April 25, 2003
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
A Message from Dean Neal Van Alfen: Design Program Proposes Transfer from College
WHO
Charles Goldman Recognized by Governor Davis
Sharon Shoemaker Named to Cranberry Post
IN THE NEWS
Francine Bradley on Exotic Newcastle Disease
Jorge Dubcovsky on Wheat Vernalization
Karen Klonsky on Organic Almond Production
WHAT
RFP: Western Institute for Food Safety and Security
WHAT
34 Years of Fantasy and Play: An Installation by Dolph Gotelli
Conference: California Institute of Food and Agricultural Research
Colloquium: Environmental History of Tulare Lake
Central Valley Water Tour, May 14 – 16
College Celebration Date Change
A Message from Dean Neal Van Alfen: Design Program Proposes Transfer from College
The faculty of the Design Program of the Department of Environmental Design has voted to request transfer from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) to the Division of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (HArCS) in the College of Letters and Science. The reasons behind this proposal are manifold and tend to reinforce one another. Design courses have been taught at UC Davis for over 35 years and program faculty have always supported the mission of CA&ES. Driven by its excellent curriculum and prestigious faculty, the Design Program has become quite popular and successful. Funding for much needed new or upgraded facilities and additional faculty members has been difficult to come by. Simply stated: Under current and projected budget shortfalls, CA&ES cannot maintain the level of funding necessary to keep this program vital. In the interests of maintaining a strong design program at UC Davis, I am in favor of this transfer. Details regarding facilities and staff shared with Landscape Architecture will be worked out as planning progresses. Academically, the program will be restructured, likely moving from the current B.S. to a B.A. degree. The program will also expand, become more interdisciplinary, and develop plans to move into better facilities. There will be impacts of this move on programs that remain within our college, including Landscape Architecture and Textiles and Clothing. Planning with the faculty of these programs will begin soon, much as we are in a planning process for the plant sciences and pest sciences. The transfer proposal is still in its preliminary stages. As outlined in the UC Davis Policy and Procedure Manual, myself, Associate Dean Tu Jarvis and the faculty Executive Committee will review and then forward the proposal and our recommendation for action to the provost. From there, the provost -- in consultation with the Committee on Academic Planning and Budget Review (CAPBR) -- reviews it and sends its recommendations to the Council of Deans and Vice Chancellors and the chancellor, who makes the final decision. This transfer is anticipated to be effective July 1, 2003. Though the college will be sorry to lose the Design Program, we wish the faculty, students and staff a smooth transition and continued success. As always, we welcome your feedback. If you have questions or comments, please e-mail me.
Neal K. Van Alfen
Dean
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Charles Goldman Recognized by Governor Davis
Governor Gray Davis wrote a letter to Charles Goldman, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, congratulating the professor on his recent Nevada Medal. The letter read, in part: “I commend your tireless efforts to protect our natural treasures. Through your pioneering research on Lake Tahoe, as well as your study of lakes and watersheds around the world, you have made valuable contributions to our great state.”
Sharon Shoemaker Named to Cranberry Post
Sharon Shoemaker, director of the California Institute of Food and Agricultural Research (CIFAR) and academic administrator in the Department of Food Science and Technology, was appointed by USDA Secretary Ann Veneman as the public member of the Cranberry Marketing Committee. Shoemaker also serves on the Cranberry Scientific Advisory Board of the Cranberry Institute.
Francine Bradley on Exotic Newcastle Disease
The Los Angeles Times quoted Francine Bradley, Cooperative Extension poultry specialist with the Department of Animal Science, in an article on the repercussions of Newcastle Disease for poultry breeders. One of the state’s leading poultry experts, she has been in the forefront of controlling the disease and educating commercial and backyard producers on the disease’s ravages.
Read the entire storyonline
Jorge Dubcovsky on Wheat Vernalization
The Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences is publishing an article co-authored by Jorge Dubcovsky, Department of Agronomy and Range Science, that describes the positional cloning of the main wheat vernalization gene. The authors have identified the meristem identity AP1 gene from wheat as the best candidate for Vrn1, the main vernalization gene responsible for the division of temperate cereals in winter and spring classes. Winter cereals require a long period in the cold to flower, whereas spring cereals flower without this requirement. Mutations in the promoter of AP1 were identified as responsible for the differences in growth habit. This discovery will facilitate the biotechnological manipulation of flowering time in wheat and will open the way to a better understanding of the complex network of genes responsible for the determination of flowering time in temperate cereals.
Karen Klonsky on Organic Almond Production
California Farmer reported that the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) released a study showing current per-acre transition and production costs for converting almonds from conventional to organic production in the northern San Joaquin Valley. The study can be used to make production decisions, determine potential returns, prepare budgets and evaluate production loans. Tables show establishment costs, profits over a range of prices and yields, monthly cash costs, hourly equipment costs, investment and business overhead costs. The study was prepared by, among others, Professor Karen A. Klonsky and research associate Richard L. DeMoura, both of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
Read or download the studyfrom the Web
RFP: Western Institute for Food Safety and Security
Grants of up to $200,000 for two years are available from the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS). Faculty and graduate students are eligible to apply for support for work in the areas of food safety and security that have been designated as high priority by WIFSS. Deadline: July 1, 2003.
Jerry R. Gillespie
Director
Western Human Nutrition Research Center
34 Years of Fantasy and Play: An Installation by Dolph Gotelli
May 4 – June 30, 2003 at the Design Museum, 145 Walker Hall. For more information -- including hours and special presentations -- contact Rhoda O'Brien or visit the Web site.
Rhonda R. O'Brien
Program Representative
Department of Environmental Design
(530) 752-6223
Conference: California Institute of Food and Agricultural Research
On May 13 the California Institute of Food and Agricultural Research (CIFAR) will hold a one-day conference at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena. Titled “Food Functionality for Taste, Health and Well-being,” the program will feature Hildegarde Heymann, Department of Viticulture and Enology, discussing her views on the past, the present and the future of sensory science in the food industry; and Barbara Schneeman, Department of Nutrition, will lead off the meeting with a history of food and health in America and insight into future directions for food research.
Conference program and registration information
Colloquium: Environmental History of Tulare Lake
On May 13 the Water Resources Center Archives at UC Berkeley presents “The Environmental History of Tulare Lake,” a public lecture by William Preston, professor of geography at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Central Valley Water Tour, May 14 – 16
The Water Education Foundation is sponsoring a water tour of the San Joaquin Valley, May 14 – 16. Issues of land use and growth, water supply, wetlands, salmon restoration and agricultural drainage are discussed on this tour that begins and ends at Sacramento International Airport. Traveling the length of the west and east sides of the Central Valley, this tour offers participants a clear understanding of how the state's major water systems, the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project have shaped this region.
More information and online registration
College Celebration Date Change
The date of College Celebration 2003 has been changed from Friday, Oct. 24, to Friday, Nov. 14.
April 26, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Grand opening sale at the new nursery, corner of LaRue Road and Orchard Park Drive, one block south of Russell Blvd. Open to the public. Ten percent discount for members. April 27, 2 p.m. Tour: California Natives in Bloom. Meet at Buehler Alumni & Visitors Center. April 30, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Trip: Green Gulch Farm and Smith & Hawken Nursery. Limited enrollment, fee. Contact the Arboretum for details. May 3, 12 – 5 p.m. Spring Party and Garden Tour. Meet at Putah Creek Lodge. No charge, members and their guests only. No registration necessary. May 4, 2 p.m. Tour: The Desert in Bloom. Meet at Arboretum Headquarters. May 7, 11 a.m. Tour: Practical Guide to Landscaping in the Central Valley. Meet at the Gazebo.
Visit CA&ES Currents online at http://caes.ucdavis.edu/NewsEvents/News/Currents/default.aspx.
