dairy systems management. Prior to joining UCCE, Dr. Bruno was a technical services specialist/dairy advisor at DeLaval, Inc. where she provided technical support with trainings, webinars and newsletters to local California dairies and worldwide. She worked closely to field veterinarians and consultants troubleshooting problems at dairies assuring the food supply is safe. Bruno, who is fluent in Portuguese, provided oversight on field clinical trials for products developed for the U.S. and global market.
She collaborated with CSU Fresno and UC Davis in several projects, including studies on animal health, mastitis and milk quality, hoof diseases and calf management and the results from these studies have been presented at National and International meetings such as National Mastitis Council meetings, Lameness in Ruminants Conference and at the World Buiatrics Congress. From 2009 to 2012, Bruno was a dairy specialist/microbiologist at Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. There, she oversaw dairy specimens on performing diagnostic testing and assisting field veterinarians with troubleshooting problems at their client dairies. She also worked closely with the Texas A&M Extension team, providing training on milk quality and mastitis control to herdsmen and other dairy employees, helping them to be more effective in all aspects of dairy management.
Bruno is based in Fresno and can be reached at (559) 241-7552, (559) 241-7515 and dfbruno@ucanr.edu.
Okello named UCCE specialist in antimicrobial stewardship
Emmanuel Okello joined the Department of Population Health and Reproduction as Assistant Specialist in Cooperative Extension in antimicrobial stewardship on Nov. 1, 2018.
Prior to accepting his UCCE position, Okello was a postdoctoral research scholar at the Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center, gaining valuable epidemiological experience on dairy production units conducting studies on selective dry cow treatment and surveys of anti-microbial resistance. This has enabled him the opportunity to establish good working relationships with extension specialists, dairy owners, herd managers, farm workers, veterinary practitioners and researchers across California.
Working with farmers and other stakeholders to improve livestock health and productivity, Okello will develop antimicrobial stewardship guidelines and best management practices for veterinarians, livestock owners and their employees that reduce antimicrobial resistance yet maintain healthy herds and flocks.
Okello earned his veterinary degree (DVM equivalent) from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, a master's in molecular biology from Katholieke University Leuven, in Belgium and a Ph.D. in bio-engineering sciences from Vrije University Brussel in Belgium.
Okello is based at the Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center in Tulare and can be reached at (559) 688-1731, ext. 267, and eokello@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Jodi Azulai
Communicating Your Story: LinkedIn
Date: Thursday January 3, 2019
Time: 10 a.m.-11 a.m.
Zoom link:
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428 [Corrected link 1/3/19]
1 669 900 6833 or +1 646 558 8656
Webinar ID: 751 701 428
Presenters: Rose Hayden-Smith and Surendra Dara
Many of us think of LinkedIn as a professional networking tool. But with a powerful publishing platform and an ability to post links, it's also an ideal place to share your ANR story and grow a network of people who are interested in your work. In this fast-paced webinar, we'll cover the basics of building a great LinkedIn profile, publishing posts and more, including:
- Techniques and best practices to use the platform most effectively
- Publishing a blog post on LinkedIn
- Finding your online community
- Tips to manage your LinkedIn account efficiently
Participants will also be provided access to a range of resources and tools to support their LinkedIn efforts, including samples, tip and FAQ sheets, guidelines and more.
WebANR
Communicating Your Story: Blogging Basics
Date: Thursday, January 10, 2019
Time: 10 a.m.-11 a.m.
Zoom link:
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428 [Corrected link 1/3/19]
669 900 6833 or 646 558 8656
Webinar ID: 344 294 468
Presenter: Rose Hayden-Smith
This will be a streamed recording with live Q&A.
In this fast-paced webinar, we'll cover the basics of communicating your story through blogging, including:
- Why you should blog
- Techniques and best practices to get started…or get better
- Crafting catchy headlines and smart ledes
- Using images and video to enhance your posts
- Using your blog on the ANR website and on other publishing platforms, including LinkedIn
- Quick tips for effectively using sitebuilder
Participants will also be provided access to a range of resources and tools to support their blogging efforts, including samples, tip and FAQ sheets, guidelines and more.
Please Step Away from the Podium: Strategies for supporting adult learners
Date: Thursday January 17, 2019
Time: noon-12:30 p.m.
Zoom link:
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428 [Corrected link 1/3/19]
669 900 6833 or 646 558 8656
Webinar ID: 963 167 636
Presenter: Lynn Brock
Simple steps you can take to:
- Create workshops, trainings or classes that are engaging and memorable
- Facilitate sessions where learners feel included, respected, and motivated
Measuring and Communicating Impacts of UC Master Gardener Program: Statewide outcome evaluation Year 1 findings
Date: Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Time: 11 a.m.-noon
Zoom link:
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428
669 900 6833 or +1 646 558 8656
Webinar ID: 751 701 428
Presenters: Kit Alviz, Missy Gable, Tamekia Wilkins and Katherine Webb-Martinez
Participants will gain:
- Understanding of the UC Master Gardener Program's statewide outcome evaluation design, year one findings and lessons learned
- Understanding of feasibility for an ANR program to collect follow-up survey responses (3 months post event; 30%+ response rate)
- Examples of how behavior change outcomes can be communicated in relation to ANR condition changes
Lessons learned from data collection and analysis that can be considered for other statewide and academic programs
Communicating Your Story: Instagram
Date: January 24, 2019
Time: 10a.m.-11 a.m.
Zoom link:
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428 [Corrected link 1/3/19]
669 900 6833 or 646 558 8656
Webinar ID: 509 908 913
Presenters: Rose Hayden-Smith and Dan Macon
Instagram is a photo- and video-sharing social networking service. It's an ideal place to share your ANR story. In this fast-paced webinar, we'll cover the basics of using Instagram, building a great profile, publishing posts and more, including:
- Techniques and best practices to use the platform most effectively
- A few quick tips for using your smart phone to shoot pictures and video (and for posting)
- Finding your online community and building an audience for your work
- Tips to manage your Instagram account efficiently
Participants will also be provided access to a range of resources and tools to support their Instagram efforts, including samples, tip and FAQ sheets, guidelines and more.
Communicating Your Story: Facebook Essentials
Date: January 31, 2019
Time: 10-11am
Zoom link:
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428 [Corrected link 1/3/19]
669 900 6833 or 646 558 8656
Webinar ID: 461 004 579
Presenter: Rose Hayden-Smith
Facebook has become an important part of communicating our stories. Ever wonder if the platform is right for you? In this fast-paced webinar, we'll cover the basics of communicating your story through Facebook, including:
- Why you might want to use Facebook
- Techniques and best practices to get started…or get better
- Using images and video to enhance your posts
- Quick tips for effectively and efficiently using the site
Participants will also be provided access to a range of resources and tools to support their Facebook efforts, including samples, tip and FAQ sheets, guidelines and more.
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Webinar and in-person:
Stellar interview techniques
Date: Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019
“Tell me about yourself,” is often the first of many interview questions. Have you ever struggled with answering this question or others in an interview? Are you unsure about how to share your accomplishments? The STAR interview technique (STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result) can help you provide concrete examples of your experience and skills for the job. In this workshop, discover the best ways to use the STAR technique to prepare for a successful interview.
In person (UC Davis) and also available via webinar:
Time: Noon-1 p.m.
Zoom link:
https://zoom.us/j/439807305
669 900 6833 or 646 876 9923
Meeting ID: 439 807 305
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Please let us know if you are interested (interest survey) in participating in the next Collaborative Facilitation and Group Process Tools Workshop.
It is open to all UC ANR academic and staff employees, including Statewide Program volunteers. The training is limited to 25 participants. Priority will be given to people who have not already taken a facilitation training through ANR (such as Essential Facilitation).
Date: March 25 and 26, 2019; and June 24, 2019
Location: Davis, CA
This two-day (March), in-person training will be followed by a follow up, one-day (June) in-person training.
Desired Outcomes:
- To learn collaborative facilitation techniques
- To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your collaborative processes
- To increase your comfort level in applying facilitation skills
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UC Women's Initiative for Professional Development
This year, nine ANR women graduated from the UC Women's Initiative for Professional Development (UC WI). This experiential professional development program for women was designed to elevate women in leadership, establish a pipeline for advancement, and contribute to women's and UC's success. ANR's graduates are:
- Lisa Blecker, associate director, Pesticide Safety Education Program and Office of Pesticide Information and Coordination
- Vanity Campbell, proposal development coordinator, Office of Contracts and Grants
- Mary Ciricillo, director, California 4-H Foundation
- Trisha Dinh, financial manager, Youth, Families, and Communities
- Sabrina Drill, natural resources advisor, UCCE Ventura
- Jennifer Heguy, advisor, UCCE Merced
- Kat Hicklin, business officer, South Coast REC and UCCE Orange
- Sonia Scott, administrative officer, UCOP
- Allison Smith, principal agriculture technician
Several graduates shared their experience on how the program impacted them.
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Being an effective and professional people manager takes many skills and considerable development and the best people managers develop both their employees and themselves.
One of the ways ANR people managers have been developing themselves is by completing UC People Management Series Certificate modules and participating in monthly facilitated networking calls to review what they've learned, ask other supervisors for advice, and share successes. Participants enjoy scenario-based role-playing, a fun and challenging group assignment, and networking. Interested in our 2019 networking calls? Fill out this survey.
Kari Arnold, CE advisor, UCCE Stanislaus: The UC People Management Series helped me think about how to interact with employees and colleagues in ways that are welcoming and understanding. I feel more confident in a management role knowing how to communicate productively with others.
Petr Kosina, content developer, UC IPM: The monthly networking calls helped me to be on track with required online courses. For me, the most useful were discussions on giving and receiving feedback and conducting performance appraisals which were well-timed so that I was able to almost immediately test in practice some of the suggested approaches and best practices.
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Lynda.com
Simple communication is just a transaction, an exchange of mere words, which anyone can do. It's not that impressive. Now, in contrast, rapport is about building a bond. It's about sharing not just words, but feelings and emotions as well. So, why should you care? Because the next level of rapport establishes stronger connections, deeper relationships, and that almost always leads to higher productivity and better retention.
To start injecting more of that next-level conversation into your team, learn more here: How to Build Game-Changing Rapport.
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Tuesday, April 23 - Thursday, April 25, 2019
Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center (KARE)
Parlier, CA
The UC ANR Programmatic Orientation will be taking place April 23 - 25, 2019. The orientation is designed to help academics jump start their programs by focusing on program design and showcasing successful projects of other ANR academics.
Who should attend: Open to all early career UC Cooperative Extension advisors, UC Cooperative Extension specialists, academic coordinators, academic administrators and Agricultural Experiment Station faculty who were unable to attend in the past.
SAVE THE DATE: New Administrative Academic and Staff Orientation
Thursday, May 30, 2019
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
UC ANR Building, 2801 Second Street, Davis, CA 95618
Who should attend the UC ANR Administrative New Academic and Staff Orientation: All UC ANR Employees (academics, staff and affiliated staff on campuses, counties and RECs) who have not participated in an administrative orientation in the past. Priority will be given to those hired by ANR within the past year.
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ANR Lynda.com account users will be upgraded to LinkedIn Learning in January! During the week of Jan. 14, users will receive an email showing that you have been upgraded. In the email, you'll be asked to accept your new LinkedIn Learning account. What will you find in your upgrade?
- A new intuitive interface
- Course links to related external content
- The ability to connect your LinkedIn profile to LinkedIn Learning
- Increased learner engagement
- Personalized course recommendations
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Join VP Glenda Humiston, AVP Tu Tran and the UCPath Project Team for an important town hall Zoom session from 1 to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019.
We encourage all UC ANR academics and staff to save the date and plan to participate.
UC Path is the new systemwide HR and payroll-reporting system that will serve all UC employees. UC ANR's March/April 2019 go-live date is fast approaching, and during the town hall you'll learn what you need to do to prepare for the coming changes.
Managers and directors, please consider scheduling meeting space for the town hall so that your unit members can view the session together.
UC ANR Town Hall: UCPath
- Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019
- 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
- Live in the ANR Building's Valley Rooms in Davis and broadcast via Zoom
Zoom meeting information will be sent in January
For more information on UCPath, check the UC ANR UCPath website http://ucpath.ucanr.edu.
If you have questions or comments about UCPath or training, please post them on https://ucanr.edu/UCPath or send the ANR UCPath team an email at ucpath@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
University of California staff are an integral part of a system with a high purpose. Every staff member plays a role in supporting the University's mission: Educating the best and brightest from all backgrounds, ethnicities and incomes, conducting research that touches the lives of people across the globe, and providing critical public service across California in areas such public health, agricultural science, nutrition and youth development.
Our future depends on the support of the elected leaders in the state and our nation's capital. This is an area where you, with your first-hand knowledge of the University's value, can play an important role.
In addition to being a UC staff member, you are a constituent of your government representatives. They want to hear from you. You have a unique perspective of UC ANR and your community. You can share honest communications with these leaders to gain support that is crucial to the future of the University of California. If you would like to add your voice to the voices of many others in support of UC, join the UC Advocacy Network, UCAN. (https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/support-uc/ucan)
UCAN was launched last year to engage staff, faculty, students and alumni who want to advocate for the future of UC. More than 17,000 people have already chosen to get involved, and there is significant room for growth, said Meredith Turner, associate director of Advocacy and Institutional Relations.
“We have hundreds of thousands of employees, nearly 2 million alumni, and thousands of students,” Turner said. “There is a huge group of people who could join this community.”
When you “opt-in,” you will occasionally receive email alerts about issues vital to UC. The emails provide basic background on the topic. You choose whether to click “take action,” which brings you to a webpage with more information and a form where you can fill in your name, email and home address. The form contains a suggested message for your local government officials, but you can edit the message and personalize it, if you wish.
The UC Advocacy Network was recently engaged in the debate over the federal “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” which passed Congress and President Trump signed into law in December 2017. The proposal contained provisions that could have harmed the financial security of UC students and their families and threatened the university's ability to carry out its research, education, health care, and public service missions. The issues in question were a proposal to repeal the Student Loan Interest Deduction and the Qualified Tuition Reductions (Section 117(d)). The latter makes it possible to provide graduate students with a non-taxable tuition reduction while they pursue their degrees and work as research or teaching assistants.
UCAN issued a call to action, asking its network of advocates to tell their representatives in Congress how damaging such provisions would be to higher education in the U.S.
“The issues are so complex, it can be hard to see how it will translate in your life,” Turner said. “We break it down and explain how the law will impact the University's mission directly.”
The final bill preserved both the Student Loan Interest Deduction and the Qualified Tuition Reductions.
Each year, UCAN participants are called to amplify UC's governmental relations staff communication with state senators and assembly members about the state budget.
“We advocate greater state investment in the University,” Turner said. “This truly affects everyone connected to the University – it impacts staffing levels, the resources staff have to work with, the ability to hire faculty, repair classrooms. This is the perfect opportunity for people to participate in advocacy.”
The UC ANR Staff Assembly encourages all staff to visit the UCAN website and join the movement.
“Advocacy is most impactful when you're passionate about an issue,” Turner said. “We let people pick what they are most concerned about and have them advocate for it.”
