Posts Tagged: May 2018

Lagrimini aims to invest in ANR for the future

Mark Lagrimini, UC ANR's new vice provost of research and extension, moved into his office at 2801 Second Street in Davis on June 1.

As Vice Provost of Research and Extension, Lagrimini will oversee county-based Cooperative Extension personnel and employees at the nine UC Research and Extension Centers. His hiring was announced via ANR Update Feb. 21.

“State funding for public universities has been decreasing all across the county, including California. If UC ANR wishes to stay relevant, and continue to be a resource for Californians, then we will have to seek untapped sources of income. I will help our centers and county offices to become more entrepreneurial, and operate more as a business,” said Lagrimini, who was a professor in the Department of Agronomy & Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before joining ANR.

Lagrimini noted that ANR needs to recognize the true value for its services, and charge appropriately. Additional revenue-generating possibilities include the marketing of crops and livestock, creative uses for our facilities, and more aggressive philanthropy efforts.  

He is looking forward to traveling the state to familiarize himself with ANR people and facilities.

“I need to meet people face to face,” he said. “I need to see all the research and extension facilities and county extension offices and meet the directors and ANR team members. Each location is unique, and will require differing approaches to achieve financial stability.”

Broadly, ANR will work with grant writers at UC Office of the President as an effort to successfully obtain federal funding to support our programs.

“We must continuously make investments, even in periods of budget-cutting,” said Lagrimini, a former project leader for Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. in Research Triangle Park, NC. “We'll have to make strategic investments to stay relevant in the future. Capital investment in infrastructure will make our research facilities attractive to collaborators and position ourselves for the next 50 years. If we just tread water, we won't be able to help Californians reach their potential. We need to be on the cutting edge to be a leader.”

Lagrimini encourages invitations to events that will give him perspective on California agriculture and ANR's activities.

“We have people who are energetic, creative and passionate about what they're doing and we need to provide support for them,” he said.

Lagrimini can be reached at (530) 750-1369 in the office, cell (402) 304-0400 andmlagrimini@ucanr.edu.

To read more about Lagrimini's background, see //ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=26475.

 

Names in the News

Ciricillo named California 4-H Foundation director

Mary Ciricillo, director of annual giving and individual gifts in ANR's Development Services, has accepted the position of California 4-H Foundation director. 

“Amongst a very talented and competitive pool of candidates, Mary's history of success in board development and donor cultivation made her the standout candidate for the position,” said Lorna Krkich, executive director of Development Services. “Her passion for and experience with the 4-H program was an added bonus! The California 4-H Foundation, while part of the UC ANR Development Services Unit, has a volunteer Board of Directors and is dedicated to raising funds for 4-H activities in California.” 

As annual giving director, Ciricillo has had a major impact: Giving Tuesday donations for UC ANR increased in 2017 by 49 percent over 2016, and general online gifts, not associated with Giving Tuesday have increased by almost 14 percent over the prior year.  

Ciricillo joined UC ANR in 2016 from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, where she built new relationships and expanded existing partnerships, creating new revenue streams for the department. Prior to her career in not-for-profit development, she worked in the communications industry as an account executive building corporate branding and marketing solutions. Her clients included The Gap, Knight-Ridder Newspapers, San Francisco Ballet and Oracle. 

Ciricillo will transition into her new role, which becomes effective July 1, and will continue to be based in the ANR building at 2801 Second Street in Davis. Her contact information will remain (530) 750-1302 and mciricillo@ucanr.edu.

Cutler and Harrison elected to NAS

Sean Cutler, UC Riverside professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, and Susan P. Harrison, UC Davis professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, are among the 84 new members of the National Academy of Sciences announced May 1.

Cutler is known for pioneering the use of chemistry and genetics to define genes and manipulate the resiliency of plants to drought. His work to characterize the abscisic acid receptor could lead to the development of new tools to improve a crop's drought tolerance.

As an ecologist, Harrison studies the processes that shape and maintain plant species diversity at the landscape scale. Much of her recent work has focused on how climatic drying is affecting the biological diversity of California grassland communities.

NAS has 2,382 active members and 484 foreign associates.

NAS is a private, nonprofit society of distinguished scholars. Established by an Act of Congress, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the NAS is charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. Scientists are elected by their peers to membership in the NAS for outstanding contributions to research. The NAS is committed to furthering science in America, and its members are active contributors to the international scientific community.

ANR prepares for budget cuts

The Legislature is still working out the details of the state budget, which is due June 15, but UC is poised to get a major funding boost that will help enroll thousands of additional state students and eliminate the need for tuition increases in the coming school year. Despite the additional funding for the university, ANR will still take a budget cut. At this point, we still do not know how much our actual cuts will be, but anticipate we will have to cover approximately $5 million in unfunded obligations.

We are managing these cuts in three ways:

•     We are slowing down hiring of UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists throughout the state.
•     Statewide programs are developing additional cuts to already reduced budgets.
•     UC ANR Research and Extension Centers are reducing the subsidy that has been provided for research projects at the RECs.

ANR leadership will share additional updates when they find out more. 

UC IPM offers online course on personal protective equipment

Spring is in full swing and summer is right around the corner. If you work in agricultural, turf, landscape or structural settings, you are probably at your busiest. If you handle pesticides as part of your work, you most likely wear personal protective equipment (PPE). However, do you know if you are wearing the right type of gear for the job that you do? Wearing the appropriate PPE, taking it off the right way, and correctly cleaning it prevents unnecessary pesticide exposure to yourself and others.

To prevent exposing family members or those around you to pesticide residues, learn the appropriate steps to take by viewing a new online course on Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment from the UC Statewide IPM Program.

The course is approved by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) for 1.5 hours in the Laws and Regulations category. This course is designed for all pesticide handlers with the goal to provide them with information on pesticide labels and the California Code of Regulations (CCR) to help them select, wear, remove, and dispose of or store PPE.

In California, all pesticide handlers (applicators, mixers, loaders, those who transport pesticides, or those who fix application equipment) are legally required to wear PPE. However, to get the most protection from PPE, it must be used correctly. Violations involving the incorrect use of PPE were the second most commonly reported type of agricultural-use violation in 2017 as reported by DPR (PDF).

The new PPE online course opens with a scenario describing a real example of an accident reported toDPR that led to an incident of pesticide exposure because the correct eye protection was not worn. The content that follows is divided into six instructional modules, highlighting types ofPPE, how to select it, and when certain items should be worn. Participants answer short questions about the different types ofPPE, open pesticide labels to learn how to select the rightPPE and learn when certain items should be worn. Short how-to videos and animated sequences demonstrate the proper way to put on or remove items such as gloves, coveralls, respirators andeyewear. To receive a certificate of completion and continuing education hours, you must pass a final test with 70 percent or higher.

If this is the year to renew your license with DPR, get a jumpstart on it. Take this new course and all the other UC IPM online courses to refresh your knowledge and get the CEUs you need. There is a $30 fee for taking Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment. You are welcome to view the content for free on YouTube, but without the activities, final exam and continuing education credit. For more information about license renewal, visit DPR.

 

Become a staff advisor to the Regents, deadline extended to June 29

The deadline for applications to serve as a staff advisor to the Regents has been extended to June 29, 2018, giving you more time to apply for this critical role. 

The position is open to both non-represented and represented staff, or non-Senate academic employees, who have at least five years of UC service. You can learn more about the program and how to apply by June 29 on the staff advisor website.

George Blumenthal, chancellor at UC Santa Cruz, has seen the impact of the staff advisors to the Regents. "The staff advisor role has proven to be indispensable. The Regents want to know how policies impact employees. That's a huge challenge, requiring advisors to develop a deep understanding of the needs of a full spectrum of staff — from lecturers to dining staff. Having staff voices at the Regents' table is vital as a way of providing a staff perspective and as a reminder of the staff's importance. There's also great satisfaction in being that voice and knowing you are making a difference."

Sherry Main, assistant vice chancellor of Communications & Marketing at UC Santa Cruz, began her two-year term in 2017 and describes the role as life-changing. “There aren't many roles that allow you to learn from staff members from across the system and to engage directly with President Napolitano, members of the Board of Regents and senior campus leaders. I knew going in that this position would be a huge commitment, and I was right. But I am grateful every day for this unique opportunity to help shape decisions and policies that affect all of us.”

Staff advisors participate in open sessions and designated committees of the board of Regents, sharing the perspective of their fellow employees in UC Board of Regents deliberations and to decision-makers at the Office of the President. Staff advisors serve as non-voting members of designated Regents' committees; they attend and participate directly in committee and board meetings throughout their term of service, and visit many of the campuses to solicit input from staff.

The UC Board of Regents established the staff advisor position in 2007 in recognition of the critical importance of the staff perspective. Since 2007, staff from nine of ten campuses – and UC Davis Health, UCSD Extension and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab – have served in the role. Jason Valdry, director of technology at UC Irvine, is the outgoing staff advisor, serving alongside Main. 

If you have questions about the staff advisor position or the application process, you can contact Juliann Martinez, UC Office of the President Employee Relations, at 510-287-3331 or via email: Juliann.Martinez@ucop.edu.

 

 

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