- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Zalom receives DPR Lifetime IPM Achievement Award
Frank Zalom, UC Davis distinguished professor emeritus and former director of the UC Statewide IPM Program, recently received the Lifetime IPM Achievement Award from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.
At CDPR's IPM Achievement Awards virtual ceremony on Feb. 29, Zalom, who retired in 2018 from the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, was praised for “advancing IPM practices in California specialty crops as a preeminent researcher, practitioner and champion of sustainable pest management.”
“Dr. Zalom's work has contributed greatly to advancing safe, effective, and sustainable IPM practices in specialty crops such as almonds, strawberries, tomatoes and olives,” a CDPR spokesman said. “Through hundreds of presentations and publications, Dr. Zalom has contributed to broad adoption of IPM practices for numerous agricultural pests, resulting in less insecticide use and reduced run-off impacts and high-risk pesticide exposures.”
State Sen. Bill Dodd issued a proclamation stating, “Dr. Zalom's distinguished 40-plus year career as a leading researcher, practitioner and advocate for integrated pest management has significantly propelled advancements in this crucial field. The state formally recognizes this remarkable accomplishment and extends gratitude to Dr. Zalom for his exceptional contributions to the welfare of both California and the global community.”
- Full Ceremony: https://youtu.be/XEMKD04bDT4
- Video honoring Frank Zalom: https://youtu.be/oXc8OcQivLI
- Remarks from Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry: https://youtu.be/o4xnXyPn7e8
Read more at https://entomology.ucdavis.edu/news/frank-zalom-lifetime-ipm-achievement-award-california-department-pesticide-regulation.
Long, Mueller and Smith honored for career achievements
On Feb. 6, the California Chapter of the America Society of Agronomy recognized the career achievements of three emeritus farm advisors: Rachael Long, Shannon Mueller, and Richard Smith.
“It is incredibly rare for the Chapter to honor three UC members in one year, let alone three Cooperative Extension advisors,” said Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, California ASA past president and UCCE Delta crops resource management advisor for San Joaquin, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano and Contra Costa counties.
Long retired as a UCCE farm advisor in 2023, after 37 years of doing research on crop production, pollination and pest control in collaboration with farmers, starting in Sonoma County, then San Joaquin County and the last 32 years in Solano, Sacramento and Yolo counties.
Mueller, who retired from her 31-year career in 2019, was a UCCE advisor in Fresno County and director of the UCCE Fresno/Madera Multi-County Partnership. Her work with alfalfa seed and pollination resulted in current practices.
Smith, who retired in 2023 from his 36-year career as a UCCE farm advisor, mostly for San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, continues to contribute his vegetable crops and weed science expertise.
Read more at https://ucanr.edu/News/?routeName=newsstory&postnum=59008
Alameda County thanks Blackburn for partnering on nutrition and health
Mary Blackburn, UC Cooperative Extension health and nutrition advisor for Alameda County, received a certificate of recognition from Alameda County
“The certificate award is to recognize you as a partner for having done so much to support the work of Nutrition Services and the Alameda County Nutrition Action Partnership (CNAP),” Annette Laverty, interim associate director of Alameda County Nutrition Services, said to Blackburn.
“Your name was raised up to the AC Public Health Department's Community Health Services' Division Director and staff as someone who has maintained high standards of service, in partnership, to the community,” Laverty continued. “You have been so instrumental in collaborating with the ACPHD and AC Area on Aging over the years to develop actionable, integrated work plans and helping to put the plans into action. Your talents in writing and editing have been an incredible help, especially when deadlines have loomed.”
Laverty credited the prestigious awards the CNAP has received to Blackburn's attention to grant and award opportunities.
“You were instrumental in applying for these awards, which made it possible for our collaborative to be recognized,” Laverty said. “You're an inspiration to me and many other professionals in our field!”
UC ANR recruits UC Davis students
The Human Resources and Business Operations Center teams partnered to table at the UC Davis Internship and Career Center Winter Career Fair on Feb. 21. They engaged more than 100 students as they promoted job opportunities offered by UC ANR.
“Students expressed interest in several facets of UC ANR's work, from business and IT in agriculture, to economic development, to soil and water science,” said Elizabeth Bezark, customer service and projects analyst.
To entice students to talk with them, ANR staff brought a prize wheel that students could spin to win ANR logo items.
“An economics and agriculture double-major in her second year of a bachelor's program won an ANR drawstring bag and took a BOC flyer,” said Bezark. “'An environmental science major won an Environmental Stewards Program patch for their denim jacket and grabbed an ANR Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program brochure.”
Serena Rae Brady, Anna Lee and David White from Human Resources worked the table along with BOC's Kathy Hanke, Alexa Ocegueda and Bezark. Katie Kilbane worked with them to prepare for the event.
Vernard Lewis featured on KTVU's Voices for Change
For Black History Month, Vernard Lewis, UC Cooperative Extension urban entomology specialist emeritus based at UC Berkeley, spoke with Greg Lee on KTVU's Voices for Change on Feb. 25. His fascination with insects began while playing outdoors during the seven years he lived with his grandparents in Fresno.
Lewis recalled that his high school counselor in Minnesota told him he wasn't college material. Lewis took the insult and used it to fuel his ambition. He asked the counselor which was the best university in the country. “UC Berkeley,” the counselor replied. Lewis set his sights on UC Berkeley, where he earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
Lewis, who retired in 2017, became the first African American entomologist hired at UC Berkeley. The last 26 years of his 35-year career he was a UC Cooperative Extension specialist and he continues to work with UCCE specialists and advisors.
Throughout his career, Lewis promoted diversity in science, giving presentations at Oakland public schools to pique students' interest in science. He and his wife Lisa Kala continue to strive to create a more diverse and inclusive university environment by supporting the HBCU Environmental Scholars for Change Program, which provides visiting undergraduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities an opportunity to conduct research with Rausser College faculty.
Lewis' interview on Voices for Change starts around 18:30 at https://www.ktvu.com/video/1416404.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
For four decades, when a new plant disease infects fields of lettuce or a new regulation is issued for agriculture, vegetable farmers across the state have turned to Richard Smith, the University of California Cooperative Extension vegetable crops advisor, for answers. After 37 years of service with UCCE, Smith retired on Jan. 4.
“The whole industry has been dreading Richard's retirement!” exclaimed Jennifer Clarke, executive director of the California Leafy Greens Research Program. “Richard is a wealth of knowledge and has a great ability to translate science into real-world practical solutions.”
In the past few years, the leafy greens industry has lost millions of dollars of crops due to infections of impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) and Pythium wilt. Smith is among the researchers investigating the diseases.
“Richard has conducted important variety trials and led efforts in identifying the ‘top 10' weed hosts for INSV and strategies to reduce the wintertime ‘green bridge' for this virus,” Clarke said.
Smith also has kept policymakers informed of the latest research. In 2021, he testified before the Assembly Committee on Agriculture about leafy green plant diseases.
A legacy of practical advice, service to community
By serving on numerous grower and county committees and working directly with growers, Smith has built a reputation for understanding growers' needs and developing practical solutions. He has found it rewarding to see his research results used.
“The research that I have conducted with my collaborators has helped the water board to better fit their regulations to the reality of farming and to minimize the economic constraints,” Smith said.
Smith and his colleague Michael Cahn, UCCE irrigation and water resources advisor, also have become trusted and respected voices when discussing AgOrder 4.0 with the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, according to Clarke. AgOrder 4.0 calls for farmers to reduce the amount of fertilizer they apply to crops.
Field trials conducted by Smith and Cahn showed growers they could use nitrogen from high nitrate wells toward meeting a crop's nutritional needs.
“Richard has also done important research to develop nitrogen removal coefficients for AgOrder 4.0,” Clarke said. “Recently he and Eric Brennan of USDA-ARS (Agricultural Research Service) looked at cover crops and identified a system to predict shoot biomass and allow for nitrogen scavenging credits. His work has been pivotal in helping growers comply with AgOrder 4.0 in a cost-effective and realistic manner.”
Growers also use his research to manage cadmium, a heavy metal that is naturally present in soils.
“He led the effort to help growers find a best management practice that reduces cadmium uptake in various crops,” Clarke said. “The Central Coast has areas of productive agricultural land where there are naturally occurring shale deposits. The ability to amend soil to reduce plant uptake of this heavy metal has allowed these important production areas to continue to farm nutritious vegetables.”
‘Never had a bad day as a farm advisor'
Growing up in Watsonville, Smith began working at a young age in agriculture for summer jobs.
“I was in 4-H and got to know ag advisors and was always impressed by them,” Smith said. “I was fortunate to be able to work as an advisor for my career. I never had a bad day as a farm advisor – it was very satisfying working with growers and helping them with their issues.”
Smith joined UC Cooperative Extension as a farm advisor intern in San Diego County and San Joaquin County in 1985 after earning his master's degree in agronomy from UC Davis. In 1986, he moved to the Central Valley to serve as an interim farm advisor for San Joaquin County, then became a vegetable crops farm advisor for Stanislaus County in 1987.
In 1989, Smith moved to the Central Coast to serve as UCCE small farms advisor for San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. In 1999, he transitioned to UCCE vegetable crops and weed science farm advisor for those three counties, where he served for the rest of his career.
Mentoring the next generation of scientists
“Richard was my mentor, principal investigator on my first collaborative study at ANR, speaker at several of my extension events, and a dear colleague,” said Surendra Dara, former UCCE entomology and biologicals advisor and now director of Oregon State University's North Willamette Research & Extension Center and professor of horticulture. “He is very kind, friendly, and most importantly has a good sense of humor. He is well-regarded both by his peers and stakeholders.”
Smith has been active in professional organizations, regularly attending the annual meetings of the American Society for Horticulture Science and the American Society of Agronomy. He served as president of the California Chapter of the American Society of Agronomy in 2014 and served on the board of the California Weed Science Society, which granted him the Award of Excellence in 2005 and an honorary membership in 2020.
As a public service, Smith served on the board of the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association, and taught classes and conducted outreach to their Spanish-speaking clientele. He was a regular guest speaker for vegetable crop and weed science classes at CSU Fresno, CSU Monterey Bay, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Hartnell Community College and Cabrillo Community College.
As he winds down his career, Smith has been mentoring new UCCE farm advisors and scientists who have joined USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Salinas and California State University, Monterey Bay, acquainting them with local issues.
“Richard's leadership and mentorship has been critical in the development of my career as a new researcher at USDA-ARS in Salinas,” said Daniel K. Hasegawa, research entomologist in USDA-ARS's Crop Improvement and Protection Research Unit. “Richard has taught me so much about agricultural practices in the Salinas Valley and has connected me with growers and pest control advisers, which has enhanced the impact of my own research, which includes projects addressing thrips and INSV.”
Smith, who has been granted emeritus status by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, plans to complete nitrogen research projects that are underway.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Armstrong joins 4-H as program representative for Tuolumne County
Erika Armstrong has joined the UCCE Central Sierra team as 4-H Program Representative for Tuolumne County.
Armstrong, who has spent her career working with nonprofit agencies and managing volunteer programs, worked with United Way Monterey County and the Alliance on Aging. She also was a campaign manager for a candidate for the Board of Supervisors of Monterey County. Her most recent job was stay-at-home mother for her daughters.
She holds a bachelor's degree in collaborative health and human communication from California State University Monterey Bay.
Armstrong is based at the Tuolumne office and can be reached at (209) 533-6990 and elarmstrong@ucanr.edu.
Hsieh Wojan named chief information security officer 
Jacqueline (Jaki) Hsieh Wojan joined ANR as chief information security officer (CISO) on March 28. As CISO, she will be responsible for cybersecurity functions, policies and procedures, including statewide management and protection of ANR's institutional information and information technology resources.
Hsieh Wojan brings over 10 years of experience in computer operations and cybersecurity risk management. She is a certified Project Manager, a Certified Scrum Master, and an experienced CISO. In her previous position as CISO at Matica Corp., a computer software design and development company, she oversaw the IT infrastructure, deployed complex systems, vetted third-party vendors, and most recently, relocated their on-premises IT server room to a data center.
She earned an M.S. in computer information systems from Boston University and a B.A. in East Asian Studies (Cum Laude) from Union College in Schenectady, New York.
Hsieh Wojan is based at the ANR Building in Davis and can be reached at jhsiehw@ucanr.edu.
UC scientists dominate entomology society awards
Mark Hoddle, UC Cooperative Extension specialist and UC Riverside Center for Invasive Species research director, won the C.W. Woodworth Award for outstanding accomplishments in the field over the last 10 years. He develops biological controls for invasive pests including Asian citrus psyllid, spotted lantern fly and glassy-winged sharpshooter.
Read more about the UCR award recipients at https://insideucr.ucr.edu/awards/2022/03/21/uc-riverside-scientists-dominate-entomology-society-awards.
EcoFarm honors Smith with ‘Sustie' award
EcoFarm developed the Sustie to honor people who have been actively and critically involved in ecologically sustainable agriculture and have demonstrated their long-term, significant contributions to the well-being of agriculture and the planet.
Smith has enthusiastically researched nutrient and pest management in organic crop production. He worked tirelessly to assist growers, from small- to large-scale farmers, in solving production problems and developing practices to improve crop and soil quality. Smith has been actively involved with EcoFarm and, starting in 1990, he served for many years as a co-facilitator of the annual Bus Tour.
He has been an unflagging advocate for increasing the use of cover crops and worked with growers on evaluating varieties and novel ways of including them in production systems. He was editor of the UC ANR publication “Cover Crops for Vegetable Production.”
