- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Natalie Price joined UC ANR on April 3, 2017, as the nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor for Los Angeles and Orange counties. She will work with local organizations and school districts to provide culturally sensitive nutrition education and programs. In addition, Price will collaborate with the larger ANR team of nutrition researchers to address issues related to health and food security.
Before joining ANR, Price worked as a nutrition specialist for the Los Angeles County Office of Education. She worked with school districts to implement fruit and vegetable taste tests, train staff, and create new wellness policies and committees.
Price earned a master's degree in public health/community health sciences and a bachelor's degree in international development studies, both from UCLA.
Price is based at the UCCE Los Angeles County office in Alhambra and can be reached at (626) 586-1948 and nmprice@ucanr.edu.
The California Society for Range Management honored Stephanie Larson, UC Cooperative Extension director and livestock and range management advisor in Sonoma County, naming her Range Manager of the Year at the Cal-Pac Society for Range Management meeting April 4, 2017.
The award recognizes her years of research and extension work, conducting a diverse program that focuses on animal husbandry, rangeland ecosystem services and development of niche markets for local livestock producers. Larson helped local rangeland owners develop water quality plans and comply with Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) regulations. She initiated a “Notice of Intent” system for Tomales Bay watershed land owners that documents water quality and best management practices. This system has been adopted by the Regional Water Quality Control Board and was later extended to Napa and Sonoma Creek watersheds.
With nearly 1 million acres of rangeland in Sonoma and Marin counties, Larson works with rangeland owners and managers to develop strong stewardship principals and best management practices. Larson assesses ecosystem service management and is currently exploring payments for services, such as carbon sequestration, water capture and biodiversity. During her career she has conducted hundreds of local education meetings on livestock production, animal identification, biosecurity, wool marketing, livestock judging, predator control including non-lethal methods, parasite control, range weed management, riparian management, water quality, electric fencing, ranch and grazing planning, estate planning, soil health, vegetation monitoring, grass-fed and organic certification, and grazing for endangered species. Larson also teaches range management at Santa Rosa Junior College. She served as a board member, then president of the Cal-Pac Section and as a board member for the national society 2010–2013.
David Lewis, UC Cooperative Extension watershed advisor for Marin County, is this year's recipient of the Eric Bradford and Charlie Rominger Agricultural Sustainability Leadership Award.
For 17 years, Lewis has served as a UC Cooperative Extension advisor, helping farmers, ranchers, conservationists and other stakeholders solve challenging and contentious issues surrounding the health of their watersheds.
The Bradford Rominger award, given by the Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI) at UC Davis, honors individuals who exhibit the leadership, work ethic and integrity epitomized by the late Eric Bradford, a livestock geneticist who gave 50 years of service to UC Davis, and the late Charlie Rominger, a fifth-generation Yolo County farmer and land preservationist.
“David epitomizes the very fiber of character that this award celebrates,” said Kenneth Tate, Russell L. Rustici Endowed Chair in Rangeland Watershed Science at UC Davis and 2012 Bradford Rominger award recipient. Tate praised Lewis's ability to “put his quiet, honest, credible manner to good work” to help build trust and understanding so communities can have frank discussions about the challenges facing their watersheds.
Lewis's accomplishments include helping to reduce the dairy pollution hurting the oyster beds of Tomales Bay and helping ranchers reduce erosion on their property, letting them play a key role in conserving critical coho salmon habitat and protecting the water quality of North Coast rivers.
Lewis received the award at the “Shepherds of Sustainability: Celebrating Leadership in Watersheds, Rangeland, and Livestock Sustainability” event held in Davis on April 19, 2017.
Helen Dahlke, UC Davis professor in the Department of Land, Air and Water, is one of 10 leaders in water education, outreach and extension selected to be a ThinkWater fellow for 2017–2018. The ThinkWater fellowship builds a cohort of scholars and professionals engaged with water-related issues and teaches them how to apply systems thinking to their ongoing work. The fellows work in positions that allow them to integrate systems thinking into program design, education and outreach involving a broad range of audiences, such as farmers, community members, volunteers and youth.
Fellows will learn from Derek and Laura Cabrera, faculty at Cornell University and founders of Cabrera Research Lab, a proven method for teaching the universal rules underlying systems thinking approaches and methods that is suitable for all ages and populations. While learning and applying systems thinking, the fellows will be participating in a research study to determine the utility of the relatively brief but intensive systems thinking training for education, extension and outreach activities around complex water-related issues.
The fellows will develop and implement a comprehensive plan to integrate systems thinking into their water education, extension and outreach work in the geographic area they serve.
Adina Merenlender, UCCE specialist in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley, was elected President-elect for the Society for Conservation Biology.
Merenlender hopes to focus on increasing SCB's engagement with people who do conservation practice on the ground and to work with SCB's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee to engage more people who are not currently represented in environmental science in SCB. She also hopes to work with SCB's new executive director on financial sustainability at the global, section and chapter level.
The Society for Conservation Biology is an international professional organization dedicated to promoting the scientific study of the phenomena that affect the maintenance, loss and restoration of biological diversity. The society's membership comprises a wide range of people interested in the conservation and study of biological diversity: resource managers, educators, government and private conservation workers and students.
A state audit report was released today about the budget practices and administrative expenditures of the UC Office of the President. UCOP's news release may be found here.
In addition, a video response to the audit report for UC employees has been issued by Board of Regents Chair Monica Lozano and may be viewed here.
For updated information and UC responses to the audit, please visit the UCOP news page.
/span>Developing the people management capabilities of our leaders is a priority for the University of California. In support of this mission, Systemwide Talent Management will launch the University of California People Management Conference in August at UCLA Luskin Conference Center in Los Angeles.
A networking reception will be held on Aug. 1, 2017, with the conference to follow Aug. 2-3, 2017.
Eligibility for participation requires completion of one of the following:
- UC Systemwide People Management Series and Certificate
- Management Development Program
- UC-CORO Systemwide Leadership Collaborative
Conference topics include:
- Human Resources & Management Practices
- Leadership & General Management
- Change Management
- Coaching
- Talent Management
- Employee Relations
- Financial Management
- Labor Relations
- Compensation
A limited number of guest rooms are reserved at the Luskin Conference Center for a group rate of $239 per night, which you can secure using a promo code included in your registration confirmation email.
Registration is $350. Cancellations before June 1, 2017, will be fully refunded. For more information about the conference, visit https://pmc.ucop.edu.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Three scholarships are being offered to college students majoring in agriculture by the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The scholarships will be awarded for the fall 2017 semester or quarter. The deadline to apply or nominate for the scholarships is May 19, 2017.
KNOWLES A. RYERSON AWARD IN AGRICULTURE
Amount: $2500 – two awarded each year, one each at Berkeley and Davis
The Knowles A. Ryerson Award in Agriculture is awarded annually to a foreign undergraduate student in a college of agriculture at UC Berkeley and UC Davis, in any curriculum, preferably after completion of the junior year. Students must be nominated by UC faculty or academic advisors. The $2,500 award is made on the basis of high scholarship, outstanding character and promise of leadership. One recipient will be selected from the Berkeley campus and one from the Davis campus.
HOWARD WALTON CLARK PRIZE IN PLANT BREEDING AND SOIL BUILDING
Amount: $5,000 – one awarded each year
The Howard Walton Clark Prize in Plant Breeding and Soil Building is given to a senior student in a college of agriculture at UC Berkeley, UC Davis or UC Riverside who seems to show the greatest promise. Students must be nominated by UC faculty or academic advisors. Selection for the $5,000 scholarship is based on high scholastic achievement, talent for independent research and other characteristics, with particular reference to either plant breeding (leading to new/improved crops and new/improved varieties using appropriate tools) or soil building (leading to improving soil quality related to soil productivity and sustainability as a resource).
BILL AND JANE FISCHER VEGETATION MANAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIP
Amount: $1,000 – one awarded each year
The $1,000 Bill and Jane Fischer Vegetation Management Scholarship will be given to promising students with demonstrated interest in vegetation management (weed control) careers. Students from any accredited California university are eligible, with preference given to graduate students. The recipient will have an academic major and emphasis in one of the following areas (listed in order of preference):
- Vegetation management in agricultural crop production;
- Plant science with emphasis on vegetation management in horticultural crops, agronomic or vegetable crops;
- Soils and plant nutrition with emphasis on field, vegetable crop relationships;
- Agricultural engineering with emphasis on developing tools for vegetation management;
- Agricultural botany with emphasis on weed biology and weed ecology;
- Plant pathology with emphasis on integrated vegetation management;
- Plant protection and pest management with emphasis on field, vegetable, or horticultural crop relationships; or
- Agricultural economics with emphasis on vegetation management in field, vegetable or horticultural crops.
For more information about the scholarships and nomination and application processes, visit http://ucanr.edu/Development_services/Awards_and_scholarships.
- Author: Jodi Azulai
It is that time of year that many of us would like to avoid: the performance appraisal discussion. Although the process makes some of us uneasy, there is good news. There are preparations we can take that will ease this process and make it more of a partnership between the supervisor and the direct report. Consider preparing yourself with the following ideas and tools.
Direct reports:
- Complete the “Receiving Feedback” learning module via the UC Learning Center. Know the difference between criticism and constructive feedback.
- Come to the table willing to listen and a sense of inquiry. Be open to hearing about areas for skill development and growth. Suggest to your supervisor where you may learn new skills (UC Learning Center; Lynda.com; other ANR resources). Know that your supervisor also has areas for growth and will also participate in their own performance appraisal.
- Share feedback with your supervisor on processes and any obstacles that exist in productivity. Ask your supervisor how your goals align with UC ANR and with the mission, vision and goals of your program.
- Offer your supervisor help with general planning for projects. Let them know you have a unique perspective and can share with them any obstacles that have come up in the past.
Supervisors:
- Complete the UC People Management Series Certificate Course module #2 “Setting Performance Expectations” via the UC Learning Center (course # DAC-HRUCPM02)
- Start your discussions with celebrating your employee's accomplishments. Share where you see skill strengths and areas for skill development. Share resources for learning new skills (UC Learning Center; Lynda.com; other ANR resources). Ask your employee for feedback on your observations. Maybe there are communications that will open new discussions for removing obstacles and creating new successes.
- Help your employees feel that they are a part of something bigger than themselves by sharing the vision, mission and goals of your program and of UC ANR; discuss how the employee's goals align with your program.
- Include your employees in the actual goal-setting planning for projects, when possible. Be delighted as they take ownership and commit with competency to the outcome.
Both supervisors and direct reports should agree to meet at least quarterly to celebrate milestones and to check in on project progress and for skill development. Refer to the ANR Learning & Development website for Career Planning tools. An important tool is the creation of an Individual Development Plan (IDP). The IDP is a career action roadmap for skill building, professional development and career management.
Employees are encouraged to ask their supervisors for feedback and help in planning the IDP. Supervisors are tasked by UC ANR to coach employees in drafting and following progress of an IDP.