Names in the News

Smith aims to improve community health, nutrition in Central Valley

Jasmin Smith joined UC ANR on Aug. 1 as the community nutrition and health advisor for San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties. Smith will work to research, identify and address community health concerns – as well as support CalFresh Healthy Living programs and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) in the region.

“My focus is on promoting nutrition and health initiatives responsive to the unique needs of the communities and ensuring that the programs are impactful and sustainable,” Smith said.

Originally from Champaign, Illinois, Smith also lived in Thailand, the Dominican Republic and Kenya during her youth, as her father worked for the Foreign Agricultural Service. Her experiences overseas were a significant motivating factor in pursuing a career in community nutrition and health.

“Witnessing health disparities firsthand in different areas of the world highlighted the critical need for equitable access to nutrition and health care,” she explained. “These experiences have fueled my passion to address the root causes of these disparities and work towards creating healthier communities.”

Smith earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from North Carolina A&T State University, and a Ph.D. in human sciences from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, where she studied obesity prevention in rural communities.

That focus continues in her current role, as Smith seeks to partner with local communities to promote health and wellness in underserved segments of California's population.

“I hope to leverage my experience to develop and implement strategies and programs that promote equitable access to healthy lifestyles,” she said. “I am also excited to collaborate with the teams and community partners to continue to address the needs of the communities we serve.”

Based at UC Cooperative Extension's San Joaquin County office in Stockton, Smith can be reached at jasm@ucanr.edu.

Zimmerman joins PSU as events specialist

Jennifer Zimmerman joined UC ANR on July 22 as an events specialist with the Program Support Unit. In this role, she will plan, organize and implement meetings, events, workshops and conferences to support UC ANR statewide programs and institutes, leadership groups, strategic initiatives, academics and staff.

Zimmerman has worked for the University of California since 2004, previously holding positions at UC San Diego, UC Irvine and UC Davis. From 2015 until she joined ANR, Zimmerman managed the UC Davis chancellor's residence (the primary living residence for the chancellor and his family), along with all events hosted there. During this period, she worked with current Chancellor Gary S. May, former Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi, and former Interim Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter.

Zimmerman holds a bachelor's degree in biology from UC San Diego and has been a Certified Meeting Professional with the Events Industry Council since 2011. As an advocate for sustainability, and someone passionate about event planning, Zimmerman is excited to join the ANR team and is eager to contribute to its mission

Zimmerman is based at the ANR building in Davis and can be reached at jazimmerman@ucanr.edu. She is also on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-zimmerman-cmp.

Robinson returns as urban ag, food systems and environmental issues advisor 

Derrick Robinson began working as the UC Cooperative Extension urban agriculture, food systems and environmental issues advisor in San Diego County on July 1. In this role, Robinson is focused on improving food production and delivery systems, economic success and sustainability, as well as science literacy and youth development.

Currently, he aims to serve San Diego County residents, especially those in urban interfaces. Robinson brings a wealth of knowledge about San Diego County's food system to his advisor role and his network consists of nonprofits and their members in North County and in the City of San Diego, mostly concentrated in low-income and traditionally marginalized communities in the region.

“I'm also eager to identify policy issues that need to be addressed, especially as it relates to my scope of work – policies involving worker standards or climate-change impacts, for example,” said Robinson.

His new role builds on work he did for UCCE in the past. From 2016 to 2019, he was a UCCE academic coordinator serving California. During this time, he developed and taught the “Living on My Own” curriculum for 14- to 24-year-olds, an expansion of the “Money Talks” financial literacy series promoting positive youth development. Before returning to UC ANR, Robinson worked for the Center on Policy Initiatives, a policy think tank focused on economic justice policy issues.

Originally from Atlanta, Robinson moved across the southeastern part of the U.S. in pursuit of higher education. He earned a doctorate in applied economics from Auburn University in Alabama after obtaining bachelor's degrees in communication and economics from the University of North Florida. Robinson also earned an associate's degree in geography from Florida State College.

Before moving to California, Robinson was an economics professor at the University of North Florida as well as at Tuskegee University in Alabama, where he taught agricultural economics. While in graduate school, Robinson conducted coastal resource evaluations with Sea Grant as a collegiate fellow for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Just prior to returning to UCCE, he helped to develop San Diego County's State of the Food System 2020 report and the Food Vision 2030 plan based on his outreach and community organizing.

Robinson is based at the UCCE office in San Diego County and can be reached at drobinson@ucanr.edu.

Tian joins Small Farms team to coordinate IPM efforts

Shufang Tian joined UC ANR on June 5 as the Small Farms IPM lead coordinator. In this position, she will primarily focus on identifying and developing accessible IPM materials for small-scale farmers. She will collaborate with UC IPM and statewide small farms advisors to produce IPM educational materials and training resources for the targeted clientele.

A native of China, Tian earned her undergraduate degree in agronomy from Shenyang Agricultural University. In 2015, Tian moved to the United States to pursue a master's degree in plant pathology at the University of Georgia, where she studied Phytophthora capsici in cucumber and pepper plants.

Drawn to organic and sustainable crop production, Tian went on to earn a Ph.D. in horticultural sciences, with a minor in soil and water sciences, from the University of Florida, where she studied integrated nutrient management in organic high tunnel vegetable production. Her work led to practical recommendations for organic and high tunnel farming systems.

Tian is based in Sacramento and can be reached at sftian@ucanr.edu.

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