Names in the News

Her named SRA in Los Angeles County

Calvin Her joined UC Cooperative Extension in Los Angeles County as a staff research assistant in February. 

Her graduated with a BS in biology from Metropolitan State University in Minnesota and one day hopes to pursue a master's degree in Entomology. He has worked with both the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. With the CDFA, Her worked within the invasive insect program to control the Mediterranean fruit fly and the Asian citrus psyllid. With the MDA, Her worked within the plant protection division to monitor the detection of invasive insect species in Minnesota such as the Velvet Longhorn Beetle, Brown Marmorated Stinkbug, Swede Midge and many others.   

Working with Siavash Taravati, area IPM advisor, Her will be researching drywood and subterranean termites, pest ant monitoring and control, California pesticide licensing and doing literature reviews.

In his free time, Her raises Monarch butterflies and documents his efforts in hopes to inspire at-home conservation. Her can be reached at cvher@ucanr.edu.

Berry named SRA at South Coast REC

Kaitlyn Berry joined UC ANR as a staff research associate I in February. She will be assisting with the UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials at the UCANR South Coast Research and Extension Center. 

Berry earned a BS in biological science with a concentration in marine biology and a minor in chemistry from California State University, Fullerton. She is currently completing her masters in biological science at CSU Fullerton and is a member of the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Laboratory. Her thesis research focuses on the effects of artificial light pollution on the activity and foraging behavior of the Pacific kangaroo rat (Dipodomys agilis). 

She has been a volunteer at the CSU Fullerton Biology Greenhouse Complex for five years.  Her informal education in planting, propagating, and general maintenance of the teaching collection will allow her to effectively assist with the UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials. 

Berry has enjoyed getting to meet and work with the SCREC staff. She is excited to be a part of UCANR and learn more about plant maintenance and research. Berry can be reached at kaiberry@ucanr.edu.

Thaoxaochay joins small farm program in Fresno County

C. Lilian Thaoxaochay joined UC Cooperative Extension's Small Farms and Specialty Crops Program in Fresno County as a COVID19 education specialist and research assistant in February. She is a first-generation Hmong American born and raised in Fresno. Her family has farmed in the Central Valley for over 30 years.

Thaoxaochay completed her undergraduate degree at Stanford University where she studied Anthropology and Asian American Studies. She was a Cota-Robles fellow at UC Santa Cruz where she received her MA in anthropology. Her previous research experience includes racial/ethnic health disparities and cultural competency in medical education. Her current research interests include the history of agriculture in Southeast Asia, refugee farming in California, and the future of small-scale growers in the Central Valley.

She can be reached at lilthaox@ucanr.edu.

Yabuki joins IT as digital communications specialist

Tetsuto Yabuki joined UC ANR Information Technology as a digital communications specialist on Feb. 26.

He brings over 20 years of web development experience, most recently serving as a solutions architect at Breyta in Davis. For the past three years, Yabuki worked as a contractor on the CropManage web application. He will continue to focus on CropManage at UC ANR.

Yabuki earned a Bachelor of Arts in computer science at Columbia University.

He will be based in the UC ANR building in Davis and can be reached at tyabuki@ucanr.edu. His Twitter handle is @TetsutoYabuki.

Lile honored for outstanding achievement in land stewardship

For his tremendous contributions to the science and management of rangeland ecosystems, David F. Lile received the Society for Range Management's Outstanding Achievement in Land Stewardship Award.

Over the past three decades, Lile has served the rangeland dependent communities of northeastern California as a UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor. Throughout his career, he has assiduously provided critical leadership to solve rangeland sustainability challenges facing these communities using science-based, solution-oriented approaches. His efforts have aided and facilitated improved policies, strategies and practices to implement partnership-based conservation programs to improve millions of acres of rangelands in the region. Stakeholders place high value on his technical expertise, his friendship and his ability to establish trust and confidence with a diverse community on topics ranging from sage grouse to water quality. He has worked tirelessly to build consensus around contentious topics and create collaborative, science-based solutions to enhance natural resources and sustain productive agricultural enterprises. Lile, who is based in Lassen County, has spent his career pursuing sustainable rangeland management, and this award recognizes that commitment to land stewardship.

Lile was presented the award at the SRM Annual Meeting held virtually in February.

Oberholster honored by ASEV for extension

The American Society for Enology and Viticulture announced Anita Oberholster, UC Cooperative Extension enology specialist, will receive its 2021 ASEV Extension Distinction Award.

Oberholster will receive the award and present “The Challenges of Modern Extension Programs” at the 72^nd ASEV National Conference, to be held virtually June 21-24, 2021.

Oberholster completed her doctorate in wine sciences at the University of Adelaide, Australia, in 2008 and worked at the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University until 2011, when she became a UC Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. As a UCCE specialist, her research focuses on current issues in the grape and wine industry and she provides research-based information to grape growers and members of the wine industry. Her research includes the impact of climate on grape ripening and phenolic development, grapevine red blotch disease and smoke exposure in the vineyard. Another major focus for Oberholster is the impact of different winemaking techniques on wine composition and quality.

“I love science, agriculture and wine. My job is the perfect blend,” said Oberholster. “Working with the grape and wine industry has been extremely rewarding and I am especially grateful to the ASEV for this high honor and recognition.”

Oberholster has been a member of ASEV since 2011 and served as board director from 2014 to 2020. She served on the ASEV Best Paper Committee and was an American Journal of Enology and Viticulture reviewer and a National Conference moderator and speaker. She continues to serve on the ASEV Technical Program Committee. 

She is also a member of several other organizations, including the American Chemical Society, Groupe Polyphenols, West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force, UC Davis Chemical and Laboratory Safety Committee, Viticulture & Enology and Food Science and Technology Graduate Group Executive Committees, Robert Mondavi Institute Executive Committee and is chair of the UC Davis Viticulture & Enology Extension Coordination Committee. She reviews for 25 peer-reviewed journals and different funding proposals.

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