Posts Tagged: July 2016

Lewis to give webinar on Qualtrics Survey System Aug. 4

Kendra Lewis, academic coordinator for evaluations, will present "Overview of Qualtrics Survey System" on Thursday, Aug. 4, for California 4-H Youth Development Program's August webinar.

Anyone who is interested in the Qualtrics survey system is welcome to participate. The hour-long webinar will start at 10 a.m.

To join the webinar, visit this link: https://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/_a841422360/ca4-ha.

To access the call-in line, dial 1 (866) 740-1260, then enter the passcode 7524783#.

If you miss the live event, it will be recorded and available on the 4-H webinar archive page at http://ucanr.edu/sites/CA4-HA/PD/Webinar_Series.

You can now use the ANR URL squisher tool for Qualtrix surveys to create a shorter link.

Books accessible online 24/7

Those of you with access to the UC Learning Centers at UC Davis or UC Berkeley have free access to thousands of books online from Books 24x7.

Search, browse and view the full contents of thousands of IT and business books online. Books24x7 offers a self-paced learning tool, which provides immediate answers to your questions. This web-based platform enables you to:

• read the contents of the entire collection
• place books on a personal bookshelf
• create bookmarks
• take notes and collaborate with colleagues
• access it from your desktop computer or a mobile device
• filter your search

Books 24x7 adds new titles every day so that you have access to the latest technical and business trends and strategies on topics such as project management, programming languages, operating systems, time management, communication strategies, security, web development, leadership and so much more.

To find Books 24X7, log in at http://lms.ucdavis.edu for UC Davis or UC Berkeley.

UC Merced and UC Riverside Learning Centers do not provide Books24X7.

For more information, contact Jodi Azulai, learning and development coordinator, at (530) 750-1239 or jlazulai@ucanr.edu.

President Napolitano issues guidance to address bullying

Colleagues,

To improve the working climate for UC staff, you may recall that earlier this year President Napolitano formed a working group to help address abusive behavior and bullying. In the attached letter, President Napolitano reminds us that the University does not tolerate abusive conduct or bullying.

To clarify what bullying is and how to address it, she has developed Presidential Guidance. UC has adopted the state Legislature's definition of bullying and abusive conduct. Assembly Bill 2053, which requires training on the prevention of abusive conduct, defines abusive conduct as “conduct of an employer or employee in the workplace, with malice, that a reasonable person would find hostile, offensive, and unrelated to an employer's legitimate business interests.”

In addition to clarifying policies regarding bullying, the Presidential Guidance provides best practices with regard to bullying prevention, the identification of abusive conduct in the workplace, and the resources available to staff when such incidents arise.

Please read President Napolitano's letter, which is attached, and the attachment containing her Presidential Guidance and the working group's report.

If you experience abusive conduct or bullying, please contact the ANR Human Resources Employee and Labor Relations team: Robert Martinez, at (530) 752-3467 or ramartinez@ucanr.edu, or Mary Roberts at (530) 750-1321 or maroberts@ucanr.edu.

John Fox
Executive Director of Human Resources

Webinar on mental health awareness for CE professionals

What can equip you to better serve your Cooperative Extension community? The Ohio State University extension educator Jami Dellifield and program assistant Amanda Raines believe that mental health awareness is a critical tool. View the hour-long eXtension webinar they gave on June 22, 2016 to find out

• What mental health is
• Mental health statistics
• Your role as an Extension professional
• How to discuss without offending
• Referral resources

The reason it matters to your work is that people in your community with mental health problems and the people closest to them don't always know how to ask for help.

For more information:

Awareness of Mental Health Issues Increasingly Important for Extension Professionals (eXtension)

www.mentalhealth.gov (federal website)

Mental Health, Yours, Mine, Ours (University of Minnesota)

 

 

Accomplished Tulare/Kings County farm advisor Steven Wright retires

After 36 years as an agronomist/weed science advisor with UC Cooperative Extension, Steven Wright retired June 30. Wright authored, co-authored or contributed to more than 117 peer-reviewed publications, 347 non-peer-reviewed articles, and 11 book chapters published by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. He volunteered in many other countries and taught courses at Fresno State.

Despite these achievements, Wright said he counts the relationships he developed with local farmers, pest control advisers, consultants, private industry, university researchers, students, UC and county staff as his greatest career accomplishments.

“When I think over my career, I think of the people who I was privileged to work with more than the projects,” Wright said.

A native of San Diego, Wright earned a bachelor's degree in plant science at Fresno State in 1972. Upon graduation, he and his wife joined the Peace Corps, spending three years working with Guatemalan native farmers.

“I did research and extension work on corn, wheat and potatoes,” Wright said. “That's what motivated me to come back to California and do graduate work at Fresno State. I wanted to work in extension.”

He praised the opportunities afforded to him during his college days at Fresno State.

“They had all kinds of farm projects we could do,” Wright said. “I had grain, cotton and vegetable projects as a student. I was doing everything from planting to harvesting. In addition to working for the school farm and private farms, I owe a lot to the professors there, who offered the applied aspects of farming along with their teaching programs.”

While completing his master's degree in agronomy in December 1980, Wright began work with UC Cooperative Extension in Tulare County. His education and work experience was immediately applicable on the job, where he was hired to work with cereal crops. Two years later, when the UCCE weed science advisor retired, Wright's research and teaching experience with weed management allowed him to take on this additional responsibility in Tulare County. When the UCCE cotton advisor retired, Wright stepped up and began to also work with cotton. Wright was later given the opportunity to cover cotton and cereal crops work with Kings County farmers.

Besides focusing much of his research on all aspects of cereals and cotton production, he also worked on weed control projects in rangeland, irrigation districts, the first herbicide-tolerant crops and later herbicide-resistant weeds in both annual and permanent crops.

“The job got bigger and changed all the time,” Wright said. “I enjoyed working in different disciplines, from controlling yellow starthistle in the foothills, to working with large- and small-acreage farmers in Tulare and Kings counties. I thrived on that.”

Wright was involved with administration and committees, serving as president of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Academic Assembly Council, UC ANR Program Council member, and president and honorary member of California Weed Science Society. He also coordinated the building and management of California Youth Soccer Association soccer fields in Visalia.

In retirement, Wright said he plans stay in Visalia and spend time taking long walks with his young chocolate Labrador retriever. He is seeking emeritus status with UCCE and plans to work part time continuing with a few research projects that are underway. He is planning on pursuing his passion for international volunteer work and recreational outdoor activities, including camping, snow skiing, going to Morro Bay, and enjoying three grandchildren.

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