Posts Tagged: Liliana Vega

Names in the News

Doan named UCCE small farms advisor

Hung Doan joined UCCE as a small farms and specialty crops advisor serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties on Nov. 1.  

Before joining UC ANR, Doan was an instructor for an USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Guyana. He has experience working on small-scale farms in California and abroad in Kenya and Vietnam.

While studying at UC Davis, he coordinated many plant disease clinics and diagnosed plant diseases for a large clientele base ranging from small-scale farmers to UC Cooperative Extension staff.

His research interests include integrated pest management, vegetable and mushroom production, nutrient management, food safety and vegetables and specialty crops pathology.  

Doan graduated from UC Davis with a B.S in biochemistry and molecular biology and an M.S in plant pathology under the guidance of Professor Mike Davis, working on developing sustainable controls for Fusarium wilt of cotton at UC Davis. Hung earned his Ph.D. at UC Davis studying pathogenic Escherichia coli on leafy greens working with Professor Johan Leveau.  

Doan is headquartered in Moreno Valley and can be reached at hkdoan@ucanr.edu and (408) 717-0161.

Pierce named UCCE irrigation and water resources advisor 

Curt Pierce joined UC Cooperative Extension as the area irrigation and water resources advisor for Glenn, Tehama, Colusa and Shasta counties on Oct. 15.

He works with other local UCCE orchard advisors and community stakeholders on agricultural irrigation issues such as improving efficiencies, scheduling and system maintenance, as well as groundwater recharge, flow measurements and water diversions. His past research has focused on deficit irrigation and partial root-zone drying in field-grown pecan.

He earned his Ph.D. in horticulture and B.S. in agriculture and community development, both from New Mexico State University.

Pierce is based at the UCCE Glenn County office in Orland and can be reached at calpierce@ucanr.edu.

4-H Latino Initiative team wins national DEI award

The Latino Initiative team of UC ANR's 4-H youth development program received the national diversity and inclusion award for their outstanding performance in expanding the 4-H program to California's Latino youth. The award was presented at the November annual conference of the National 4-H Association of Extension for Youth Development in Memphis, Tennessee. 

The award recognizes their pilot program implemented in eight California counties that generated a 250% growth in the participation of Latino children and adolescents from 2016 to 2019.

“I'm so proud to be associated with this very important work and group of passionate and skilled colleagues. The Latino initiative has set a strong foundation for expanding this work throughout California to ensure all young people have access to high caliber programming that meets local needs,” said Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, UC ANR Statewide 4-H director.

Members of the Latino Initiative present to accept the award included 4-H advisors Claudia Díaz Carrasco, Russ Hill and Liliana Vega, Schmitt-McQuitty and Lupita Fábregas, former UC ANR 4-H Youth Development assistant director for diversity and expansion and currently director of the Missouri 4-H Center for Youth Development.

"This week, I am happy to be at the National Conference of the 4-H Extension Association for Youth Development," Claudia Diaz Carrasco, a 4-H advisor in Riverside County, wrote on social media after receiving this recognition. "Since 2015, I have been given the opportunity to learn by doing, and I am working to make this world a better place by helping train the next generation." – Norma De la Vega

Read the full story at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=51054.

Nader ranch wins California Leopold Award

Marie and Glenn Nader's Witcher Creek Ranch in Modoc County has been selected as the recipient of the 2021 California Leopold Conservation Award.

“I was a livestock farm advisor and used much of my experiences and education on our ranch,” Glenn Nader said. “That is one of the many reasons we were selected for the 2021 California Leopold Award.” 

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes farmers, ranchers and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to water quality, soil health and wildlife habitat management on private, working land.

In California, the prestigious award is presented annually by Sand County Foundation, American Farmland Trust, Sustainable Conservation and the California Farm Bureau Federation.

The Naders were revealed as this year's recipient during the California Farm Bureau Federation's Annual Meeting in Garden Grove on Dec. 6. The Naders, who own ranchland near Canby and Penn Valley, will receive $10,000 and a crystal award for being selected.

“A big thanks to UCCE for giving the working relationship with ranchers and researchers that was key to the knowledge base that we implemented on the ranch,” Nader said. 

 

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations continue through October 15

UC ANR continues to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) through Oct. 15, with a series of public Zoom events to create awareness of Latinos' struggles and celebrate their contributions to the U.S. and the world. 

Under the slogan “Celebrating Together Hispanic Heritage Month,” we have partnered with volunteers from UC Master Gardeners, 4-H Youth advisors, and CalFresh Healthy Living, UC educators to bring these programs to the Latino community. We have three Zoom forums with topics that we learned are important to Spanish-speaking Latinos. 

October 6 Zoom Community Forum in Spanish

“Be Better Parents, How to Make Your Kid a Leader”

Guest Speaker: Claudia Diaz, 4-H youth development advisor

Recording at https://youtu.be/kDk8yF50nnU

October 13 Zoom Community Forum in Spanish

“How to Have a Successful Vegetable Garden”

Guest Speakers: UC Master Gardener volunteers from UCCE Sonoma County 

October 15 Zoom Community Forum in Spanish

“The Power of a Nutritional Meal”

Guest Speaker: Susana Matias Medrano, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in nutritional science and toxicology, UC Berkeley

To register, visit https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=35503 or email ucnews.spanish@ucr.edu.

More information at https://ucanr.edu/sites/Spanish/Hispanic_Heritage_Month/Mes_de_la_Herencia_Hispana_2021/Calendario_de_charlas_por_Zoom_999.

For Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month this year, UC ANR is recognizing three Latino professionals who serve their communities while upholding UC ANR's public values of academic excellence, honesty, integrity, and community service. This year the honorees are:

Leticia Christian is a CalFresh Healthy Living, UC educator in Alameda County. As a physician in her native Cuba, she helped people stay healthy and here in California as a nutrition educator she strives to do the same. 

Gersain Lopez loves nature and at his job, his passion, commitment and hard work have made him a favorite ag technician at Desert Research and Extension Center.

Liliana Vega is a 4-H youth advisor for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Vega is an avid advocate for the Latinx community and social justice.

Names in the News

Baur named Western IPM Center director

After leading the Western Integrated Pest Management Center through the global COVID crisis as acting director, Matt Baur has been named permanent director effective July 1 to lead the center into the post-pandemic future.

Baur, an IPM practitioner and entomologist by training, had been the Western IPM Center's associate director since 2014. 

“Like everyone, the center had to change the way we worked during the pandemic and some of those changes are likely to continue into our future,” Baur predicted. “The region we serve in the West is huge – Guam to Colorado, Alaska to New Mexico – and the remote technologies and virtual platforms we all became familiar with in 2020 can help us connect across those miles.”

Baur's goals for the center are to build on its successes and expand its outreach to serve new areas and audiences, promoting smart, safe and sustainable pest management across the region to protect the people, environment and economy of the American West. 

“The vision of the center is “A healthier West with fewer pests,'” he explained, “and that's something I care about deeply. I have two sons and promoting integrated pest management is one way I help protect their world.”

Baur sees a need to reconnect with the people who research and teach IPM, and plans to attend meetings and conferences for all the scientific disciplines involved in pest management. He also plans to expand the center's connections to communities that have been under-represented and under-served in the past.

“I believe it's vital that we not only listen to but represent all the stakeholders in the West affected by pests and pest-management practices,” Baur said. “There are voices we haven't heard and communities we haven't served well in the past, and I am very happy to have the opportunity to change that. Integrated pest management can be a way to promote environmental and social justice, and as a regional IPM center, we can be leaders in that.” 

Before joining the Western IPM Center, Baur worked as a research scientist at DuPont/Pioneer and was a research assistant professor at Louisiana State University. He received his doctorate in entomology at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, and his bachelor's degree in biology from UC San Diego. He is a licensed pest control adviser in the state of California. 

Baur is based at the UC ANR building in Davis and can be reached at mebaur@ucanr.edu. – Steve Elliott

Shum named director of Business Operations Center

Su-Lin Shum joined UC ANR as director of the Business Operations Center June 14, 2021. Shum will oversee the consolidated Business Operations Center in Davis.

Shum brings over 25 years of experience in financial management, budget oversight, and financial operations and analysis within the UC system and beyond. Throughout her career, she has specialized in finance and business services while serving as the director of finance and business services at Sierra College, the director of budget and finance at the UC Berkeley Library, the interim assistant dean for Finance and Administration at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, and project manager and principal budget analyst at the UC Davis Budget Office.

While living in Canada, Shum served as the executive director of strategy and operations at the Pacific Carbon Trust Environmental Investment Agency and as director of corporate planning, reporting and program reviews/audits at the British Columbia Office of the Auditor General.

Shum earned an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, and a BA from the University of British Columbia.

Shum is based at the UC ANR building in Davis and can be reached at sshum@ucanr.edu.

Kawakami named associate director of statewide programs operations and RECs

Heather Kawakami rejoined ANR as associate director of statewide programs operations and research and extension centers on June 7.

Kawakami, who has worked for UC since 1992, served as chief business officer for the Nutrition Policy Institute in 2017 and 2018. She has also worked in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis, most recently as the business unit manager for the Department of Plant Sciences.

She earned a BA in medieval studies with a minor in Latin from UC Davis.

Kawakami is based at the UC ANR building in Davis and can be reached at hekawakami@ucanr.edu.

Haghverdi receives UCOWR Early Career Award 

Amir Haghverdi, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in irrigation and water management in the Environmental Sciences Department at UC Riverside, has been selected to receive the 2021 Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) Early Career Award for Applied Research. The national award recognizes outstanding early contributions in applied research related to water and promise of continued professional growth and recognition. 

Haghverdi's research focuses on developing and disseminating scientific knowledge, practical recommendations, and tools for sustainable urban and agricultural water resources management. His approaches include field research trials, laboratory analyses, and computer modeling to identify opportunities for synergy between research and extension activities. His main research themes include irrigation water management, root zone soil hydrology, and precision agriculture. He is also interested in applications of advanced data acquisition and mining techniques, including remote sensing, GIS (geographic information systems) and GPS (global positioning system) technologies, machine learning, and wireless sensors.

UCOWR is a consortium of academic institutions and affiliates invested in water resources research, education and outreach.  

4-H wins Diversity & Inclusion Award

The 2016-2019 UC 4-H Latino Initiative is the recipient of the Diversity & Inclusion: Expanding the 4-H Audience Award from the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals.

Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, statewide 4-H director, and 4-H advisors Steven Worker, John Borba, Claudia Diaz-Carrasco, Russell Hill, Katherine Soule and Liliana Vega, and Lupita Fabregas, former 4-H Youth Development assistant director for diversity and expansion, developed, implemented and evaluated culturally responsive program models to attract and retain Latino youth, families and volunteers into 4-H.

The project focused on seven counties – Kern, Merced, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara and Sonoma – selected to represent rural, suburban and urban communities. The number of Latino youth participating in the 4-H program increased more than 250% in three years. Youth enrollment statewide grew from 1.1% of the school-aged population in 2016 to 1.9% at the end of 2019. All counties achieved parity – within 80% of Latino youth in the population – by the end of year three (except Orange County which withdrew in year two). Read more about the UC 4-H Latino Initiative at http://4h.ucanr.edu/Resources/Latino/.

The NAE4-HYDP Diversity & Inclusion Award recognizes outstanding effort and accomplishments in achieving, expanding and/or sustaining diversity in the NAE4-HYDP organization, programs, and/or audiences.

The UC 4-H Latino Initiative team will be recognized at the NAE4-HYDP Conference in Memphis, Tenn., on November 16 or 17. 

WEDA honors California Dairy Quality Assurance Program

The Western Extension Directors Association presented a 2021 Award of Excellence to the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program - Environmental Stewardship: A Public Private Partnership.

Launched in 1997, the program is led by Deanne Meyer, UCCE livestock waste management specialist, UCCE advisors Betsy Karle, Jennifer Heguy, David Lewis, Jeffery Stackhouse, Nicholas Clark, Randi Black and Daniela Bruno, and Denise Mullinax of the California Dairy Research Foundation. 

The California Dairy Quality Assurance Program is a voluntary partnership between the dairy industry, government and academia. It has been proactive in addressing environmental concerns, setting up a voluntary certification project before the adoption of water quality regulations that targeted nitrogen management. To protect California's air and water quality, more than 700 dairy farms have completed an on-site, third-party evaluation of their facility's manure management.

Uhde named Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellow 

Katherine Uhde, UC Master Gardener Program coordinator in Santa Clara County, has been selected as one of 50 Bloomberg fellows to receive full scholarships to earn a Master of Public Health through the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Uhde's project will focus on environmental challenges. She is working with Lucy Diekmann, UCCE urban agriculture and food systems advisor for Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, to develop project ideas that address public health practice needs.

“Generally, the project will focus on environmental health and wellness in Santa Clara County and the Bay Area,” Uhde said.

U.S. Golf honors Harivandi

Ali Harivandi, emeritus UC Cooperative Extension turfgrass advisor, recently received an Ike Grainger Award from the United States Golf Association. 

A UC Cooperative Extension environmental horticulturist based in Alameda County who specialized in turf, soil and water for 33 years, Harivandi served on the USGA's Turfgrass and Environment Committee and Green Section Research Committee. He is recognized nationally and internationally as an expert on recycled water use on golf courses and other landscape sites. His expertise in soil and water quality have been important to the USGA.

Each year, the USGA presents the Ike Grainger Award to individuals who have served the Association as a volunteer for 25 years. These dedicated men and women tirelessly give back to the game through a variety of roles. 

Harivandi was instrumental in encouraging the committee to seek out research to develop warm season grasses with greater drought tolerance and grasses that will some day be able to remain green during the winter in areas where bermudagrass has historically gone dormant.

Garvey wins ACE photo awards

Kathy Keatley Garvey, UC Davis communications specialist for UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, won silver and bronze awards in a photography competition hosted by the international Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Life and Human Sciences (ACE). ACE announced the awards June 22 at its virtual conference.

She captured the silver  with a Canon MPE-65mm lens and posted the image at https://bit.ly/3cUx358 Aug. 10, 2020, on her Bug Squad blog. 

“The purpose of my image is to draw attention to the dwindling monarch butterfly population,” wrote Garvey, who creates habitat for monarch butterflies in her family's pollinator garden. “They are on life support.” The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation reports that overwintering monarchs have declined 99% in coastal California since the 1990s. 

In addition to the silver award, Garvey won a bronze award for her photo series of male and female Gulf fritillaries, Agraulis vanillae, “keeping busy.”  Her post, “Fifty Shades of Orange, with a Touch of Silver,” appeared July 13, 2020, on her Bug Squad blog at https://bit.ly/2Q6cU3q. 

Three counties win Newhall Family Foundation match

Last year, Mary Ciricillo, California 4-H Foundation director, secured a $73,000 gift from the Newhall Family Foundation for 4-H Diversity initiatives, including $36,500 for Santa Barbara, Merced and Fresno counties. In order to receive the $36,500 match, UCCE had to raise funds as well as deliver the program. 

“All three counties did it!” said Lorna Krkich, Development Services director.

4-H advisor Russ Hill in Merced County, 4-H community educator Alena Pacheco in Fresno County, and Liliana Vega, 4-H community educator in Santa Barbara County, led the successful fundraising efforts in their respective counties.

“I shared the FY19 fundraising report with the executive director of the Newhall Foundation illustrating how much each county 4-H program garnered in private support since July 1, 2018,”Ciricillo said. “I am happy to share that he was very pleased and impressed by Russ, Alena and Liliana's efforts.”

Learning & Development: Visual storytelling, LinkedIn Learning

Check out the growing list of learning opportunities on the ANR Learning & Development website!

 

Best Practices for Outreach and Engagement to Latino Audiences Using Community-Based Programs
Join the California 4-H Association on
March 11, 2019
11am-Noon 
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/2093857418
669 900 6833 US 
Meeting ID: 209 385 7418
One tap mobile
6699006833,,2093857418#

Liliana Vega, 4-H advisor in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, comes with vast experience working with underserved and marginalized communities. Vega published a article in the Journal of Human Science and Extension titled, “Best Practices for Outreach and Engagement to Latino Audiences Using Community-Based Programs” in collaboration with extension 4-H educators Barbara Brody of Oregon State University and Missy Cummins of Washington State University. Vega will share her research in reaching and serving Latino families and her experience in Idaho. Vega will highlight her work in hopes that others can identify how she may be a resource to staff and other educators across the state.

WebANR Café Thursday
TED-Worthy PowerPoint, Visual Storytelling
March 21, 2019
Time: noon-12:30pm
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428
1 669 900 6833 or +1 646 558 8656
Webinar ID: 751 701 428

Create a PowerPoint presentation that tells a story in an engaging and effective manner. Presenter, Adam Napolitan,
Director of Web Communications, UC Davis.
A recording will be linked on the ANR Webinar page.

Start preparing for your performance review: You'll feel better!

Is it time to shake the nervousness connected to your performance review/appraisal? Preparing can help. For instance, prepare a list of things you'd like to talk about before your appraisal review:

• What were your greatest challenges?
• What were your biggest accomplishments?
• Reflect on previous reviews and highlight how you've developed.

Be honest about what is not working for you and where you need support. Frame your words positively. Instead of "I am bad at X," use the statement, ”One of the challenges I have faced is X.” Be alert, upbeat and ready to talk about your job. Also, have a few points that you'd like to leave the manager to take away from the discussion:

• Results you achieved
• Work commitment or ethic
• Leadership you've increased
• What you want to achieve in the next year

If you feel that your manager is not using all of your skills, let them know. Be ready to talk about how your work supports the mission of UC, UC ANR and your unit.

Here are some YouTube video resources:

• Prepare for your performance review ( 2:46 min)
• Be ready to discuss your role in the big picture (5:34 min)
• Humorous skit on performance appraisal to lighten up! (5:43)
  

LinkedIn Learning (with Lynda.com content)

ANR employees who had Lynda.com accounts should now have access to LinkedIn Learning (an online library of high-quality video tutorials) for creative and professional skills development.

As with Lynda.com, learn at your own pace and access course content anytime. You can even view videos at home for personal growth and development. Your transcript and training information will carry over from your Lynda.com account. In this LinkedIn Learning Blog post, you'll find out what hard and soft skills are needed most in 2019. Learn about LinkedIn Learning privacy information.

If you did not have a Lynda.com account before January 2019 and would like to access LinkedIn Learning, please contact Jodi Azulai at jlazulai@ucanr.edu.

Thirteen songs that describe what it means to be a manager (LinkedIn Learning)

Being a manager is a challenging role. Maybe some of America's hit singers know this because about 99 percent of the songs in this article are actually all about being a manager! For example, Bonnie Tyler's "I need a hero."

You want to get the most out of your people. You want your team to hit its goals. And it would be nice to spend at least a tiny portion of your day not thinking about work.

LinkedIn Learning has hundreds of courses to help you work through some of biggest challenges all managers face. But sometimes, before you learn, you just need to know you aren't alone.

Note two link options for people manager videos (LinkedIn Learning or Lynda.com). Happy Learning!

Excellent videos to develop supervisory skills:
Coaching for Results (LinkedIn Learning)
Lead Like a Boss (LinkedIn Learning)
Management Tips Weekly (LinkedIn Learning)
Leading With Purpose (LinkedIn Learning)
Coaching Employees Through Difficult Situations (LinkedIn Learning)

Improving feedback with neuroscience

Direct reports and managers are encouraged to consider that constructive feedback can improve performance by up to 39 percent.

The big issue is knowing how to provide this feedback WITHOUT associating it with conflict or hurting someone's feelings. View the webinar replay on Gartner®. All ANR employees have access to Gartner. If you have not yet registered, going to the above link will give you the opportunity to register for your account.

Join the growing number of ANR people completing the UC Managing Implicit Bias Series (UC Learning Center)

What is Implicit Bias? (28 min.) Defines implicit bias; explores how it derives from the natural way human brains function.

The Impact of Implicit Bias (28 min.) Delves into how, and how often, implicit biases influence the decisions we make and actions we take; makes the case for the value in mitigating that influence.

Common Forms of Bias (21 min.) Identifies common forms of workplace bias, as well as various cognitive biases.

Managing Implicit Bias in the Hiring Process (23 min.) Explores methods for avoiding bias in the hiring process for anyone with a hiring-related role.

Managing the Influence of Implicit Bias: Awareness (24 min.) At the end of this module you'll be able to assess your implicit biases, recognize situations where you're prone to the influence of bias, and evaluate whether you are being influenced by bias.

Managing the Influence of Implicit Bias: Mindfulness and Conscious Debiasing (24 min.) Completing this module enables you to evaluate the influence of bias on the decision-making process, employ counter examples and stereotype replacement, demonstrate thoughtful and purposeful signaling, and construct a personal plan for managing the influence of implicit bias.

ANR staff benefit from My UC Career! How about you?

My UC Career is an online self-directed development portal available to all UC employees seeking to advance their careers. Already, 103 ANR staff members have benefited from My UC Career! A UC email address is all that's needed to register for an account.

The systemwide portal provides access to job openings at all UC locations via the Systemwide Job Board, as well as resources and tools to create and refine resumes, write cover letters, identify strengths, practice interviewing and find professional networking opportunities.  

Check out our growing list of learning opportunities on the ANR Learning & Development website. Happy Learning.

Screen Shot 2019-01-14 at 5.11.40 PM

Read more