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Posts Tagged: health
Foundation created to energize community support for UC ANR mission
Board of Directors to promote philanthropy through advocacy and fundraising in support of agriculture, natural resources and community health
The new University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Foundation has been established to advance UC ANR's essential research and extension mission.
The foundation – to be incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization following approval by UC President Michael Drake in October – will support programs that promote California's agriculture and food systems; natural ecosystems and working landscapes; and healthy and thriving communities.
“The establishment of this foundation could not have come at a better time, as it will inspire the vital resources and energy we need to meet the pressing challenges we pinpointed in our recently released Strategic Vision 2040,” said Glenda Humiston, UC vice president for agriculture and natural resources.
Modeled after similar entities at UC campuses, the UC ANR Foundation will be guided by a volunteer Board of Directors. Representing a variety of regions and communities across California, the directors collectively bring years of experience in the agriculture, natural resources, government, academic and nonprofit sectors.
“By tapping into the board's connections, relationships and knowledge of our work and its impact, UC ANR is well-positioned to undertake significant and truly transformative fundraising initiatives and campaigns,” said Greg Gibbs, executive director of UC ANR Development Services.
The Board currently comprises eight community leaders and three ex officio members:
Don Bransford
Owner and Operator
Bransford Farms
Tom Delfino
Sr. Principal
S.S. Papadopulos & Associates
Bill Frost
UC Cooperative Extension Advisor Emeritus and former Associate Vice President
UC ANR
Anne Haddix
Co-President, Board of Directors
UC Master Gardeners of Sonoma County (Volunteer)
Corinne Martinez, Board Chair
President and Chief Operations Officer
Berryessa Gap Vineyards
Soapy Mulholland
Principal
Sopac & Associates LLC
Sharon Nance
President
NTAPROBLM LLC Inc.
Stephen Reid
Head Gardener of the Rose Garden
The Huntington Library and Botanic Gardens
Ex Officio Members
Greg Gibbs, Board Secretary
Executive Director, Development Services
UC ANR
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
UC ANR
Tu Tran, Board Treasurer
Associate Vice President
UC ANR
“We are grateful to the members of the new board for their leadership, expertise and passion for our mission, and we're thankful to the many donors – past, present and future – who generously support our work to improve lives all across California,” Humiston said.
History of philanthropic support empowered creation of foundation
It has been that outpouring of support – channeled by Gibbs' fundraising team – that enabled the establishment of the UC ANR Foundation. Gibbs was part of a nascent development team created just seven years ago, in 2017, to increase private funding from individuals, foundations, companies and agricultural commodities groups.
Within that time, the Development Services team has raised crucial funds for a wide range of impactful programs and projects. For example, philanthropic support is fueling efforts to cultivate workforce development in agriculture and related fields in Orange County, drive innovations in the “circular bioeconomy” within the San Joaquin Valley, strengthen wildfire resiliency in communities across the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and propel leading-edge research to benefit growers of citrus, grapes and other valuable commodities.
“People are seeing the true impact of UC ANR, and I think this foundation board is a testament to that,” Gibbs said. “It's a validation of all the work that's been done over the last seven years.”
In 2023, a Vice President's Cabinet began laying the groundwork for the foundation by establishing its bylaws and structure. That group comprised several current board members, as well as Andrea Ambrose, UC ANR director of advancement; Adina Merenlender, professor of Cooperative Extension in conservation science; and Kerry Tucker, chief strategic counsel at Nuffer, Smith, Tucker.
Then, presented with UC ANR's track record of robust fundraising and measurable impacts, UC President Drake approved the incorporation of the new nonprofit foundation on Oct. 2. The foundation will begin work with UC ANR leadership and staff in early 2025 to develop short- and long-term fundraising plans.
For the public, there is an immediate opportunity to support UC ANR's work – Giving Tuesday. From midnight to midnight on Tuesday, Dec. 3, visit give.ucanr.edu to donate and participate in a global online giving event.
“Just as UC ANR programs significantly improve lives in California and across the nation and world, our donors substantively improve those programs,” Gibbs said. “They believe in what we do, and they make our research and extension activities better in every sense – more impactful, more accessible and more sustainable.”
For more information on the UC ANR Foundation and opportunities to contribute, contact Greg Gibbs at glgibbs@ucanr.edu.
MSU Soil Scientist to Discuss Nematodes as "Bioindicators of Soil Health and Climate Resiliency'
Nematodes, says soil scientist Christine Sprunger of Michigan State University, East Lansing, are "bioindicators of soil health and climate resiliency." And that's the title--"Nematodes as Bioindicators of Soil Health and Climate...
Soil scientist Christine Sprunger (left) and lab manager of the W. K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), Michigan State University, collecting soil samples. (Photo courtesy of KBS)
From Butterfly Research to High-Sugar Diet Research
What does butterfly metamorphosis have to do with high-sugar diet research? Well, you never know where research will take you. UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock, who holds a joint appointment with the Department of Entomology and...
UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock (seated) with Jun-Yan Liu, professor at Chongqing Medical University, China, and a former research scientist (7.5 years) in the Hammock lab.
This 2010 image of Jun-Yan Liu shows him as a postdoctoral fellow working in the Bruce Hammock lab. He is now a professor at Chongqing Medical University, China. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This archived image (2018) shows UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock (seated) with Hammock lab researcher Sung Hee Hwang (center) and former Hammock lab researcher Guodong Zhang, now on the UC Davis Department of Nutrition faculty. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Extreme weather accelerates nitrate pollution in groundwater
Extreme weather spurred by climate change, including droughts and heavy rains, may increase the risk of nitrates from fertilizers ending up in groundwater, according to a recent study from researchers at the University of California, Davis. The study found heavy rains after a drought caused nitrates to seep 33 feet under farm fields in as little as 10 days. The study was published in Water Resources Research.
“The conventional wisdom was that it could take several weeks to years for nitrates to move from the crop root zones to reach groundwater,” said corresponding author Isaya Kisekka, a professor in the Departments of Land, Air and Water Resources and Biological and Agricultural Engineering. “We found these extreme events, such as California's atmospheric rivers, are going to move nitrate more quickly.”
In this study, different methods were used to measure how much nitrate, a component of nitrogen fertilizer, was seeping down through the soil in a tomato and cucumber crop near Esparto, California. Scientists conducted their research from 2021 until 2023 when California was experiencing periods of drought followed by atmospheric rivers. They measured nitrate during both the growing seasons and the rainy seasons.
Drought can leave more nitrogen in soil
Previous studies have shown about 40% of nitrogen fertilizer used for vegetables isn't absorbed by the plants but remains in the soil. During droughts, crops don't use nitrogen efficiently, leading to excess nitrogen in the soil. This study found that if a drought is then followed by heavy rainfall, that sudden burst of water causes nitrate to seep in groundwater more quickly. The nitrate concentration in the shallow groundwater exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 10 milligrams per liter for drinking water.
“In California, we often say we swing between droughts and floods,” said Kisekka. “These extreme events that come with climate change are going to make the risk of these chemicals ending up in our drinking water much more severe.”
Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for most of California's Central Valley. In some regions, such as the Tulare Lake Basin, nearly one-third of drinking and irrigation wells exceed the EPA's safe nitrate level. High nitrate levels in drinking water can increase health risks, especially for young children. It may also increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
Need for real-time soil nitrate monitoring
Central Valley farmers are required to report to the Regional Water Board how much nitrogen they applied to their field and how much was removed as part of the crop's yield. The study compared different ways of monitoring when nitrate from fertilizers seep into groundwater. Kisekka said the results highlight the need for affordable, real-time soil nitrate monitoring tools to help farmers manage fertilizer use efficiently.
By using conservation practices that limit leftover nitrates in the crop's root zone after harvest, farmers can help reduce nitrate contamination in groundwater.
This study's data will also help improve a model called SWAT, which is used to track nitrate seepage into groundwater across California's Central Valley. This effort is part of the Central Valley Water Board's program to regulate irrigated farmlands.
Other UC Davis authors include Iael Raij Hoffman, Thomas Harter and Helen Dahlke.
The study was supported by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service through its Conservation Effects Assessment Project. The national project is designed to assess the effectiveness of conservation practices across different watersheds. The study also had support from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
2025 benefits changes message from UC Systemwide HR Vice President Cheryl Lloyd
Valued colleagues:
As we approach our annual Open Enrollment for health benefits, I want to share what we know about UC's medical plan costs for 2025 and update you on how we're preparing for 2026 and beyond. My goal is to provide information as early as possible so you can make informed decisions about your benefit plans.
The national trends that increased medical costs and medical plan premiums last year have continued. UC's medical plan costs will rise again this year due to increased health care utilization as our population ages and rates of chronic health conditions rise, enhanced benefits, and the rapidly expanding use of costly new drugs and treatments.
To limit the impact of rising costs on employees and retirees, the decision was made, in consultation with President Drake, EVP-COO Nava and EVP-CFO Brostrom, to increase UC's 2025 contribution to medical premiums by $198M over 2024. Even with this additional contribution from UC, employee and retiree premium contributions will need to increase.
Budgeting for the high costs of food, housing and child care is already a challenge for many in our community, so any increase is painful. Our people are our most important resource, and the Systemwide Human Resources team has spent the last year working closely with our health plan partners to look for every opportunity to balance the quality of our benefits with their affordability. We've also spent months analyzing how UC can minimize the impact of higher costs in a challenging budget year.
To rise to this challenge, we're focusing on a principle that is central to our mission — the critical importance of health care equity and access. We understand 2024 employee contributions were significantly higher than anticipated and explored multiple options to mitigate increases for 2025. As a result, employees will see no more than an 11% increase (with exception of the CORE plan) in 2025. Additionally, employee contributions will continue to be based on salary, with higher employee contributions and percentage increases for those who earn more.
Significant Health Plan Changes for 2025
- With the exception of those enrolled in CORE medical, employees with annual salaries up to $140K a year will see 9% increases in their medical plan premiums and employees with annual salaries over $140K a year will see 11% increases.
These increases are consistent with other public employers in California. For example, CalPERS has announced an overall premium increase of 10.79% for 2025.
Retiree contribution changes for UC's retiree plans are more variable, with UC maintaining its agreement to fund a minimum of 70% of the cost of retiree medical plan premiums.
- To ensure that the costs of medical coverage are shared fairly, the CORE PPO plan will require an employee premium contribution beginning in 2025. Contributions for CORE will be the lowest of the UC medical plan options, but we know this is a big adjustment for UC employees who have appreciated the option of a plan that did not require a premium contribution. We will do all we can to help those employees understand their choices and consider carefully whether CORE is still the best option for them.
- To help minimize premium increases, some of the costs for receiving care and filling prescriptions will go up next year. For example, the copay for an outpatient visit will increase from $20 to $30 for members of UC Blue & Gold HMO, Kaiser HMO, UC Care (UC Select/Tier 1), UC Medicare Choice and Kaiser Senior Advantage — the first such increase for these plans in over 10 years. Copays for prescription drugs will go up for most of UC's medical plans, and there will be a new drug tier for specialty drugs that will have 30% coinsurance, up to $150 per prescription, for UC Blue & Gold HMO and Kaiser HMO.
Preparing for 2026 and beyond
We owe it to the UC community to find and take every opportunity to control costs and protect the security and quality of UC's benefits. To this end, we have been working with expert consultants on a large-scale analysis of our overall benefits strategy and priorities. Throughout all our work to ensure UC's benefits meet the needs of our community, we will continue to seek out the counsel and engagement of faculty, staff, retiree and emeriti groups.
Keeping you informed
Open Enrollment begins on Thursday, October 31, this year. Keep an eye on UCnet and UCnetwork for regular updates, take advantage of your location's Open Enrollment resources and check your mailbox and email inbox for details and reminders. Your benefits and communications colleagues across UC stand ready to keep you informed and help you make the best choices for your needs and the needs of your family.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Lloyd
Vice President
Systemwide Human Resources
