Names in the News

Fujiyoshi joins Capitol Corridor small farms team

Phillip Fujiyoshi joined UCANR on April 3 as a UCCE small farms extension and research associate in the Capitol Corridor. Working with Margaret Lloyd, UCCE small farms advisor, Fujiyoshi supports underserved farmers in Yolo, Sacramento, and Solano counties by providing them with financial and agronomic technical assistance, and making extension materials available in Spanish.

Born and raised in Santa Maria, Fujiyoshi earned his bachelor's degree in biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His academic knowledge of Spanish transformed into bilingual proficiency thanks to his life experiences of living with Spanish roommates, participating in a tree-planting brigade in Nicaragua and setting up a Spanish-speaking household with a Nicaraguan partner. The Nicaragua trip also sparked his lasting interest in agriculture, leading him into doctoral studies in agroecology at UC Santa Cruz.

After completing his Ph.D., Fujiyoshi performed molecular assays, contributed to phylogenetic studies, and led a spore-trapping field study in a lab studying grapevine trunk diseases. In addition, he pursued outside interests in agriculture, including winning an individual grant to study cabbage aphid behavior, pursuing informal cover crop trials in a community garden plot, volunteering on the UC Davis Student Farm and giving agronomic advice to growers at the farmers market.

Fujiyoshi is based in Woodland and can be reached at (530) 666-8143 and pfujiyoshi@ucanr.edu.

Gill joins UCCE as environmental horticulture advisor 

Haramrit Gill joined UCCE on April 1 as an environmental horticulture advisor for Tulare, Kings, Fresno and Madera counties.

She will be identifying landscape plants that are heat-tolerant, disease-resistant and fire-resistant. Gill will be researching California native plants with sustainable attributes that include superior adaptation, biodiversity enhancement, water efficiency and soil health benefits.

A native of Punjab, India, Gill earned her undergraduate degree in agriculture followed by a master's degree in horticulture at Punjab Agricultural University, where her research focused on micropropagation and haploid production in muskmelons. She earned a Ph.D. from the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University.

Her early research investigated the impact of nitrogen on spinach root architecture. Her doctoral work concentrated on rose breeding and deciphering the genetic underpinnings of flower color transition traits, fragrance and dwarfing in roses, with a particular focus on the intriguing phenomenon of flower color transformation from yellow to dark pink as blooms matured. She also collaborated on projects aimed at enhancing heat tolerance and disease resistance in roses.

Gill is based in Tulare and can be reached at hamgill@ucanr.edu and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/haramrit-kaur-gill-3ab47015b.

Mickle joins Central Sierra nutrition education team

Justin Mickle joined UC ANR on March 18 as a community nutrition educator for the Central Sierra.

Prior to joining UC ANR, Mickle was a performance nutrition intern working with Division 1 athletes to optimize each individual's nutrition to best suit the demands of their sport and position within the sport.

He also served as an intern with CalFresh Healthy Living's Sacramento Office working alongside the community nutrition educators to deliver lessons.

“I'm excited to learn and educate along with the rest of the team,” said Mickle, who works with children and adults.

“The other day I was doing a site visit at Indian Creek Elementary School where I was teaching the Go, Glow and Grow CalFresh Healthy Living Curriculum to transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students in class,” Mickle said. He also has provided nutrition education to adults at a learning center for adults with disabilities to teach them fundamental cooking skills.

“Later this year, I will be visiting high schools and teaching other curriculum there as well, such as Hunger Attacks/Money Talks and Cooking Academy,” he said.

Mickle is a recent graduate of Sacramento State University with a bachelor's degree in nutrition and food.

He is based at the UCCE office in Placerville and can be reached at jmickle@ucanr.edu.

Rosenbaum named disability management coordinator

Jodi Rosenbaum is now the permanent UC ANR disability management coordinator. With extensive experience in various Human Resources roles, including HR Partner; Employee and Labor Relations Coordinator; Leave Coordinator; and interim Disability Management Coordinator, she contributes a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Rosenbaum has served with the University of California for 19 years, including UC ANR for the last nine years.

Disability Management Services provides a wide range of functions and services to UC ANR academics, staff and program participants. Services include but are not limited to engaging with employees who may have workplace restrictions that require accommodation, coordinating with workers compensation, as well as providing guidance and training with regard to promote workplace health, safety and wellness. 

If you have questions about disability management services,send an email to disabilitymanagement@ucanr.edu or directly to Rosenbaum at jrosenbaum@ucanr.edu.

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