Posts Tagged: Kathy Keatley Garvey

Names in the News

Hicks named executive assistant to Bunn 

Savannah Hicks has been promoted to the role of executive assistant, supporting Vice Provost David Bunn and UC ANR Second Street Building Operations.   

As executive assistant, Hicks will be assisting with calendaring, meeting and events management and purchasing, as well as many other essential duties in support of the research and extension centers, county offices and statewide programs and institute leaders.

She will also be supporting the Second Street Space and Operations Committee and helping to coordinate projects and meetings, including monthly networking events and current space moves. 

Hicks, who earned a bachelor's degree in communications at CSU Sacramento, joined UC ANR's Statewide Program and Research Operations Unit a few months ago and was selected to fill this new role following an open search. 

Before joining ANR, she was an office manager at Evolve BioSystems, a startup that specializes in a probiotic for babies to help them get the benefits of mother's breast milk.

Hicks is based at the UC ANR Second Street Building and can be reached at (530) 285-3249 and slhicks@ucanr.edu.

Shellabarger, Zabronsky join water institute 

Rachel Shellabarger and Hope Zabronsky have joined the California Institute for Water Resources, both as academic coordinator II.

Shellabarger will be responsible for coordinating CIWR's work with the National Institutes for Water Resources, as well as work on a new nitrogen and irrigation management program. She comes to us from UC Santa Cruz, where her recent Ph.D. research sought to better understand how California dairy producers engage with environmental initiatives.

An environmental scientist who grew up farming, Shellabarger is drawn to interdisciplinary work that crosses traditional boundaries. She previously researched conflict among conservation and human rights groups on the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as wetland mitigation efforts in Midwest agricultural landscapes. She also taught undergraduate Natural Sciences coursework for six years and worked with refugee resettlement agencies.

She earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Wartburg College, a master's degree in natural resources from North Carolina State University, and a Ph.D. in environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz.

Shellabarger can be reached at rmshellabarger@ucanr.edu.

Hope Zabronsky will be responsible for coordinating CIWR's Climate-Smart Agriculture Program and working with the team of technical assistance providers. 

Zabronsky comes to UC ANR from Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center in San Diego, where she directed the center's educational and research programs focused on sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, community-based leadership, and career-technical education.

Previously, she managed statewide climate resilience projects at Strategic Energy Innovations, supported agricultural and climate adaptation research in Southern Africa at the International Food Policy Research Institute, and studied climate-smart agriculture practices in California and Malawi as part of the Research Group on Agricultural Equity and Inclusion at UC Davis. 

She earned her bachelor's degree in environmental studies, sustainability and political science from the University of Vermont and master of science in international agricultural development from UC Davis. 

Zabronsky can be reached at hzabronsky@ucanr.edu.

Holtz documentary wins Golden ARC Award 

Brent Holtz, director and pomology farm advisor for San Joaquin County, and members of the Almond Board of California won the Golden Agricultural Relations Council Award for Digital & Social Media: Video for "RESILIENCE: The Whole Orchard Recycling Origin Story."

The six-minute documentary produced by the Almond Board of California features the inspiring story of Holtz's journey to help his family, his industry and his community by finding an alternative to burning trees removed from orchards. 

The documentary was produced by the Almond Board's Jenny Nicolau, Daren Williams, Ross Thomas and David Gomar.

The Golden ARC Awards honor the stellar work created by professionals in the agricultural industry. They are judged by members of the Public Relations Society of America and are heavily weighted on measurable results achieved against the objectives.

Read more about the documentary project at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=51471&.

UC ANR communicators win ACE awards

UC ANR communicators received recognition from their peers in the Association for Communication Excellence, or ACE, international awards program. 

Ricardo Vela of NOS (News and Outreach in Spanish) and Linda Forbes of Strategic Communications successfully conducted a COVID-19 vaccination awareness campaign in Spanish and several Mexican indigenous languages. The “¡Vacunate Ya!” Reaching the Vulnerable campaign reached out to more than 350,000 people in targeted areas of California where Mexican migrant indigenous families live and work. Essential partnerships were created with organizations that cater to these communities. The campaign won the ACE Gold Award (first place) and the overall professional skill award in the category of Diversity 6: Electronic Media and Audio for Targeted Audiences.

Doralicia Garay won a Bronze Award for her wildfire preparedness social media campaign in the “organic” (unpaid) social media campaign category. During summer 2021, she created the Wildfire Preparedness social media campaign amid the active wildfire season in California. The campaign focused on delivering content that directed UC ANR's online audience on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to essential information on preparing homes and business structures for wildfire, also known as structure hardening. Given the high fire activity at the time, she also incorporated the Fire Locator map tool as a resource for wildfire evacuations. The campaign culminated with a Facebook Live session featuring UCCE forestry advisors Susie Kocher and Yana Valachovic and emeritus UCCE advisor Steve Quarles.

Kathy Keatley Garvey, communications specialist in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, won two awards. She earned a Gold Award in the “writing for newspapers” category, for a feature story on Rebecca Jean “RJ” Millena, published in March 2021, a few months before Millena graduated with a bachelor's degree in entomology. “An Amazing Doctoral Opportunity Few Receive” centered on Millena's four-year, full-ride doctoral fellowship from the American Museum of Natural History.

Garvey earned a Silver Award for her photo story titled “The Flight of the Bumble Bee,” posted June 14, 2021, on her daily (Monday-Friday) Bug Squad blog on the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources website.

 

Donors dig deep to give UC ANR $99,000 for Big Dig Day

BIG congratulations! Together we raised over $99,000 in new support across the state with our second annual Big Dig Day campaign. This is an increase of more than three times the individual giving tally from last year. In these unprecedented times, this show of support demonstrates the impact UC ANR is having in our communities and the value that donors place on our work.

More than $82,000 of support was designated to 50 counties and research and extension centers. We received 843 gifts from 738 donors.

We thank all of our donors for their participation, which extends our reach and helps us fulfill our mission for a healthier California. Please view our thank you video and share it with your contacts!

The following are the top recipients of Big Dig donations.

Top 5 counties:

1.   San Luis Obispo

2.   Sonoma

3.   Contra Costa

4.   Orange

5.   Sacramento

Top 5 programs:

1.   UC Master Gardeners

2.   California 4-H

3.   UC ANR

4.   UCCE

5.   California Naturalists

Find your 2020 gift reports by county and by program at https://ucdavis.box.com/s/opup3bdtb98nrntqzzxs6s5pjb6h3b6r.

Happy McGivins thanks you for sharing your Dig Deep messages! With several outstanding entries in these counties, Happy is sending gift cards to these winners!

1.   Lauren Hull, UC Master Gardeners

2.   Ventura County, 4-H

3.   Stanislaus County, MG

4.   San Mateo/San Francisco, 4-H

Names in the News

El-kereamy named Lindcove REC director

Ashraf El-kereamy will be the new director of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources' Lindcove Research & Extension Center, starting on July 1, 2020. He will continue to serve as a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences at UC Riverside and based at Lindcove Research & Extension Center.  

“Elizabeth Grafton-Cardwell retires this year after 13 years as director of Lindcove REC, California's premier citrus research center,” said Mark Lagrimini, UC ANR vice provost for research and extension. “We are excited to have Ashraf in place to carry on the tremendous success attributable to the research performed at Lindcove. Ashraf brings a breadth of research, extension and leadership skills.”

El-kereamy has extensive experience with several commodities with research revolving around plant hormones, fruit ripening, plant nutrition, and the responses of different plant species to abiotic stress conditions. 

Since February 2019, El-kereamy has been serving as a UC Cooperative Extension citrus specialist based at Lindcove Research and Extension Center. Prior to the specialist position, El-kereamy was a UCCE viticulture and small fruit advisor for Kern County, where he established a research and extension program serving the San Joaquin Valley table grape industry for four years. Prior to joining UC ANR, he was an assistant/associate professor in the Department of Horticulture at Ain Shams University in Egypt. 

“I am honored and very excited to be the director of Lindcove Research and Extension Center, which plays a crucial role in the California citrus industry,” El-kereamy said. “I am confident that, with the support of our industry, community and the University of California, we will build tomorrow's Lindcove REC as a center of excellence in research and extension. I am looking forward to leading Lindcove REC and providing our clientele with up-to-date technologies to cope with the challenges facing the California agriculture industry.” 

El-kereamy earned a bachelor's degree in horticulture and master's degree in pomology from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, and a doctorate in agriculture with an emphasis in grapevine physiology and molecular biology from Toulouse University in France.

Campbell named NORDP Rising Star for 2020

The National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP) has named Vanity Campbell, UC ANR proposal development coordinator, one of its three Rising Stars for 2020. 

Campbell helps UC ANR employees improve their grant applications for success in receiving funding.

“Vanity's reputation as a fierce advocate for inclusive research development, an exceptional organizer, and a passionate cheerleader for her colleagues makes her precisely the kind of person this award was designed to celebrate,” wrote her nominator. “When I think about the future of NORDP, I hope she is helping us to lead it.”

NORDP established the Rising Star Award in 2016 to recognize up to three members annually who have made outstanding volunteer contributions and show great potential for future contributions to NORDP and the research development profession. Campbell will be presented with an etched glass plaque and receive free registration for a future NORDP conference.

Communicators win global awards

Six UC ANR-affiliated communicators won writing or photography awards in a global competition hosted by the international Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Life and Human Sciences (ACE). 

Steve Elliott, communications coordinator for the Western Integrated Pest Management Center, won one silver (second-place) and two bronze (third-place) for his writing and photography; Kathy Keatley Garvey, communications specialist for the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, two silvers for her writing and photography; and Diane Nelson, communication specialist for the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, won a bronze for her writing. 

Ricardo Vela, Miguel Sanchez and Norma de la Vega of UC ANR's News and Information Outreach in Spanish won a bronze award in diversity electronic media and audio for targeted audiences.

Elliott's entries and the categories: 

• Writing for the Web, silver award for “IPM in Yellowstone” 
• Photo Essay, bronze award for “Growing in Guam” 
• Social media, bronze award for single blog post, “To Communicate Better, Start with Audience”

Garvey's entries and the categories: 

• Writing for Newspapers, silver award for “Paying It Forward,” about the successful career of award-winning academic advisor Elvira Galvan Hack
• Picture Story, silver award for “Kira Meets a Stick Insect” (at Bohart Museum of Entomology)

Nelson's entry and category:

• Writing for the Web, bronze award for "Can Science Save Citrus?" 

Vela, Sanchez and de la Vega's entry and category:

• Diversity electronic media and audio for targeted audiences, bronze award for Breakfast - Desayuno de Campeones - English and Spanish videos

The awards were presented during ACE's virtual conference June 24. ACE is an international association of communicators, educators and information technologists who focus on communicating research-based information. The organization offers professional development and networking for individuals who extend knowledge about agriculture, natural resources, and life and human sciences.

Read more at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=42747.

Meyer receives Bradford-Rominger Agricultural Sustainability Leadership Award 

Deanne Meyer, UC Cooperative Extension livestock waste management specialist, is this year's recipient of the Eric Bradford & Charlie Rominger Agricultural Sustainability Leadership Award, given by the Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI) at UC Davis. 

Meyer is being honored for her leadership in substantially improving the sustainability of California's dairy industry through her research and outreach.

The Bradford-Rominger award recognizes and honors individuals who exhibit the leadership, work ethic and integrity epitomized by the late Eric Bradford, a livestock geneticist who gave 50 years of service to UC Davis, and the late Charlie Rominger, a fifth-generation Yolo County farmer and land preservationist. 

Meyer has directed the environmental stewardship efforts of the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP)—a voluntary partnership between the dairy industry, government and academia—since the program's inception in 1996. 

Meyer's dedication to build a bridge between industry and regulatory agencies has paid dividends for California's air and water quality. With Meyer's leadership, more than 700 dairy farms have completed an on-site, third-party evaluation of their facility's manure management. The program has been so successful that it received California's highest environmental honor, the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, in 2007.

Reflecting on Meyer's work, Glenda Humiston, UC vice president for agriculture and natural resources, said, “Serving as chair of California's Water Quality Task Force in the mid-1990s, I had a front row seat to the challenges Deanne faced as she organized CDQAP and brought many unlikely allies to the table. The many successes of that program is a testament to her skills as both a scientist and a diplomat.”

Beyond Meyer's work with CDQAP, her research in groundwater salinity has provided farmers, agency staff and other concerned stakeholders with unbiased information presented with an understanding of agricultural realities.

“Her efforts, leadership, and dedication are so valued by all the diverse sectors she works across,” said Anita Oberbauer, professor and dean for Agricultural Sciences at UC Davis. “By working closely with regulatory agencies and farmers, she ensures our state's livestock and dairy producers have the tools that they need to meet the environmental challenges.” 

Learning & Development: Identify major donors; fire education; science for skeptics; unwritten rules for Black youth

 

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Teamwork – An inspirational Video (2:24) 

Individual commitment to a group effort or goal, that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” – Vince Lombardi (former head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers)

Call for proposals: National Association of Extension Programs & Staff Development Professionals (NAEPSDP) Conference Dec. 1-3, 2020

The 2020 Conference Planning Committee is requesting presentation proposals for the 2020 NAEPSDP Conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The purpose of the presentations is to share research, application, theory/philosophy, or innovative educational models related to, but not limited to: evaluation and assessment; staff development; organizational development; program development and delivery; technology; and communications. In the scenario that the 2020 NAEPSDP Conference is moved to an online format due to COVID-19 and university travel restrictions, you will be asked to deliver your presentation virtually. More information here.

Identifying major gift donors - Part 1 of 4 Part Series (Development Services)
Wednesday, July 8 (Parts 2-4 - 9/9, 10/7, 11/4)
10:00 a.m. -10:45 a.m.

Join Greg Gibbs and Kelly Scott to learn the pivotal role major gifts play in the success of fundraising campaigns. We will walk through the process of identifying major gift prospects (gifts >$25K), discuss strategies for donor engagement, and learn about various ways donors can give.

Zoom access: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428?pwd=Q1ZrbUtoQVJwMXJVRkQydUlwNytJQT09 - 1 669 900 6833 or +1 646 558 8656  - Webinar ID: 751 701 428

Program Outcomes Through Common Measures - Part 1 of two-part series
Wednesday July 8, 2020 (Part 2 – 7/22)
11:00 a.m.- noon

In this webinar, Roshan Kumar Nayak will cover steps to design and incorporate evaluation into a new or an existing program. The webinars will also focus on California statewide 4-H program evaluation efforts and the procedures to access country-specific evaluation results.

Zoom access: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428?pwd=Q1ZrbUtoQVJwMXJVRkQydUlwNytJQT09 - 1 669 900 6833 or +1 646 558 8656  - Webinar ID: 751 701 428

Business writing that builds relationships – Online Workshop UC Davis (Register here)

Thursday, July 9, 2020

8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

We'll discuss and write emails and letters, applying relationship-building communication principles to routine situations and those that require special care and sensitivity.
You will learn:

• Ways to add “heart” to your writing to build and maintain relationships
• Risky email behaviors that lead to trouble
• Strategies for writing powerful thank-yous that build relationships
• How and why to write sincere, productive apologies
• The importance of communicating bad news, rather than concealing it
• The value of saying “no” clearly, and the necessary parts of the “no message”
• How to use MS Word tools to ensure readability

Fire education to prepare residents for wildfire in California oak woodlands

July 14, 2020
11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Register here

Join Hannah Bird who will discuss lessons focused on the positive! She and her team don't spend time on things that cannot be changed. Rather they teach crucial concepts of fire science and build on them to make schools, families and communities more fire prepared.

https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428?pwd=Q1ZrbUtoQVJwMXJVRkQydUlwNytJQT09  - 1 669 900 6833 or +1 646 558 8656 - Webinar ID: 751 701 428

Communicating science to skeptics and the uninformed – Third Thursday WebANR Series
July 16, 2020
Noon - 12:30 p.m.

Join Peggy Lemaux for some simple suggestions -

• Know your audience
• Listen to their concerns and stay calm
• Make it relevant
• Keep it simple; use analogies and avoid jargon
• Encourage questions; answer factually

Zoom access:  https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428?pwd=Q1ZrbUtoQVJwMXJVRkQydUlwNytJQT09 - 1 669 900 6833 or +1 646 558 8656  - Webinar ID: 751 701 428

Program outcomes through common measures - Part 2 of 2 - Part Series
Wednesday July 22, 2020
11:00 a.m.-Noon

Join Roshan Kumar Nayak to learn about the 4-H National Common Measures instruments used for measuring 4-H program impacts. Participants will learn about available tools and their use. The webinars will focus on how 4-H staff can access and use these Common Measures tools to evaluate their programs. Participants will also learn the use of Common Measures reporting template. Zoom access:  https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428?pwd=Q1ZrbUtoQVJwMXJVRkQydUlwNytJQT09 - 1 669 900 6833 or +1 646 558 8656  - Webinar ID: 751 701 428

Academic cost recovery/salary savings
Wednesday July 29
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Kathy Nolan will provide information on why you should include full cost recovery on a proposal budget and set up a salary savings account.  Salary savings can be used as a PI's discretionary account to cover expenses on other programmatic activities beyond the funded project. Zoom access:  https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/751701428?pwd=Q1ZrbUtoQVJwMXJVRkQydUlwNytJQT09 - 1 669 900 6833 or +1 646 558 8656  - Webinar ID: 751 701 428

‘Let's Just Make It Home.' The unwritten rules Blacks learn to navigate racism in America (Time.com)

Speak in short sentences. Be clear. Direct but not rude. Stay calm, even if you're shaking inside. Never put your hands in your pockets. Make sure people can always see your hands. Try not to hunch your shoulders. Listen to their directions. Darnell Hill, a pastor and a mental health caseworker, offers Black teenagers these emotional and physical coping strategies every time a Black person is fatally shot by a police officer. That's when parents' worries about their sons and daughters intensify. “They're hurting,” Hill says. “They're looking for answers.” (Read more here)

Confronting Bias: Thriving across our differences LinkedIn Learning modules

Verna Myers and Ariana Huffington

We're living at a time when diversity and inclusion at work and in the rest of our lives are finally beginning to be taken seriously. Not only because they make our workplaces more just, but because performance improves when we're surrounded by people who look and think differently from us. Yet for all the progress we've made we have a long to go toward creating workplaces that truly work for everyone.

For example, far too many workplaces are fueled by a culture of machismo. It's so often driven by a growth above our mindset and the glorification of burnout. We talk a lot about gender parity and how there should be more women at the top of every profession, but we're never going to get there if we don't change the day-to-day experience of women at every level. For decades Verna Myers has been helping organizations eradicate barriers based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and other differences in order to build a new stronger, more productive status quo. Read more.

Credit: https://icons8.com

Everyone can learn something new.
Learning & Development
Office: 530.750.1239
jlazulai@ucanr.edu

UCCE integrated pest management expert retires after 25-year career

UC Cooperative Extension integrated pest management advisor Cheryl Wilen retired in April after serving UC Agriculture and Natural Resources in a wide variety of leadership and academic capacities during her 25-year career. To help with transitions in the San Diego County UCCE office, Wilen accepted a six-month assignment in May to continue serving as interim director.

Wilen earned a bachelor's degree in horticulture at the University of Maryland, a master's degree in horticulture at University of Arizona and a doctoral degree at UC Riverside. Following graduation, Wilen worked a year at UC Riverside as a post-doctoral fellow.

In 1995, Wilen was hired by UC ANR to conduct applied research in the turf, ornamental horticulture and nursery industries to develop and promote the use of integrated pest management in San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange counties. She shared her results and information generated by scientists across the university with growers and pest control advisers to reduce the use of toxic pesticides, cut the cost of pest control and use environmentally sound methods in production.

Over the years, Wilen was frequently tapped to take on leadership roles while maintaining her academic program. She served as acting and interim director of the Statewide UC IPM Program, program leader of UCCE's Endemic and Invasive Pests and Diseases Strategic Initiative, and as county director in San Diego County. Wilen also had opportunities to take sabbatical and study leaves to improve her Spanish-speaking skills, learn about international participatory extension methodology and receive training on research methods to study snails and slugs.

“I love working with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources,” Wilen said. “The positions I held matched well with my professional and personal style. I always felt that I was responsible for choosing my destination and the journey to get there, whether that was my career or my research and extension programs.”

Wilen said she also valued the relationships she developed over the years in her job.

“I met and became friends with people in UC that I would never have been so lucky to know without the opportunities afforded me by serving on diverse committees,” Wilen said. “If I could give one piece of advice to early career people, it would be not to look at these requests as ‘but I'm so busy, I can't do it,' but rather, ‘this will expand my network and my worth to UC and the communities we serve and pay off in the long run.'”

Wilen has been awarded the honor of emeritus status, which will continue her academic relationship with UCCE even after her stint in the director post is complete.

“I have a couple of grants I'm continuing to work on,” she said.

She also has plans to do things that she didn't have time for while working full time.

“Plans for my free time include entering sweepstakes, organizing electronics cables, continuing to paddle with my outrigger canoe club, exploring the outdoors, travel, volunteering and enjoying time with my partner and the rest of my family,” she said.

Read more