May 21, 1999

CA&ES "Send-Off Celebration"
Wednesday, June 2, 1999 4 to 6 p.m. University Club We're honoring ... Dean Barbara O. Schneeman Associate Dean Alan B. Bennett - Plant Sciences Associate Dean Gary P. Moberg - Animal Biology Associate Dean David S. Reid - Human Health and Development Associate Dean Michael S. Reid - Environment ... for their outstanding contributions to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Please join us!

Sharon E. Lynch
Assistant Director for Relations
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
selynch@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-1602

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All-College Staff Meeting
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences All-College Staff Meeting will be held Thursday, June 10, 1999, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. in the Cabernet Room, Silo Pub. Join Dean Barbara O. Schneeman, James MacDonald, chair of the Steering Committee for Academic and Strategic Planning (SCASP) and John Yoder, chair of the Executive Committee in a discussion about academic planning. Dennis Shimek, associate vice chancellor, Human Resources, will discuss Staff Workload Task Force and Model Employer reports. Everyone is encouraged to attend. Release time is appropriate with supervisor concurrence.


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CA&ES Commencement Ceremony
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will award approximately 1,728 B.S. degrees at its commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 19, 1999, at 9 a.m. The ceremony will be held in Recreation Hall. Gurdev Khush, principal plant breeder and head of the division of plant breeding, genetics and biochemistry at the International Rice Research Institute is commencement speaker. Victoria Smith, a candidate for a degree in environmental and resource sciences, also will speak. Commencement organizers are depending on the assistance of lots of CA&ES volunteers to ensure a smooth-running, memorable event.

Shirley Jordan
Commencement Coordinator
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
jordan@agdean.ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-6972

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Xiaojia Ge Recognized for Outstanding Research
The National Council for Family Research recently recognized Associate Professor Xiaojia Ge, Department of Human and Community Development, for an outstanding article combining theory and research. His article, titled "The Developmental Interface Between Nature and Nurture: A Mutual Influence Model of Child Antisocial Behavior and Parent Behavior," was published in Developmental Psychology.


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Helge Olsen Design in California Design 2000
Jurors have selected a side chair designed by Senior Lecturer Helge Olsen, Department of Environmental Design, for exhibition in California Design 2000. The chair, "Shark Chair," made of Baltic Birch plywood, was built by Bob Morgan who teaches furniture design in the Design Program. The exhibition is sponsored by the California Contemporary Craft Association and will take place in November in San Francisco. The chair was on display at the Pence Gallery in Davis and Olsen and his wife Birgitta had a joint exhibition of his furniture and her tapestries.


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Viticulture & Enology's Logo Wins Award
The newly-design logo for the Department of Viticulture & Enology received a bronze award in the logo design category of the 1999 Summit Creative Awards Competition. The logo was designed as part of a yearlong strategic planning effort by the department. "We wanted to convey the department's views about the relationship of grapes and wine," said department chair James Wolpert.

See the logo at theViticulture and Enology website


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Stephen Sinclair Scott Endowed Chair in Enology
Robert S. Scott, founder and former president of Scott Laboratories, Inc., has created the Stephen Sinclair Scott Endowed Chair in Enology in the Department of Viticulture & Enology in honor of his deceased son. "...many are pleased and proud of the department's excellent research and teaching...so important in making the California wine industry what it is today," said Robert Scott in executing the gift and agreement. He added that he is proud that he and Scott Laboratories, Inc. have been able to create the department's second endowed faculty chair and hopes that "...others might find the idea of (an endowed chair) worthwhile." The department's first endowed chair was created by the Ernest Gallo Educational Trust in honor of former department chair Professor Maynard Amerine. An endowed chair at UC Davis is a designated faculty position that receives an annual financial dividend generated by the investment of the named endowment fund. These earnings support the designated research program. This special faculty designation is granted to outstanding scholars and scientists in key faculty positions of teaching and research excellence.



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Victoria Rivers Hosts Textile Designer
Teliha Draheim, founder of the School of Pattern Design and a partner in Images West Design Studio in San Anselmo, will speak to Professor Victoria Rivers' design class on Wednesday, June 9, 1999. The lecture, sponsored by a Teaching Resource Center minigrant, is open to the public. It will be held in 150 Walker Hall from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. Draheim will discuss designing for the commercial textile industry and the gift wrap market. She will describe the functions of various jobs within the textile industry and show a portfolio of the designers she represents.

Rhonda R. O'Brien
Program Representative
Department of Environmental Design
rrobrien@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-6223

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UC Conference on Exotic Pests
California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Bill Lyons is the opening speaker at the UC Agricultural Issues Center Exotic Pest and Disease Policy Conference to be held May 25 at the Sacramento Convention Center. He will provide his perspective on public policy for introduced pests and diseases that may be harmful to California's environment, urban landscapes, agricultural production or human health. The daylong conference features presentations by UC experts on the biological aspects of exotic pests and diseases as well as economic and public policy considerations. It includes nine breakout sessions that focus on specific past, current and future exotic pest issues. Following lunch, Isi Siddiqui, special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former head of the CDFA Plant Industry Division, will discuss international trade negotiations and how they relate to exotic pest issues. Other speakers are former CDFA Secretary and USDA Deputy Secretary Ann Veneman, USDA Deputy Secretary Richard Rominger and Daniel Sumner, director of the Agricultural Issues Center. They will lead a broad discussion with the audience about conference findings and exotic pest and disease policy.

More information availableonline


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Annual Weed Day
The forty-third Annual Weed Day will be held Thursday, July 15, 1999. Participants meet at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center at 7:30 a.m. Buses leave the Alumni Center parking lot at 8:15 a.m. Lunch is included in registration. Indoor presentations are scheduled during the afternoon; several focus on basic research showing the scope of the Weed Science Program. Weed Day is an opportunity for pest control advisors, farm advisors, chemical company cooperators, college faculty, students and regulatory officials to learn about current weed science research at UC Davis. PCA credit for seven hours has been authorized. Pre-registration: $20; on-site registration: $25; student registration: $7


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Best-of-the-West Summit
The Western Center for Urban Forest Research and Education on the UC Davis campus co-sponsored the first-ever regional conference with Region 5 S&PF (Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, Urban and Community Forestry Program for the R-5 area: California, Hawaii, Pacific Islands) and the Western Chapter International Society of Arboriculture. Over 100 participants shared success stories on topics related to building cultural awareness, building community partnerships and innovations in urban and community forestry. The Summit Proceedings, which is available this month, documents a new agenda for urban and community forestry in the West.



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Managing for Ecosystem Health
The Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC Davis campus) and the International Society for Ecosystem Health are co-organizers for an International Congress on Ecosystem Health, Managing for Ecosystem Health. The event will be held August 15-20, 1999, at the Sacramento Convention Center. The Congress encourages integrative thinking toward ecosystem management and provides many examples of case studies worldwide. Plenary sessions with speakers of international stature will be featured, as well as technical sessions with a wide array of topics. There will be discussions of issues pertaining to ecosystem health, an exhibitor's hall, poster sessions, field tours and a Young Professionals Forum.

More information availableonline


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SAREP Funding Methyl Bromide Alternatives
Alternatives to the ozone-depleting agricultural fumigant methyl bromide are the focus of six new grants funded by the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP). "Our major concern in this new grants program is to assure funding for researchers and industries interested in biologically based solutions relying on microorganisms, farming rotations that suppress soil-borne pathogens, the use of clean nursery material and resistant rootstocks," said SAREP Director Sean Swezey. Funded projects:

  1. Containerized Strawberry Transplants as a Replacement for Methyl Bromide Soil Fumigation in California Strawberry Nurseries - Kirk Larson, Department of Pomology; Curt Gaines, Lassen Nursery
  2. Alternatives to Methyl Bromide for Control of Soil-borne Fungi, Bacteria and Weeds in Coastal Ornamental Crops - James MacDonald, Department of Plant Pathology; Clyde Elmore, Department of Vegetable Crops/Weed Science; Steve Tjosvold, Cooperative Extension, Watsonville
  3. Acetaldehyde and Carbon Dioxide Fumigation for Postharvest Control of Insects on Strawberry Fruit - Elizabeth Mitcham, Department of Pomology
  4. Development of Grape Rootstocks with Multiple Nematode Resistance - Howard Ferris, Department of Nematology; Andrew Walker, Department of Viticulture & Enology
  5. Microbiological Improvement of Root Health, Growth and Yield of Strawberry - John Duniway, Department of Plant Pathology
  6. Cultural Control and Etiology of Replant Disorder of Prunus species - Greg Browne, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Department of Plant Pathology; Andreas Westphal, Department of Plant Pathology; Tom Trout, USDA-Agricultural Research Service/Fresno

The remainder of funds will be used to support an on-farm demonstration project addressing biointensive alternatives to methyl bromide in strawberries. The project is called BASIS - Biological Agriculture Systems in Strawberries.


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Call for Poster Papers: American Farm Bureau Federation Convention
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture invites researchers to present poster papers on their research projects as part of the exhibit area for the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention January 9-11, 2000, in Houston, Texas. The exhibit provides an opportunity for scientists to display their research and discuss their ideas with over 6,000 active farmers and ranchers representing every state in the U.S. Deadline June 1, 1999



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California Policy Research Center
The California Policy Research Center (CPRC) requests proposals from UC faculty to conduct research on significant policy issues facing California. Investigators who receive grants will report their findings to state government officials and others interested in California policy issues through written reports and public briefings. CPRC welcomes proposals on all topics that examine current and anticipated state policies, develop policy approaches and/or evaluate policy implementation. Deadline: October 4, 1999

CPRC Online


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Regional Humanities Centers
National Endowment for the Humanities invites proposals to plan for the creation of 10 regional humanities centers where American cultures and traditions can be explored in the context of "place." Places and regions nurture our roots and shape our identities. Regional identifications can provide points of reference in the larger flow of the nation. The centers will serve as reservoirs for a region's cultural heritage, as gathering places for shared learning and as springboards for new research. They will emphasize interdisciplinary learning in the humanities and new kinds of collaboration among humanities scholars, scholars in other disciplines and the public. Through this initiative, NEH seeks to provide venues for the exploration of a region's history, its people, its diverse cultural expressions and its symbolic and physical environment. A multi-phased competition to establish the centers is underway. The first phase is an open competition for planning grants: through public/private partnerships, the Endowment anticipates making awards to up to two institutions in each region. These recipients will be eligible to apply for implementation grants in the subsequent phases of the initiative. Implementation grants will be awarded on a three-to-one matching basis. Deadline: July 16, 1999

NEH Online


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CSREES: Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program
The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) announces the availability of grant funds and solicits proposals for the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program. The RFP sets out objectives, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application procedures. Proposals are requested for projects designed to increase feed security in a community. The RFP contains the entire set of instructions needed to apply for a Fiscal Year 1999 Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program grant. Deadline: June 4, 1999

Mark Bailey
CSREES-USDA
mbailey@reeusda.gov
(202) 401-1898

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CAPCA Community College Scholarship
The California Agricultural Production Constants Association (CAPCA), Ventura County Chapter, announced a community college scholarship intended for the benefit of upper division students pursuing a career in the agriculture and/or horticulture fields. One $500 scholarship will be awarded to a Ventura County resident enrolled in a Ventura County Community College offering studies in the field of crop agriculture or horticulture. Eligibility: Must be a U.S. citizen and have been a resident of Ventura County prior to attending college; must be recommended by at least one college or university faculty member; must be transferring to a four-year college or university in 1999. Deadline: June 1, 1999



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Sea Grant Marine Policy Fellowships
Sea Grant offers two fellowship opportunities:

  1. The federal Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, sponsored by the National Sea Grant College Program, matches highly qualified graduate students with hosts in the legislative or executive branches of government or with appropriate associations/institutions located in the Washington, D.C. area for a paid fellowship. The length of the assignment is one year.

     

  2. The California Sea Grant State Fellowship program is similar, except that students are placed with California state agencies or legislators. Selection of finalists is made by California Sea Grant, and assignments in Sacramento are decided in consultation with potential fellowship hosts.

 

 

 

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Water Education Foundation Web Site

 

The Water Education Foundation's Web site has information on California water issues, news about upcoming events and tours, an archive of excerpts from Western Water magazine and a full selection of maps, school programs, games and other educational products.

 

www.water-ed.org

 

 

 

 

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Western Energy Services Web Site

 

Western Area Power Administration provides hydroelectric power to municipal, rural electric, irrigation, federal defense base and other customers in California. Western's energy services primarily are information oriented.

 

Check it out!

 

 

 

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Correction: Emanuel Epstein First Published in 1941

 

Professor Lee Baldwin, Department of Animal Science, member of the National Academy of Science, was an invited presenter at the FDA public meeting on biotechnology held in Oakland in December. We regret that his name was omitted from the article appearing in the December 17, 1999, issue of CA&ES Currents. Our apologies!

 

 

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Visit CA&ES Currents online at http://caes.ucdavis.edu/NewsEvents/News/Currents/default.aspx

CA&ES Currents, the faculty/staff newsletter of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis, is distributed every other Friday. News deadline is noon Monday preceding Friday publication. Send inquiries to Ann Filmer, afilmer@ucdavis.edu.

Issue Editor:
Rhoda McKnight
(530) 752-9328
rjmcknight@ucdavis.edu

Contributors: Donna Gutierrez, Thomas Kaiser, Susan Kancir, Rhoda McKnight, Neal Van Alfen, John Weston. 

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