Posts Tagged: July 2018

Intermountain REC brings state-of-the-art conferencing to Tulelake

Intermountain Research and Extension Center (IREC) celebrated the grand opening of a multipurpose conference and laboratory building on July 26. The facility will be available for use by private and public groups for business meetings, job fairs, trainings and conferences.

"The facility is the first in the Tulelake area to offer modern audio-visual infrastructure and high-speed internet connectivity capable of supporting remote presentations to stay in touch with groups from around the world," said Rob Wilson, IREC director. "We hope this facility will greatly increase the visibility and accessibility of local events and help draw more regional attention to the area."

The conference room was dedicated in honor of the late John Staunton, a local research collaborator with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources who passed away in 2015. Staunton Farms and the Staunton family donated $25,000 to support the building project and recognize the Tulelake farmer and his long-standing support of agriculture and research.

Winema Elevators/Western Milling, Sensient Natural Ingredients, Macy's Flying Service, and Basin Fertilizer also contributed support.

UC awarded approximately $2 million for this capital improvement project with funds from UC lease revenue bonds to pay for most of the building's design and construction costs, but additional support is needed to complete the project. Intermountain REC has set a fundraising goal of $100,000 to pay for tables, chairs, furnishing and lab equipment for the building.

A special UC fund has been created to collect tax-deductible contributions to be used solely for this building project. Donations over $50 will receive recognition in print and on the IREC website. Donations over $1,000 will receive recognition on the donor wall in the building entryway. Name plate recognition on the donor wall will be based on the gift amount: Gold ($2,500+), Silver ($1,750 to $2,499), and Bronze ($1,000 to $1,749). Donations can be made via check using the enclosed envelope or by credit card by visiting the IREC website at http://irec.ucanr.edu and clicking the “Make a gift” link.

The ribbon cutting followed the 2018 IREC field day, an annual event that showcases the research underway at the 140-acre facility. Charlie Pickett of USDA, UC Davis Plant Breeding Center director Charlie Brummer, UCCE farm advisors David Lile and Rachael Long and UCCE specialist Dan Putnam joined Wilson in giving research updates on the tour.

Research presentations included work on biological control of cereal leaf beetle, influence of fall harvest management of irrigated grass hays, onion white rot, managing alfalfa weevil and clover rootcucurlio, pulse crop options for theKlamath Basin, cover crops and amendments, cutting schedule effects on lowlignin alfalfa andgermplasm evaluation of alfalfa and tallfescue.

Reporter Danielle Jester, who covered the events for the Siskiyou Daily News, noted the palpable absence of the late Steve Orloff, who was a UCCE farm advisor for Siskiyou County for 25 years. “Orloff's absence was noticeably felt throughout the day,” she wrote. “He passed away in October of 2017, and his influence in Siskiyou County's ag industry was very apparent, evidenced in part by the many mentions of his name and work throughout the day. IREC paid tribute to Orloff in the final page of its field day guide, which featured a full-page image of Orloff during a previous field day, with the words, ‘We miss you, Steve.'”

In the news article, Jester also wrote, “The information gleaned through research at the IREC can be invaluable to farmers and other researchers. Through its years of experimentation, the center has helped growers develop more effective practices in a wide range of areas, from determining the crops that will grow best in the local climate, to selecting the most economically viable crops for the region, to understanding the most effective ways to manage pests and disease.”

 

 

Names in the News

Khaira to lead UC CalFresh

Kamaljeet (Kamal) Singh-Khaira has accepted the position of director of the University of California CalFresh Nutrition Education Program, also known as UC CalFresh. Singh-Khaira began her new role on June 18, 2018, succeeding David Ginsburg, who retired after leading UC CalFresh since 2008. 

“We are very fortunate to have another strong leader to direct the UC CalFresh program,” said Helene Dillard, dean of the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “Under David Ginsburg's leadership, our program has grown substantially and become a widely emulated model across the nation. Kamal Singh-Khaira—with her more than 20 years of experience developing and implementing health and active living initiatives—is ideally positioned to lead the program into the future.”

Prior to joining UC CalFresh, Singh-Khaira was an independent consultant. She previously held leadership positions with the Network for a Healthy California and the American Heart Association.  

Singh-Khaira has a master's degree in community development from UC Davis and is the 2012 recipient of that program's Ted Bradshaw Award, honoring an alum of the program who exemplifies the passion, humanity and devotion for community empowerment. In 2015 Singh-Khaira received a U.S. Department of Agriculture Western Region Food and Nutrition Service Recognition Award honoring her professional contributions and leadership in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) education efforts. 

Singh-Khaira is based at UC Davis and can be reached at (530) 752-0555 and kjkhaira@ucdavis.edu.

Bruno named UCCE quantitative policy analysis specialist

Ellen Bruno joined UCCE on July 1, 2018, as an assistant specialist in quantitative policy analysis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Berkeley.

Bruno will develop a research and extension program that focuses on policy issues relevant to California's agriculture and natural resources. Much of her current research and extension work relates to the changing regulatory structure of groundwater in California and the potential for groundwater trading.

Prior to joining UCCE, Bruno was a graduate student researcher in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis. Her Ph.D. dissertation, titled “An Evaluation of Policy Instruments for Sustainable Groundwater Management,” assessed the potential of market-based instruments for improving management of groundwater for agriculture. 

Bruno earned her B.S. in management science from UC San Diego and M.S. and Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics from UC Davis.

Bruno is located at 223 Giannini Hall at UC Berkeley, and can be reached at ebruno@berkeley.edu.

Marshall-Wheeler named 4-H advisor

Nicole Marshall-Wheeler is now an area 4-H youth development advisor for Colusa, Sutter and Yuba counties as of June 1, 2018.

Marshall-Wheeler joined UCCE in 2016 as a 4-H youth development community education specialist in Butte County, providing oversight and leadership to the county's 4-H Youth Development Program, coordinating and managing nearly 200 volunteers and 500 youth. She also worked two summers (2014 and 2015) as a 4-H events assistant for UC ANR California 4-H State Office. From 2010 to 2016, she was an after school program director and leader at Chico Area Recreation and Park District, overseeing 200 youth and 10 staff, budget management, mentorship and resolving conflict with staff, youth and parents. As a California 4-H alumna, she was a Butte County 4-H All-Star and California 4-H State Ambassador.

Marshall-Wheeler is based in Colusa and can be reached at (530) 458-0570 and nmarshall@ucanr.edu.

Sanchez joins NOS

Miguel Sanchez joined ANR's News and Information Outreach in Spanish (NOS) as a broadcast communications specialist on July 1. He will be producing videos and writing news releases in English and Spanish to provide ANR's research-based information to Latino Californians.

Prior to joining NOS, Sanchez was the technical director for Entravision on KVER Univision Notivalle for six years in Palm Desert, helping to produce the evening newscast and upload news to the station's social media platforms. From 2003 to 2012, he was a video editor, photojournalist and technical director for newscasts in Santa Maria for KCOY-12 CBS and KKFX-11 FOX, then Entravision on KPMR Univision 38.

He earned an associate's degree in multimedia from Brooks College in Long Beach.

Sanchez is based at Rubideaux Hall in Riverside and can be reached at (951) 781-2124 and
miguel.sanchez@ucr.edu.

Koopman Rivers named UCCE Siskiyou County director

Carissa Koopman Rivers is the new director for UC Cooperative Extension in Siskiyou County. Koopman Rivers, a UCCE livestock and natural resources advisor, succeeds the late Steve Orloff. She is based in Yreka and can be reached at (530) 842-2711 and ckrivers@ucanr.edu.

JoLynn Miller, a 4-H youth development advisor, is serving as the interim director for UCCE Central Sierra while Scott Oneto is on a one-year sabbatical leave. Miller is based in Sonora and can be reached at (209) 533-5686, cell (209) 588-6757 and jlmiller@ucanr.edu.

At Hopland Research & Extension Center, superintendent John Bailey has been serving as interim director since Kim Rodrigues retired July 1. Bailey can be reached at (707) 744-1424 x112 and jtbailey@ucanr.edu.

CASI Center wins WEDA Award of Excellence

The Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation (CASI) Center received this year's Award of Excellence from the Western Extension Directors Association (WEDA). Dan Munk, UCCE farm advisor in Fresno County and CASI member, delivered a presentation on CASI's goals and accomplishments on July 10 at the WEDA annual conference in Guam, then accepted the award on behalf of the group.

The WEDA Award of Excellence is presented annually to recognize Extension outreach education programming that has achieved outstanding accomplishments, results and impacts in addressing contemporary issues in one or more of the 13 Western states and Pacific Island U.S. Territories.

Composed of scientists and growers, the CASI Center develops and delivers information on the economic and environmental benefits of conservation agriculture systems and strives to increase adoption of locally appropriate systems in California. CASI was founded by and continues to be fueled by Jeff Mitchell, UCCE specialist.

Surveys conducted by the CASI Center indicate that no-tillage and strip-tillage practices were used on less than 0.5 percent of California's annual crop acreage in 2004 (http://casi.ucanr.edu/?blogstart=51& blogasset=14128), but today, an estimated 45 percent of dairy silage acreage in California now uses these production techniques. Major transformations toward reduced disturbance tillage systems have occurred in several other crops including tomatoes, sorghum and cotton.

The application for consideration for the WEDA recognition was submitted by Brenna Aegerter, Howard Ferris, UC Davis professor Amelie Gaudin, UC Merced professor Teamrat Ghezzehei, Kurt Hembree, William Horwath, Louise Jackson, Betsy Karle, Sarah Light, Mark Lundy, Dan Marcum, Milt McGiffen, Glenn McGourty, Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, Mitchell, Gene Miyao, Munk, Tapan Pathak, Samuel Sandoval-Solis, Gary Sposito, Scott Stoddard, Tom Turini, Amber Vinchesi, Jeannette Warnert and Daniele Zaccaria.

In their application, they wrote: “In concert with these reductions in tillage intensity and soil disturbance, estimates of PM10 or fugitive dust by the SJV Air Pollution Control District indicate about 9.2 tons per day lower emissions that are likely due to reductions in tillage intensity and soil disturbance in the eight-county San Joaquin Valley region that was out of compliance with US EPA air quality standards in the early 2000s. This effort was one of several agricultural management approaches that helped the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin achieve and maintain attainment of the PM10 air quality standard. Further evidence of our impacts includes our leadership and founding role in the creation of the California Farm Demonstration Network, as well as our organizing of a very dynamic group of organic farmers in California that is now working together on no-till organic food production systems. Our impact also extends to what we term ‘saturation visibility' of our work through an average of 65 public presentations annually and over 50,000 views of our CASI videos. CASI is now widely recognized as the ‘go to' organization in California for science- and experience-based information and leadership on conservation agriculture principles, practices and systems.”

WEDA represents Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Micronesia, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

 

 

Merit-based salary program for staff announced

I'm happy to announce that UC ANR is implementing a merit-based salary increase program for policy-covered (non-represented) staff employees for the 2018-19 fiscal year. The merit increases will be effective July 1, 2018, for both monthly and bi-weekly paid employees. UC ANR Human Resources has provided detailed information about the staff salary increases to directors, with instructions to share information with supervisors and staff.  

The salary increases for non-represented staff will be reflected in paychecks beginning on Sept. 1 for monthly paid employees, and on Sept. 5 for bi-weekly paid employees. The retroactive amounts back to July 1 are expected to be included in the October 1 paychecks for monthly paid, and in the October 3 paychecks for bi-weekly paid.

The 2018–2019 salary program for UC ANR academics was announced by Associate Vice President Wendy Powers earlier this month. This program is also effective July 1, 2018, for eligible academic titles. Wendy's announcement is available on the Academic HR website.

Providing market competitive compensation for staff and academics is a top priority for UC ANR. People are our greatest asset; without you, we cannot achieve our research and extension mission.

In addition to the annual salary programs, over the last two years UC ANR has implemented multi-year strategies to improve the competitiveness of salaries for UCCE advisors and non-represented staff. Each of these programs represents a significant financial investment for the division, and we are committed to continuing those programs despite receiving no increase in funding from the Office of the President for the coming fiscal year.

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your hard work and dedication. Together we are achieving great things.

Sincerely,

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

 

 

Staff Assembly focuses on wellness and learning and development

One of UC ANR Staff Assembly's goals is to foster an understanding of ANR's mission by providing learning and other opportunities to increase the exchange of knowledge in all aspects of the ANR community. With the volunteer help of ANR staff members, Staff Assembly has created two new committees: “Wellness” and “Learning and Development.” To date, ANR has not had a systemwide, employees wellness program to foster employee well-being and health awareness.

UCANR Staff Assembly Wellness subcommittee members:

• Austin Cantrell, Nutrition Program Coordinator
• Shawnice Sellers, Admin. Asst. II
• Christopher Wong, CES II
• Alyssa Rodriguez, Human Resources Generalist
• Anne Schellman, Urban IPM Educator
• Kaela Plank, Nutrition Policy Institute, SNAP-Ed specialist
• Wylie Skillman, UC-CalFresh Nutrition Educator
• Leah Sourbeer, Community Nutrition Program Supervisor
• Jeannette Warnert, Communications Specialist, Wellness Chair

These volunteer ANR staff members represent a crucial and essential component of ANR Staff Assembly.  The committee's purpose is “to support and improve the health, well-being, and quality of life of ANR employees by promoting initiatives and programs that foster healthy workplace environments, empower employees to adopt healthy habits, and strengthen our sense of community.” The quote was taken out of their mission draft statement. The committee members will meet, discuss and execute ANR's Wellness mission statement, program priorities, collaborate with the Academic Assembly, and promote through Staff Assembly's network of Staff Ambassadors all wellness events and activities.

UCANR Staff Assembly Learning and Development subcommittee members:

• Christina Becker, Nutrition Policy Institute, Berkeley
• Phoebe Harpainter, researcher with Nutrition Policy Institute, Berkeley
• Dustin Flavell, Sierra Foothill REC Superintendent
• Skyler Peterson, Intermountain REC, SRA
• Namita Kansal, CSIT Project/Portfolio Manager, Davis
• Alexxis Rudich, Office Asst. III, Merced
• Elena Lopez, CES II, Imperial County
• Nikolai Schweitzer, Sierra Foothill REC, SRA

The mission of the Staff Assembly Learning and Development Committee is to significantly increase awareness of available learning and development resources to staff members, facilitate learning and development collaboration and connection across UC ANR staff at all levels, and directly work with leadership to facilitate opportunities for impactful mentorship and sustained staff member career success. The committee will be working with ANR learning and development coordinator Jodi Azulai concerning program development and supporting staff-proposed ideas and solutions.

ANR Staff Assembly Council would like to sincerely thank the volunteers for their time and effort as they participate on these two committees. All ANR staff members are encouraged to participate in Staff Assembly functions and/or activities, please contact us through our website: staffassembly.ucanr.edu.

 

 

 

 

Learning and Development opportunities

WebANR Café Thursday

Join us on Aug. 16 at 12 noon for “Putting Condition Changes to Work for Me.”

Understand ANR's new condition changes

• how they connect to Public Value Statements
• how you will use them in Project Board (website)
• other practical uses
• how ANR will use them

https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/963167636
(646) 558-8656 or (669) 900-6833
Webinar ID: 963 167 636

Our presenters are:

• Wendy Powers, Associate Vice President ANR
• Mark Bell, Vice Provost Strategic Initiatives and Statewide Programs
• Katherine Webb-Martinez, Associate Director Program Planning & Evaluation
• Kit Alviz, Analyst, Program Planning & Evaluation Cooperative Extension

This webinar will be recorded and linked to the Café Thursday WebANR page.

 

UC Library Research Resources for UCCE

Did you know that you can borrow books or other material from any UC library, via interlibrary loan or document delivery? Books can be mailed to your office, and shorter works can be scanned and emailed to you. More information here.

A great place to start your research is with UC libraries' growing collection of subject guides, which provide an overview of key information services and resources relevant to researchers in a particular field.  

UC Davis

• Information Resources for Cooperative Extension Staff (emphasis on agriculture, but provides an overview relevant to all users at remote sites)
• Food Science and Nutrition
• Community Development

UC Berkeley

• Forestry

UC Merced

• California Agriculture Resources Archive (CARA), a project to archive, preserve, and provide access to UC Cooperative Extension historic records

UC Berkeley

• Forestry

UC Merced

• California Agriculture Resources Archive (CARA), a project to archive, preserve, and provide access to UC Cooperative Extension historic records.

UC librarians are also in the process of developing webinars for UCCE staff on how to find and access information resources, as well as specialized subjects, such as citation management. To suggest a webinar topic, you would like us to cover, please email lrcabugos@ucdavis.edu.

Even experienced ANR people managers develop themselves

Being an effective and professional people manager takes many skills and considerable development and the best people managers develop both their employees and themselves.

One of the ways ANR people managers have been developing themselves is by completing UC People Management Series Certificate modules and participating in monthly facilitated networking calls to review what they've learned, ask other supervisors for advice, and share successes. Participants enjoy scenario-based role playing, a fun and challenging group assignment, and networking.

Kim Delucchi, one of our participants was willing to share the following about her experience as a member of this year's cohort:

Why Participate in People Management Network Calls?

The perfect companion piece to the People Management Program are the monthly networking calls. They are a time to share and delve further into the skills learned from the modules and to discover real-life opportunities to use those skills. It is interesting to learn what your peers are dealing with as supervisors, brainstorm ideas on how to handle current situations, and find support in a confidential, caring, and nurturing environment. The networking calls provide lasting takeaways and are a chance to share your successes and challenges.

A new cohort will form in January 2019. If you are interested please fill out this survey.

Call for Applicants: Fall 2018 Pilot Staff Mentorship Program

ANR Learning & Development is delighted to announce a call for mentee applicants to ANR's first staff mentorship program.

This program will pair staff mentees who seek professional development with experienced professionals (mentors) from across UC ANR. See UC Mentors: Definition, Roles and Characteristics. The program will provide a supportive structure in which mentees can cultivate contacts, better understand ANR, gather information, explore challenges and enhance effectiveness as they design their personal growth and career paths.

The 9-month Mentorship Program (October 2018 – July 2019) will consist of       

• Regular monthly meetings (conference video/calls) with your mentor, and
• Three in-person group sessions (Mentee orientation, Strength Finder session, Individual Development Plan/Celebration).

ANR Learning & Development will cover the cost of travel for the in-person sessions. Because this is a pilot, the program will be limited to 15 staff.

If you are interested, please fill out the survey by Aug. 14, 2018 https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=25281 

In selecting mentees for the pilot program, we will consider each applicant's survey responses, length of time with ANR, and unit/location. Our goal is to include a broad range of participants from across the division.

Call for Presentation Proposals: 2018 NAEPSDP Annual Conference

The National Association of Extension Programs and Staff Development Professionals (NAEPSDP) is soliciting proposals for presentations at the 2018 NAEPSDP Annual Conference. The conference will be held Dec. 10-13, 2018, at the Hilton in Old Town Alexandria, Va. The theme for the 2018 conference is Extension Excellence: Breaking down Barriers.

Presentation proposals will be accepted from NAEPSDP members and non-members alike for four different tracks and four different session types. Proposals from graduate student research or projects are encouraged.

Please read the 2018 Call for Proposals for all the details. To submit your abstract, click here. Submissions are due no later than Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018, at 9:59 PM Pacific time.

NOTE: All presenters that attend the conference must also register for the conference. For conference registration information, go to www.naepsdp.org.

For more information, contact Marina Denny (mdd269@msstate.edu or 662.325.1175), Mississippi State University, or Sarah Baughman (baughman@vt.edu or 540.231.7142), Virginia Tech.

Learn it on Lynda

This month Lynda.com features negotiation, cultivating positive environments and how to make the most of your LinkedIn account.

Negotiation Foundations

When it comes to negotiation, shifting your mindset from “a battle to be won” to a “problem solving conversation” can improve your results dramatically. In this course, leadership coach, negotiation expert, and author Lisa Gates demonstrates the core skills of interest-based negotiation to get win-win outcomes every time here.

Being Positive at Work

Hardships at work affecting you? Consider Brenda Bailey-Hughes' techniques for stopping negative thought patterns and cultivating positive environments, relationships and habits here.

Learning LinkedIn on Lynda.com

Harness the power of LinkedIn and discover how to make the most of your LinkedIn account. Follow Oliver Schinkten as he explains how to build a stellar LinkedIn profile and shares how to expand your network, look for new career opportunities, join groups, share updates and contribute your own thought leadership here.  

Read more