- Author: Jodi Azulai
UC ANR Learning & Development
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Extension Methods & Delivery
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
Building Support
Office, Team, & Personal Management
Nutrition Professionals: Exploring the DASH Diet
(1 CPEU)
Feb. 2
9-10 a.m. PT
Registration. Do you have clients looking for a heart-healthy way to eat that is balanced, flexible, and requires no special foods? With a focus on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, also known as the DASH eating plan, this webinar will provide useful and practical information to support individuals you work with who are following a heart-healthy eating style.
Dynamic Public Speaking: Crafting and delivering engaging virtual and in-person presentations (UC Davis, Virtual)
Jan. 11
8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. PT
Registration.
Want to learn how to be a dynamic public speaker in person and virtually? Look no further! Gain practical skills to conduct engaging, informative, and interactive presentations to audiences large and small, in person or online. This workshop will help attendees discover tips to improve oral and nonverbal communication styles, overcome fear of public speaking, review best practices in virtual tools and engagement, incorporate humor and storytelling, integrate experiential learning techniques and exercises, facilitate an effective Q&A session, handle distractions, inspire and motivate participants, and establish credibility. If this class is full, express interest in the UC Learning Center.
Public Speaking Foundations (Linkedin Learning)
Course link. Develop the skills you need to prepare and deliver an outstanding speech or presentation. In this course, Laura Bergells offers practical insights that can help presenters prepare, open, deliver, and close their speeches. Along the way, discover how to project confidence, outline a speech, take questions, and develop the creative story that adds life to a speech. Request your LinkedIn Learning account by contacting ANR IT: help@ucanr.edu
Public Speaking for Non-native English Speakers (Linkedin Learning)
Course link. Speaking in public isn't easy for most people, and if English isn't your first or second language, it might be even more challenging. Designed specifically for non-native English speakers, this course provides practical strategies and techniques to increase clarity and confidence when communicating in English. Executive communication coach and professor Dr. Peter Novak embraces linguistic and cultural diversity in the workplace. Instead of focusing on your accent, Dr. Novak encourages you to shift your efforts towards listener-friendly delivery and embrace your multilingual self. Request your LinkedIn Learning account by contacting ANR IT: help@ucanr.edu
Image by Memed_Nurrohmad from Pixabay
Listening Even When It's Difficult to Listen (UC Learning Center, 22 min eLearning module)
Course link. Successful people are generally excellent listeners. They're able to give others their full attention so that they can understand their needs and ask the right questions, even in difficult or stressful situations. They can also use their listening skills effectively to communicate their own goals and to build strong relationships with others. In this course, you'll learn common misconceptions about listening, how to hone your listening skills, and what to do when you encounter roadblocks to actively listening. You'll also learn how being receptive to what others are saying can go a long way to breaking down the barriers to clear communication.
A Guide to Pronouns and Inclusive Language (UC Learning Center, web page)
Glossary. Using pronouns is an important and considerate way to help other people avoid making assumptions about who we are based on factors such as appearance. LGBTQIA Research Center has put together a resource guide for using linguistic tools in an inclusive and equitable way. Learn more about how and why we are integrating pronouns into our self-identifying lexicon.
Avoiding Bias in the Hiring Process (UC Learning Center, virtual)
Registration.This session explores the power of impressions and its potential influence in the evaluation of job applicants. Using reflection exercises, participants will explore the relationship between impressions and bias and introduce learners to key research involving biases in hiring. Participants will leave the session having greater awareness and understanding of bias theory (coupled with case studies) and strategies in mitigating bias in the hiring process. If this class is full, express interest for the next offering.
REGISTER NOW! 2024 Leadership & Team Development Events (Extension Foundation)
Cohort 1: Jan. 16, 23 & 30
Cohort 2: July 16, July 23 & July 30
Registration.
Each leadership development opportunity is offered twice in 2024. Choose any over six months or the entire year to step more into the leader you want to be. See the description of each session below and register through the form. If you have any questions or curiosities please send them to leadership@extension.org. We look forward to serving you and learning together! All UC ANR employees have free access to Extension Foundation. Register your account here.
How to Align Your Time with Your Priorities (National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity)
Feb. 8
11 a.m. - Noon PT
Registration.
Grab your strategic plan and learn the secret to making it work day-to-day and week-to-week! How to Align Your Time with Your Priorities is a step-by-step guide to holding a weekly planning meeting (aka The Weekly Meeting).
In this webinar you'll learn:
- What works…and what DOESN'T work when it comes to weekly planning
- Why weekly planning is the bridge between your strategic plan and getting control of your workday
- The 30-minute technique that will help you make sure that the most important things get done each day
This is a HANDS-ON webinar where you'll not only learn the technique but actually do it! UC ANR Employees can activate their membership here.
Image by Memed_Nurrohmad from Pixabay
Peer Reviewing as "Reflexive Mentorship" (National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity)
Feb. 20
11 a.m. - noon PT
Registration. In this webinar, you will learn about the importance of peer reviewing for dismantling the Western canon and democratizing knowledge, as well as strategies you can use to engage in more inclusive peer reviewing practices. UC ANR Employees can activate their membership here.
Mastering Academic Time Management (National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity)
April 11
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PT
Registration.
This webinar is specifically designed to address these issues and provide participants with concrete skills to successfully transition from graduate student to professor. Specifically, participants will learn:
The three biggest mistakes that new faculty make in managing their time
-Why and how to align work time with institutional and personal priorities
-How to create time for academic writing and research
-How to organize a network of support and accountability for writing productivity and balance
UC ANR Employees can activate their membership here.
Top of page.
At UC ANR, Building Support includes advocacy (engaging government officials and community stakeholders), raising funds, and working with the media. Advocacy is a critical tool that helps builds awareness and support for your work and that of the university as a whole.
Engaging Elected Officials (Video - 26:00)
What can I say or do? You can't lobby, but you can advocate? (Fact sheet)
UC guidelines to support or oppose legislation (Fact Sheet)
Extension Foundation
If you are new to UC ANR and have not yet registered your account with Extension Foundation it is time you do. Register here. UCANR, as other Cooperative Extensions across the United States, is a paying member. This means you get access to their services, including Connect Extension. Extension Foundation helps Cooperative Extension professionals find innovative ways to generate greater local impact. Check out the Extension Foundation Video resources, too.
National Cooperative Extension Projects
This listing is for National Cooperative Extension projects that are receiving WordPress support through the Extension Foundation to host their websites. Funding for this hosting is supported in part by the New Technologies for Ag Extension cooperative agreement with USDA-NIFA, grant no. 2020-41595-30123. Any Cooperative Extension professional interested in having a WordPress site and domain for a national Cooperative Extension project or program can email contact-us@extension.org to get started.
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
Every Semester Needs a Plan (National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity)
Jan. 11
11 a.m - 12:30 p.m. PT
Registration. Do you often start the semester or term with high hopes for your writing projects, but end disappointed by your actual productivity? Do you desperately want (or need) to write a lot this semester? Do you want to figure out how to be more productive and enjoy your life this semester?
We offer this planning webinar at the beginning of each semester so that you can take time out of your schedule to identify your personal and professional goals, create a strategic plan to accomplish them and identify the types of community, support and accountability you need to make this your most productive and balanced semester ever! UC ANR Employees can activate their membership here.
AI in Academia: Teaching Challenges and Opportunities (National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity)
Jan. 23
11 a.m. - noon PT
Registration. In this webinar, Julia Staffel, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado at Boulder, explains why educators owe it to students to adjust their teaching practices considering AI technology. She will present some practical suggestions for how to do so. "We still need to teach our students how to write on their own so we need to develop assignments that discourage the use of AI and teach basic writing skills," she says. "But we can also take advantage of these new technologies, develop new teaching strategies that rely on them, and teach our students how to employ them effectively and responsibly." UC ANR Employees can activate their membership here.
Image by Philipp Marquetand from Pixabay
How to Develop a Daily Writing Practice (National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity)
Mar 14
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PT
Registration. Are you sick of working all the time without making progress on your writing projects? Are you tired of your deadline-driven, binge-and-bust writing routine? Do you wish you could develop a healthy, consistent, daily writing routine that would allow you to meet your department's expectations for tenure and promotion? In this webinar you'll learn:
- The three biggest myths about writing that hobble new faculty productivity
- The surprising difference between struggling new faculty members and those who are designated as "rising stars"
- The 30-minute strategy that will increase your writing productivity and decrease your stress, anxiety and guilt.
UC ANR Employees can activate their membership here.
Learn something new today.
- Author: Rachael Callahan
In the spring of 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that UC ANR was selected to lead the Southwest Regional Food Business Center, one of 12 USDA Regional Food Business Centers across the country. The Southwest RFBC is a collaboration of 40 partners from academic, government, and community-based organizations across four states, Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah.
The goal of the Southwest Regional Food Business Center is to develop resilient, diverse and competitive local and regional food systems by improving opportunities for food and farm businesses.
The Southwest RFBC will help producers gain access to local and regional supply chains, connecting them to wholesalers and distributors. With a focus on underserved farmers, ranchers and food businesses, partners will assist small- and mid-sized producers in overcoming barriers to market access and will help them access federal, state and local resources.
As a first step, UC ANR has assembled a Southwest Regional Food Business Center management team that is working closely with USDA and partners to set up the center. Over the past several months, the center management team has been drafting a framework for partners from all four states to collaborate, as well as attending meetings with representatives from the other RFBCs across the country.
Next, the management team will guide the process of drafting implementation plans and forming a stakeholder advisory committee with partners participating in the process. The implementation plans will guide the technical assistance efforts, capacity building grants, coordination, and impact tracking that will result from the project. The stakeholder advisory committee will include the voices of clientele for developing the direction of the center. UC ANR is recruiting a project manager who will oversee the development of the center.
In January, the California partners of the Southwest Regional Food Business Center will meet to begin developing an organizing strategy for the state. They will identify avenues for engagement with the UC ANR community, form channels of communication, and create a map and directory oftechnical assistance providers across the state.
For more information, visit the center's newly launched website for updates and a complete list of partners.
If you would like to get involved, contact members of the Southwest RFBC management team: evaluation lead Karen Jetter, UC Agricultural Issues Center, at jetter@ucanr.edu; technical assistance co-lead Tim Galarneau, UC Santa Cruz, at tgalarne@ucsc.edu; or interim business builder grants co-lead Rachael Callahan, UC SAREP, at rmcallahan@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
UC's mileage reimbursement rates for expenses incurred in connection with the business use of a private automobile will change in accordance with the Internal Revenue Service standard mileage rates published in IRS Notice 2024-08.
The following new rates are effective for expenses incurred on or after Jan. 1, 2024:
- The reimbursement rate for the use of a private automobile for university business travel will increase from 65.5 cents a mile to 67 cents a mile.
- The reimbursement rate for driving an automobile in connection with a move or relocation will decrease by 1 cent to 21 cents per mile. (Note that reimbursements for moving-related expenses, including mileage, are considered taxable wage income as of Jan. 1, 2018).
- Author: Rachel Lee
UC ANR's advisory board to the Publishing, Information Technology, and Strategic Communications units is accepting nominations for Communications Advisory Board members. Eligible members can include, but are not limited to, UC Cooperative Extension specialists, UCCE advisors and faculty affiliated with UC ANR with an academic appointment in any subject matter.
The board provides advice and support to leadership on UC ANR program connections, resource allocation prioritization, major policy issues, budget and long-range planning. It also provides oversight of and input to the peer-review process for ANR's educational materials.
Board members appointed by AVP Brent Hales will serve three-year, rotating terms. The board meets on a quarterly basis in Davis. The new appointments will begin in February.
Current members are listed on the CAB roster at
https://anrcs.ucanr.edu/Base-New/Publishing_and_Production/Communications_Advisory_Board.
If you have questions or wish to apply, contact current CAB chair Dustin Blakey at dwblakey@ucanr.edu. Applicants should plan to send a current CV and a brief statement that includes your interest and availability to serve on CAB. Applications are due Jan. 30.
- Author: Hanif Houston, The VINE
The Farms, Food, Future Initiative celebrated its first anniversary with an All Gears meeting on Dec. 5 at Fresno State University. This meeting was not just a commemoration, but a forward-looking forum, addressing the vital components of agrifood technology and workforce development. The gathering brought together key stakeholders from across the initiative's three gears — F3Local, F3Innovate and F3AgTEC Workforce Development — to discuss progress and strategize for the coming year.
The Food, Farms, Future Initiative, or F3, is a program focused on revitalizing California's Central Valley economy through agrifood tech innovation. A recipient of a Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant by the Economic Development Administration, F3 aims to develop and commercialize climate-adaptive food production solutions, thereby creating high-quality jobs across various skill levels. F3's approach not only drives economic growth and equity but also actively engages small farmers and entrepreneurs, constructs a seamless talent development pipeline, and catalyzes local market growth in the small-scale farm and food industry.
“As we reflect on the first year of F3, I'm deeply inspired by the strides we've made,” said Ashley Swearengin, president and CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation. “Our journey has been about more than just technological advancements, it's about ensuring that these innovations are in harmony with the needs and skills of our diverse workforce, from those in year-round positions to seasonal workers. This initiative represents a concerted, collaborative effort to bring tangible, positive change to the Central Valley, blending tradition with innovation for a sustainable and equitable agricultural future.”
Milestones in Local Farm and Food Innovation
Helle Petersen, regional director of Local Farm and Food Innovation, spoke on the progress made on the F3Local gear, led by UC ANR, which addresses the economic and technological challenges faced by small-to-large scale farmers and food entrepreneurs in California's Central Valley. Key accomplishments include:
- Empowering Small BIPOC Farmers: A remarkable $433,000 worth of produce was sold by small Black, Indigenous and people of color, or BIPOC, farmers, 44% above the year-one goal, with a third of these sales within the F3 Region. Fresno BIPOC Produce, involving over 200 farmers, played a pivotal role, including bridging connections to Merced Community College's student food pantry.
- Innovation and Technology Support: The Small Farm Tech Innovation Challenge saw an impressive 43 entries, with tailored one-on-one technical support provided to farmers.
- Food Recovery Efforts: Approximately 1.4 million pounds of food were distributed to 28,000 residents in Fresno, with the St Rest + Food to Share Hub project being a cornerstone.
- Small Farm Tech Expo: The Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center hosted the expo, attracting more than 200 attendees and showcasing more than 20 technologies for small farms.
Commercialization support to agtech startups
Gabe Youtsey, UC ANR chief innovation officer and founder of the VINE, provided an update on the contributions of the VINE, which is a critical partner for both the F3Local and F3 Innovate. Youtsey discussed how the VINE is helping to identify, commercialize and scale agricultural, food and biotech innovations, particularly in the complex domains of agriculture and food technology, through its various programs and events. Notable achievements included:
- Nurturing ventures from research to market: Guided four companies from research to venture by a team of industry specialists and UC experts through The VINE Studio program.
- Facilitating industry engagement and validation: Accepted 20 companies into the VINE VIP program, ensuring industry engagement and field validation.
- Fostering student innovation in agriculture: launched the inaugural Farm Robotics Challenge, where 150 students from 12 universities competed to develop robotic solutions to address real agricultural challenges.
- A global platform for agricultural robotics: Co-hosted the second annual FIRA USA in Salinas, attracting over 1,700 participants from 30 countries to explore the future of agriculture with a focus on robotics and automation.
Shaping education for agriculture
A key achievement of the initiative over the course of the last year was the collection of over 12,000 surveys from farmworkers, the largest survey of its kind. This survey is a cornerstone of the F3AgTEC Workforce Development initiative, offering vital insights into the aspirations, educational backgrounds and needs of farmworkers. These findings have been instrumental in shaping the AgGED certificate program, ensuring that it is tailored to the real-life requirements and ambitions of those at the heart of agriculture.
This data-driven approach exemplifies a commitment to making educational offerings in agriculture more relevant and accessible, aligning with the evolving needs of the sector and empowering those who form its backbone.
Government's role in economic development and inclusivity
The meeting also featured remarks from Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Alejandra Castillo, who underscored the importance of economic development and inclusivity. She discussed the role of government as a catalyst rather than a complete solution, and acknowledged the transformative period the U.S. is undergoing with substantial federal investments in various sectors, including agriculture. She emphasized the importance of inclusivity in these efforts, ensuring that economic growth encompasses all communities and industry types. The dialogue included perspectives on the challenges and evolution of work in academia and community colleges, emphasizing the difficulty of implementing change within established institutions and celebrating the efforts of those pushing through these barriers.
Looking forward
Discussions also touched on various initiatives and projects, highlighting the integration of technology in agriculture and the crucial role of innovation in the region's economic and societal progress. There was a focus on ensuring that technological advances do not lead to displacement, but rather inclusive development where everyone has a seat at the table.
The meeting concluded with an open forum for questions and a showcase of research projects, emphasizing the collective effort and interdisciplinary collaboration that the F3 initiative embodies. As it enters its second year, F3 remains committed to advancing agrifood technology and workforce development in the Central Valley, with a focus on inclusive and sustainable growth.
