- Author: Ricardo Vela
- Author: Pam Kan-Rice
For the third consecutive year, UC ANR is leading a critical vaccination campaign funded by the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement initiative. Amira R. Resnick, UC ANR's statewide director of community nutrition and health, is leading the EXCITE project, which is dedicated to addressing misinformation in California's most vulnerable communities.
This winter, she is focused on increasing vaccination rates among adults in disadvantaged populations, particularly farmworkers and individuals employed in janitorial and cleaning services throughout the Merced and Fresno regions.
The initiative emphasizes the importance of flu and COVID-19 immunizations, underscoring vaccination as a key measure for protecting health during the colder months. Communications are designed to resonate with these communities, using language and messaging that align with their values and concerns.
“Since family is a cornerstone for Latino culture, our main message will focus on keeping loved ones safe,” said Ricardo Vela, manager of UC ANR News & Information Outreach in Spanish, who is working with Resnick on EXCITE.
Recognizing the rich cultural diversity within these populations, the campaign will feature content in Mixteco, a Mexican Indigenous language, across various media platforms, including social media, streaming television and radio.
Many families in these communities are originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, and predominantly speak their native languages, with limited or no proficiency in Spanish. This culturally tailored approach ensures that vital health information is accessible to those who need it most.
In addition to the external vaccination campaign, UC ANR has developed an internal initiative aimed at engaging its own professionals.
“Through this campaign, we are not only working to safeguard public health, but also encouraging UC ANR and Extension professionals to serve as role models in vaccine advocacy and health education within their own communities. Leadership starts with us,” said Resnick.
“Our objective is not just to reach diverse audiences, but to engage them meaningfully by using clear, inclusive and compassionate communication,”Resnick added.
WSU creates EXCITE Toolkit
The Washington State University EXCITE team has enhanced their toolkit based on feedback. These updates aim to make the toolkit even more effective for Extension professionals.
Getting to the Heart and Mind of the Matter: A Toolkit to Build Confidence as a Trusted Messenger of Health Information was developed by the WSU EXCITE team: Erica W. Austin, Bruce William Austin, Paul David Bolls, Zena Marie Edwards, Shawn K. Domgaard, Di Mu, Nicole H. O'Donnel, Courtney Payne, Pamela Rose and Anya Sheftel.
This toolkit is designed to empower all Extension professionals to be confident, informed participants in vaccine and health education initiatives within their communities. Its focus isn't just on what to communicate, but more importantly, on how to communicate effectively with different audiences. Backed by research and grounded in theory, the multidisciplinary approach of this toolkit emphasizes the role of both emotion and reason in behavior change communication.
The 5th edition of the toolkit is now available for free download.
This updated version includes key additions, such as the integration of health equity, techniques for conducting motivational interviewing in group settings, applying science media literacy for real-time fact-checking, and showcasing effective outreach with a focus on social media strategies.
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Lewis receives PCOC Lifetime Achievement Award
Vernard Lewis, emeritus UC Cooperative Extension urban entomology specialist, has received the 2024 Harvey Logan Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pest Control Operators of California.
In a news release, Lee Whitmore, a PCOC past president, said, “Vernard has been an unparalleled champion for our industry for decades. His research has been instrumental in protecting the consumer public by ensuring industry professionals communicate accurately about pest control technologies and processes. His collaboration and research have enhanced the effectiveness of various treatment technologies through meticulous yet fair evaluation, benefiting both professionals and consumers alike.”
Lewis joined UC Berkeley as a Professor of Cooperative Extension in 1991 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management.
As an internationally recognized expert on urban pests, Lewis has published more than 150 papers and delivered more than 700 presentations on termites, bed bugs and cockroaches. He is probably best known for his termite research, which largely occurred in Villa Termiti, a 400-square-foot structure at UC Berkeley's Richmond Field Station designed to test alternative pest control methods.
Lewis also has been instrumental in supporting PCOC's Termite Academy, which has been hosted at the UC Berkeley's Richmond Field Station since 2018.
Whitmore said, “Perhaps his most significant contribution lies in his efforts to encourage diversity and inclusivity within the field of entomology. By serving as a mentor and inspiration to minority individuals and women, Dr. Lewis has helped to address the historical underrepresentation of these groups in the field. In doing so, he has not only opened doors for countless aspiring entomologists and pest control professionals, but has also enriched the industry with diverse perspectives and talents.”
Vela honored with inaugural Workplace Inclusion and Belonging Award
Elizabeth Moon, director of Workplace Inclusion and Belonging, created this award to recognize outstanding individuals or groups within the ANR community who have demonstrated exceptional commitment, leadership and innovation in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
“It's about celebrating those who encourage and inspire this culture,” Moon said, “those who showcase best practices and innovative approaches for promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as those who foster the networking opportunities and the connections that come from that.”
In announcing Vela as the first recipient of the award, Moon said, “Ricardo is someone who his nominators say is the first person they think of when they think of inclusiveness within ANR. They say that it's his daily goal to showcase the diversity in ANR and celebrate Latinos and other ethnic groups within the division.
“He has created and spearheaded numerous programs and initiatives that have brought in diverse perspectives, fostered greater understanding and increased feelings of belonging and recognition among staff and academics. And he always finds ways to promote inclusiveness and build community in our organization.”
Vela's name will be engraved on a plaque that will be placed outside the Valley Room at the ANR building in Davis.
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- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Takele honored for DEI achievements
The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association's Committee on Women in Agricultural Economics recognized Etaferahu Takele, UCCE area agricultural economics and farm management advisor in Southern California, for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion as a researcher, mentor and leader.
“Throughout Ms. Takele's life, before affirmative action, diversity, equity and inclusion were something to advocate for, she modeled and advocated for the underrepresented people in her community, at the university, within the county government and in her professional associations,” wrote a nominator.
From 2007 to 2020, Takele was director for UCCE in Riverside County, where she revived the 4-H Youth Development Program, expanded the Master Gardener Program and doubled the reach of the Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) to underrepresented clientele in Riverside County.
In partnership with California State University San Bernardino, she received a $500,000 USDA grant for the Inland Empire Small Farm Initiative to provide risk management education to Hispanic minority growers and farm laborers with little or no experience with running their own farms in the United States. Takele worked with farmers to develop budgets and determine risks associated with production of various crops. To ensure the program was inclusive, it was delivered in Spanish. She provided minority farmers with regular financial counseling and helped them develop cost-benefit models of investing in minor crops.
Her work with small-scale and minority growers influenced the introduction and expansion of new specialty crops such as blueberries and cherimoya in the coastal and the desert regions of Southern California.
Read more about Takele's achievements at https://www.aaea.org/membership/sections/cwae/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-award/etaferahu-eta-takele.
AEOE honors Nelson with Lifetime Achievement Award
The Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education has recognized Sarah-Mae Nelson's career contributions to advancing environmental education with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The UC Climate Stewards Initiative academic coordinator for UC Environmental Stewards has over 28 years of experience as an educator, interpreter and climate communicator.
"Since the launching of the Climate Stewards program in 2020, Sarah-Mae's leadership has been instrumental in its remarkable growth and success,” wrote Nelson's nominator. “Under her guidance, 27 community-based organizations have conducted 80 courses, certifying nearly 1,000 Climate Stewards.
“In every endeavor she undertakes, Sarah-Mae approaches challenges with unparalleled determination and meticulousness. Her resilience in the face of adversity serves as an inspiration to all who have the privilege of working alongside her."
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to those who have made a significant impact in environmental and outdoor education over the course of their career, both within their organization(s) and the field at large, and who demonstrate a strong commitment to equity and inclusion.
Nelson's contributions were celebrated on May 4 at AEOE's Annual Statewide Conference in Orange.
Rethwisch elected Sigma Xi member
Michael Rethwisch, UCCE field crops advisor for Riverside County, has been elected a full member into Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society.
He joins top scholars in the society such as Albert Einstein, Gerty Cori, Linus Pauling, Julian Lewis, Rita Levi Montalcini and Sally Ride.
Rethwisch was nominated by Jamie Vernon, Sigma Xi executive director and CEO and publisher of American Scientist magazine, and Allen Thomas, Donald E. Fox Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Two of the journal articles that qualified Rethwisch for Sigma Xi membership are SY Wolf Winter Wheat Responses to RyzUp SmartGrass Application at Third Leaf Stage in East Central Nebraska and First Report of Western Trochanter Mealybug, Pseudococcus dysmicus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), in Nebraska and Observations from Soybean.
Vela named ACE Rising Star, five other communicators win awards
Six communicators won major awards from the international Association for Communication Excellence (ACE), a professional organization that supports and showcases science communication in agriculture, natural resources, and life and human sciences.
Ricardo Vela, manager of UC ANR News and Information Outreach in Spanish (NOS), won the ACE 2024 Rising Star Award, an annual award that "honors communicators, instructors and researchers who demonstrate exceptional leadership and technical skills in their communication field, to their institution and service to ACE."
Vela is a 35-year, two-time Emmy-winning broadcast journalism professional. As program manager of NOS, he supervises a Spanish-language expert team that disseminates news and research about agriculture, nutrition and natural resources to Spanish-speaking communities across California. Vela is an advocate for Latino and other ethnic groups, promoting their contributions to society and creating for the first time events for the UC ANR community to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Cesar Chavez Day.
Before joining UC ANR in 2017, Vela worked as a national news correspondent for Univision and CNN in Texas and Los Angeles. He started his journalism career at the Chicago Tribune and Univision in Chicago. While in Chicago, he collaborated with several Latino community organizations, always promoting equity and inclusion. He served as Univision's main news anchor in San Diego for 17 years and hosted a morning talk radio show, “Voces Hispanas,” for 10 years. He has served as news director and anchor at Entravisión (a Univisión affiliate) in Palm Springs and as a news anchor at Telemundo in El Paso, Texas. In 2006, Hispanic Magazine listed him as among the 100 most influential Latinos in the country.
Vice President Glenda Humiston appointed Vela as a founding member of the UC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Five other UC ANR communicators won gold (first place), silver (second place), or a bronze (third place) award.
- Kathy Keatley Garvey, communications specialist for the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and author of the Bug Squad blog, won a gold award for “best feature photo." Her image of a honey bee buzzing over a zinnia earned an award in the feature photo category, for "one image that effectively tells a story."
- Michael Hsu, senior public information representative; Ethan Ireland, senior videographer; and Evett Kilmartin, photographer, won a silver award for their “Farm-to-Corrections Project" video about a Nutrition Policy Institute partnership with Impact Justice, ChangeLab Solutions, Spork and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
- Social media strategist Doralicia Garay won a bronze award for the social media campaign “Improving Lives in California,” designed to showcase UC ANR research and those who deliver it.
The awards will be presented at the annual ACE conference, June 23-25, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Read more about the awards in Bug Squad at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=59843.
ANR thanks Larson for 41 years of service
Stephanie Larson, UCCE director and livestock range management advisor for Sonoma County, was honored for her 41 years of service at the county directors meeting on May 23. Vice President Glenda Humiston and Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, director of county Cooperative Extension, thanked Larson for her four decades of service.
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Would you like to learn to speak Spanish?
Ricardo Vela, manager of News and Information Outreach in Spanish and chair of the Latinx & Friends Affinity Group, is organizing weekly lessons that will be offered via Zoom and start in July.
He is trying to gauge interest to see how many people would like to participate and whether they are beginners or interested conversing in Spanish to advance the Spanish they have already learned.
“We are still working on some important details – class format, length, whether it should be available only to those registered with the Latinx & Friends Affinity Group or to all UC ANR employees,” Vela said.
If you are interested in learning Spanish, please email Vela at rvela@ucanr.edu and let him know your competency level of Spanish and preferred day and time to participate.
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Ricardo Vela, manager of UC ANR's News and Information Outreach in Spanish, spoke to the UC Regents Public Engagement and Development Committee on Nov. 15 about science communication for Latino Californians.
Vela explained that studies show that even Latinos fluent in English may prefer to receive information in their “language of comfort.” He described partnering with Univision/Entravision to promote a COVID-19 vaccination campaign on TV in Mixteco, Zapoteco, Triqui and Purépecha, indigenous Mexican languages.
Vela introduced Josie Huerta of Univision/Entravision, who told the regents that providing science-based information to indigenous Mexican viewers in their native language was important to establish trust with the skeptical audience. The media company ran the vaccination campaign on local TV, radio, Facebook and Instagram with a link to a UC ANR for more information.
“The combined campaigns generated over 1,173,000 engagements of some form,” Huerta said.
The campaign placed the first TV spots broadcast in a language other than English and Spanish on Univision, Vela added.
“It's just amazing the reach that you have and the breadth of folks that you are able to communicate with,” said Regent Janet Reilly, who chairs the committee. “It's so important. I wish we had this in every aspect of the university.”
Reilly called NOS “an example for the rest of the university how we can reach more people and communicate with them effectively.”
Alumni regent-designate Alfonso Salazar noted that his mother was an Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program educator, visiting Latino families at their Boyle Heights homes in Los Angeles to deliver nutrition information for 25 years. “My mom is known as 'La Señora' in the neighborhood,” Salazar said.
Regent Jose Hernandez told Vela and Huerta, “I think you guys formed the perfect partnership with respect to getting any newsworthy item out to the Latino population. I think really, really we should use you folks as a model for the rest of the university, as Chair Reilly suggested, because you guys are doing it right and I commend you. Muchas gracias."
The meeting was held at UCLA and live streamed.
Watch Vela's 10-minute presentation and the regents' reactions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTPm58GnnSs&t=4178s.