Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Recent Hires

 

Forestry, youth development, food, nutrition, crops and pest management

Thanks to increased support from the State of California, we are rebuilding our academic footprint across the state and adding new positions to address California’s most pressing issues. We are so excited to welcome these new team members!

 

 

Helaine Berris

Helaine Berris
Water and soil advisor
Sonoma, Marin, Napa and Mendocino counties
hmberris@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Grace Belt

Grace Belt
Youth, families and communities advisor
Humboldt and Del Norte counties
kbelt@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Ally Sung-Jereczek

Ally Sung-Jereczek
Beneficial burning and tribal land stewardship advisor
Mendocino and Lake counties
asungjereczek@ucanr.edu 
Learn more

 

 

 

Tanya Daly

Tanya Daly
Community education specialist for the 4-H Youth Development Program
Alameda County
tdaly@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Andrea Warner

Andrea Warner
Livestock and natural resources area advisor
Placer, Nevada, Yuba and Sutter counties
alnwarner@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Mohammadali Azadfar

Mohammadali Azadfar
Woody biomass and forest products advisor
Siskiyou, Shasta and Trinity counties
mazadfar@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Dylan Beal

Dylan Beal
UC Integrated Pest Management entomology farm advisor
Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties
djbeal@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Monica Palta

Monica Palta
UC Cooperative Extension specialist in urban water quality, health and justice
UC Irvine
mpalta@uci.edu
Learn more

 

 

Hedmon Okella

Hedmon Okella
4-H animal science youth advisor
San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties
hokella@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Yonatan Weinberg

Yonatan Weinberg
Academic coordinator for food innovation and small business
Farms, Food, Future Initiative, also called F3, San Joaquin Valley
yweinberg@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Natalie Levy

Natalie Levy
Soil health and organic materials management advisor
Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties
nlevy@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Jasmin Smith

Jasmin Smith
Community nutrition and health advisor 
San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties
jasm@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Derrick Robinson

Derrick Robinson
Urban agriculture, food systems and environmental issues advisor
San Diego County
drobinson@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Arun Babu

Arun Babu
Entomology advisor
Imperial County
arbabu@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Emily Kraus

Emily Kraus
Small farms advisor
Fresno County
ekraus@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Sang-Bin Lee

Sang-Bin Lee
Urban IPM (Integrated Pest Management) advisor
Capitol Corridor (Solano, Yolo and Sacramento counties)
sablee@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Jagdeep Singh

Jagdeep Singh
Agronomy advisor
Siskiyou County
fgssingh@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Sara Rosenberg

Sara Rosenberg
Regenerative agriculture farm advisor
Mariposa, Merced and Stanislaus counties
srosenberg@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Laljeet Sangha

Laljeet Sangha
Community water systems advisor
Kern, Tulare and Kings counties
lsangha@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Ngodoo Atume

Ngodoo Atume
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) small farms technical assistance coordinator
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP)
natume@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Phillip Fujiyoshi

Phillip Fujiyoshi
UCCE Small Farms extension and research associate
Capitol Corridor
pfujiyoshi@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Azin Pourkhalili

Azin Pourkhalili
Youth, family and community advisor
Kern, Inyo and Mono counties
apourkhalili@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Claire Beveridge

Claire Beveridge
Small farms water conservation academic coordinator
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP)
Fresno, Tulare and Madera counties
cbeveridge@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Ahmed El-Moghazy

Ahmed El-Moghazy
UC Cooperative Extension food safety specialist
UC Riverside
aelmogha@ucr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Haramrit Gill

Haramrit Gill
Environmental horticulture advisor
Tulare, Kings, Fresno and Madera counties
hamgill@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Christian Jordan

Christian Jordan
Forestry and natural resources advisor
Shasta, Trinity and Siskiyou counties
cjordan@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Ana Pastrana

Ana Pastrana
Plant pathology advisor
Imperial, Riverside and San Diego counties
ampastranaleon@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Idongesit Mokwunye

Idongesit Mokwunye
Integrated pest management entomology advisor
imokwunye@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Cleo Aster Woelfle-Hazard

Cleo Aster Woelfle-Hazard
Fire advisor
Humboldt and Del Norte counties
cwhaz@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Laura Garza

Laura Garza
Water quality, quantity and climate change advisor
Lake and Mendocino counties
legarza@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Domena Agyeman

Domena Agyeman
Agriculture and natural resources economics advisor
Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties
dagyeman@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Sarah Marsh

Sarah Marsh
Rice farming systems advisor
Colusa and Yolo counties
smarsh@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Kayode Jegede

Olukayode "Kayode" Jegede
UC Cooperative Extension agricultural toxicology specialist
UC Davis
ojegede@ucdavis.edu
Learn more

 

 

Crystele Leauthaud

Crystele Leauthaud
UC Cooperative Extension agroecology specialist
UC Santa Cruz
cleautha@ucsc.edu
Learn more

 

 

Jennifer Smilowitz

Jennifer Smilowitz
UC Cooperative Extension nutrition and health equity specialist
UC Davis 
jensm@ucdavis.edu
Learn more

 

 

Mackenzie Patton

Mackenzie Patton
Integrated pest management advisor
Central Sierra: El Dorado, Amador, Tuolumne and Calaveras counties
mfpatton@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Simarjeet Singh

Simarjeet Singh
Irrigated grass systems area advisor
Modoc, Lassen and Shasta counties
ssmsingh@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Aaron Wilcher

Aaron Wilcher
Community and economic development advisor
Inyo, Mono and eastern Kern counties
awilcher@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Brian Woodward

Brian Woodward
Forestry advisor
Santa Cruz, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties
bdwoodward@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Bruno Pitton

Bruno Pitton
Environmental horticulture advisor
Placer and Nevada counties
bjpitton@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Kitty Oppliger

Kitty Oppliger
Community health and nutrition advisor
Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, El Dorado, Placer and Nevada counties
koppliger@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Param Singh

Param Singh
Agricultural technology advisor
Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito and San Luis Obispo counties
psbsingh@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Jessie Godfrey

Jessie Godfrey
Environmental horticulture and water resource management advisor
Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco counties
jmgodfrey@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Alexa Erickson

Alexa Erickson
Assistant community nutrition, health and food systems advisor
Contra Costa and Alameda counties
americkson@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen
Organic materials management and agri-food systems advisor
Santa Clara County
mfscohen@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Raymond Mireles

Raymond Mireles
Fruit and almond advisor
Fresno and Tulare counties
jrmireles@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Luis Pena-Levano

Luis Peña-Lévano
UC Cooperative Extension specialist in dairy cattle production, health and management economics
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
lpenalevano@ucdavis.edu
Learn more

 

 

Emma Volk

Emma Volk
Production horticulture advisor
Santa Barbara and Ventura counties
evolk@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Mandeep Riar

Mandeep Riar
Restoration ecology and weed science area advisor
Kern, Tulare and Kings counties
mriar@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Esther Mosase

Esther Mosase
Urban watershed resilience advisor
Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties
enmosase@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Srabani Das

Srabani Das
UC Cooperative Extension regenerative agriculture specialist
UC Merced
sradas@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

Lais Costa

Lais Costa
UC Cooperative Extension specialist in rural community disaster preparedness
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
lrcosta@ucdavis.edu
Learn more

 

 

Edith de Guzman

Edith de Guzman
UC Cooperative Extension water equity and adaptation policy specialist
UCLA
eb3@ucla.edu
Learn more

 

 

Ryan Hill

Ryan Hill
Weed science and agronomy advisor
Tehama, Shasta and Glenn counties
rjahill@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Rubia Branco Lopes

Rúbia Branco Lopes
Dairy farm advisor
Tulare and Kern counties
rbrancolopes@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Liliana Vega

Liliana Vega
4-H youth development advisor
Orange and San Diego counties
live@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Jasmin Ramirez Bonilla

Jasmin Ramirez Bonilla
Pesticide-safety education program coordinator
UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program
jramirezbonilla@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Veronica Van Cleave-Hunt

Veronica Van Cleave-Hunt
Community nutrition, health and food security advisor
Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter and Yuba counties
vvancleavehunt@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Laurie Wayne

Laurie Wayne
Nutrition and food systems advisor
Modoc, Lassen and Siskiyou counties
lwayne@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Bailey Smith-Helman

Bailey Smith-Helman
Community education specialist
UC ANR Climate Smart Agriculture Program
bsmithhelman@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Carly Hyland

Carly Hyland
Assistant professor of Cooperative Extension, environmental health sciences
UC Berkeley
chyland@berkeley.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Justin Valliere

Justin Valliere
Assistant professor of Cooperative Extension, invasive weed and restoration ecology
UC Davis
jmvalliere@ucdavis.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Alexandra Hill

Alexandra "Ali" Estvan Hill
Assistant professor of Cooperative Extension, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
UC Berkeley
alihill@berkeley.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Jay Sayre

James "Jay" Sayre
Assistant professor of Cooperative Extension, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
UC Davis
jsayre@ucdavis.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Cristina Murillo-Barrick

Cristina Murillo-Barrick
Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community development advisor
Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo counties
cmurillo@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Hamutahl Cohen

Hamutahl Cohen
Entomology advisor
Ventura County
hcohen@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Marianna Castiaux

Marianna Castiaux
Small Farms and Specialty Crops Program 
academic coordinator
mjcastiaux@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Becky Wheeler-Dykes

Becky Wheeler-Dykes
Orchard systems and weed ecology advisor
Glenn, Tehama and Colusa counties
bawheeler@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Jorge Angeles

Jorge Angeles
Weed management and ecology advisor
Tulare, Kings and Fresno counties
jaangeles@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Grant Johnson

Grant Johnson
Urban agriculture technology area advisor
Los Angeles and Orange counties
gejohnson@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Giuliano Galdi

Giuliano Galdi
Agronomy and crops advisor
Merced County
gcgaldi@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Qicheng Tang

Qicheng Tang
Assistant project scientist for water resources and water resiliency
Napa County
qictang@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Clarissa Reyes

Clarissa Reyes
Orchard systems advisor
Sutter, Yuba, Placer and Butte counties
clareyes@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Manpreet Singh

Manpreet Singh
Technology and innovation advisor for small farms
Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Madera and Merced counties
mansing@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Alicia Baddorf

Alicia Baddorf
Sustainable supply chain coordinator
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
akbaddorf@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Ahmed Kayad

Ahmed Kayad
Agricultural engineering advisor
Intermountain Research and Extension Center
agkayad@ucanr.edu | (530) 667-5117
Learn more

 

 

 

Flavie Audoin

Flavie Audoin
Livestock and natural resources area advisor
Calaveras, Amador, El Dorado and Tuolumne counties
faudoin@ucanr.edu | (209) 454-8472
Learn more

 

 

 

Erik Porse

Erik Porse
Director
California Institute for Water Resources
eporse@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Haris Gilani

Haris Gilani
Biomass and bioenergy advisor
Riverside and San Bernardino counties
hgilani@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Eddie Tanner

Eddie Tanner
Specialty crops and horticulture advisor
Humboldt and Del Norte counties
ehtanner@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Ellie Andrews

Ellie Andrews
Specialty crops advisor
Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties
eandrews@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Tobias Oker

Tobias Oker
Soils and irrigation advisor
Kern County
teoker@ucanr.edu | (661) 868-6218 | Twitter @TobiasOker
Learn more

 

 

 

Justin Tanner

Justin Tanner
Viticulture advisor
San Joaquin, Stanislaus and southern Sacramento counties
jdtanner@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Cassandra Nguyen

Cassandra Nguyen
Cooperative Extension nutrition specialist
UC Davis
casnguy@ucdavis.edu | (530) 752-3817
Learn more

 

 

 

Francisco Benitez

Francisco Benítez Altuna
Project scientist
Berkeley Food Institute and UC ANR
fjbenitez@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Gwenael Engelskirchen

Gwenaël Engelskirchen
Sustainable food and farming coordinator
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
gaengelskirchen@ucanr.edu | (530) 792-8253
Learn more

 

 

 

Jaime Ott

Jaime Ott
Orchard systems advisor
Tehama, Butte, Shasta and Glenn counties
njott@ucanr.edu | (530) 527-3101
Learn more

 

Samuel Ikendi

Samuel Ikendi
Academic coordinator, climate-smart agriculture
UC Merced
sikendi@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Katie Reidy

Katie Reidy
Statewide postfire academic coordinator 
UCCE Central Sierra office
kkreidy@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Prakash Jha

Prakash Jha
Assistant project scientist, climate adaption tools
UC Merced-Sierra Nevada Research Institute
prajha@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Janessa Hartmann

Janessa Hartmann
Community health and nutrition advisor
Shasta, Trinity and Tehama counties
jlhartmann@ucanr.edu
Learn more

 

 

 

Cuong Nguyen

Cuong "Jimmy" Nguyen
Assistant food safety and organic production area advisor
Imperial and Riverside counties 
cgnguyen@ucanr.edu | (442) 265-7700
Learn more

 

 

Alec Dompka

Alec Dompka
Rural communities economic development advisor
Del Norte, Humboldt and Trinity counties
addompka@ucanr.edu | (707) 464-4711 | Twitter @Alec_rural_dev
Learn more

 

 

Fatemeh Khodadadi

Fatemeh Khodadadi
Cooperative Extension plant pathology specialist
UC Riverside
fatemeh.khodadadi@ucr.edu
Learn more