TopicsApril 18, 2023
- Message from the Associate Vice President and Director of Extension
- NETC in AZ Next Week!
- Pinal County Associate Agent, 4-H Youth Development Announced
- Arizona Cooperative Extension Annual Conference
- ALVSCE Staff Council Open Sessions and Merit Increase Discussion
- Shirley O’Brien Diversity and Inclusion Awards Nominations Close April 24
- Join the ALVSCE Spring Awards Celebration Virtually
- 32nd Annual Desert Horticulture Conference
- Community Cats - Do Cats Pose a Risk to Human Health?
- WRRC Seminar: Severe Sustained Drought in the Colorado Basin Revisited
- WRRC Seminar: Golf Course Water Usage: Effective Policy and Effective Water Efficiency Strategies
- UArizona Wildcat Corps AmeriCorps summer opportunities
- Data Science Research Bazaar Festival
- Volunteers Needed for Research Study of Grapes
- 6th Arizona School IPM Conference
- Continuing Status and Promotion Workshop
- Research Insights in Semiarid Ecosystems (RISE) Symposiu
- Cochise County Assistant Agent, 4-H Youth Development Seminar
- Cochise County Cooperative Extension Director Seminar #2
- Extension Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources Position (Range Management)
- Assistant/Associate Agent Posotion (ANR)
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| Message from the Associate Vice President
and Director of Extension
Last week I “stole” away some time to attend the Maricopa County Fair and review the 4-H youth general projects entries for the fair. These 4-H moments remind me of what a bright future lies ahead for all of us. The artistic talents were on display for all to enjoy. I then wandered over to the barns to see our youth participating with their animals in show events. It never ceases to amaze me to see these youth handle these animals with such care. There was so much pride at the venue. Many thanks to the parents, volunteers, and judges that help make our county fairs so memorable for so many. And, of course, congratulations to all our youth as well!
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NETC in AZ Next Week! Did you know Arizona Cooperative Extension is this year's host institution for the National Extension Technology Conference (NETC)? This is the premier Extension technology event of the year for Extension professionals who are responsible for delivering on the Land Grant mission with a heavy emphasis on the use of new and innovative technology practices.
This year's event will take place April 24-27 at the Tempe Mission Gardens in Tempe, Arizona. If you support Extension faculty and/or staff and utilize technology to do so, this event is probably for you.
This year's keynote speakers are our own Mike Crimmins and Collette Brown (a graduate of UArizona and Salish Kootenai College, a 1994 institution). We're expecting over 100 attendees from over 20 Land Grant institutions, and counting!
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Pinal County Associate Agent,
4-H Youth Development Announced
We are pleased to announce that Esther Turner has accepted the position as Associate Agent, 4-H Youth Development for Pinal County Cooperative Extension. Her duties began yesterday, April 17th. She is no stranger to Pinal County, as she resides here and has worked in the Pinal County Cooperative Extension office since June of 2009. Esther has coordinated several different programs, among other things, throughout the years (Developmental/Sensory Screening, Strengthening Families, 4-H Youth Development), managed the NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) AmeriCorps, as well as hosted UA Wildcat Corps members (along w/others in our office).
Please join us in welcoming Esther! Her contact information is as follows (520) 836-5221, x211 / eturner@cals.arizona.edu. Also, a big shout out to the hiring committee for their work on this successful search for the Pinal County Extension Office!
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| Save the Date!
Arizona Cooperative Extension Annual ConferenceAugust 2-4
The 2023 Annual Arizona Extension Conference Planning Committee is soliciting proposals for breakout sessions, posters, and Heart of Extension Awards at the conference to be held August 2-4 in Tucson on the University of Arizona Main Campus. This year's conference theme is Building the Future of Extension Through Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration. Please consider submitting for a breakout session, bringing a poster, or nominating a deserving colleague for the Heart of Extension award. Information on submitting for these sessions and awards is below.
Breakout sessions will be approximately 1 hour in length. Please plan 45 minutes of content leaving 10-15 minutes for questions and discussion. Sessions can be on any topic relevant to Cooperative Extension, special consideration will be given to topics that are issue driven (rather than programmatically driven). We are looking for a variety of multi-disciplinary sessions that appeal to faculty and staff across all sectors of Extension. Proposals should include a title, list of presenting authors, and a 250 (maximum) word description of the issue or topic you intend to cover, how the audience will benefit, and the goals of the proposed conference presentation.
Deadline: May 15, 11:59 p.m.
Heart of Extension Awards recognize and reward individuals who demonstrate the heart of the Cooperative Extension Mission: To engage with people through applied research and education to improve lives, families, communities, the environment, and economies in Arizona and beyond. Awards will be presented at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Annual Conference. See the attached file for more information on criteria and nomination materials.
Deadline: May 15, 11:59 p.m.
Poster Session. Posters can be on any Arizona extension-related topic, including, but not limited to, community issues, extension initiatives, programs, or research projects. Posters presented at other conferences are eligible for display. Poster space is limited. Posters will be accepted in the order they are received until space capacity is reached. To submit a poster, please use this link to provide the title, authors, a short (150-word maximum) abstract, the style (hanging vs tabletop), and the approximate size of your poster:
Deadline: July 3, 11:59 p.m. Your submission will be confirmed by Friday, July 7.
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ALVSCE Staff Council Open Sessions
As requested, the ALVSCE Staff Council is hosting open sessions during their meetings throughout the year. All staff are invited to join the first 20 minutes of the meeting to bring forth ideas, questions, comments, and concerns. The April 26 session will focus on discussing the process of nominating representatives to serve on ALVSCE Staff Council.
ALVSCE Staff Council Merit Increase Discussion
If you were unable to take part in the April 7 ALVSCE Staff Council discussion about merit increases, you can watch a recording here
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Shirley O’Brien Diversity and Inclusion Awards
Nominations Close April 24
The ALVSCE DEI Council is now accepting nominations for the Shirley O’Brien Diversity & Inclusion Awards. Self-nominations are permitted. The Legacy D&I Champion award is for an individual that has demonstrated exemplary leadership for at least five years. The Emerging D&I Champion award is for an individual that has shown exemplary leadership by initiating a new program or effort in the past four years. All ALVSCE faculty and staff are eligible for nomination.
Nominations are due by noon on April 24. Please click here to access the application.
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There’s Still Time!
Join the ALVSCE Spring Awards Celebration Virtually
It’s not too late to register for the 2023 Spring Awards Celebration via Zoom. Faculty and staff of the Division of Agriculture, Life and Veterinary Sciences, and Cooperative Extension are invited to join us remotely for Monday’s event.
Come and cheer for the Tribal Livestock Extension Team, who will be presented with the 2023 ALVSCE Outstanding Team Award!
Awards also include Outstanding Staff in Cooperative Extension, Cooperative Extension Faculty of the Year, Administrator of the Year, Outstanding Staff in Research, Early Career Research Award, Outstanding Research Impact Award, and Eminent Researcher Award.
Also joining remotely: Dr. Dave Schramm, a Family Life Extension Specialist from Utah State University, will be our guest speaker at Monday’s event. Dr. Dave will present “Happy Hacks for a Better Life” – simple, science-backed tips that will improve our lives, turn on the learning centers of our brains, and create small wins for us that carry throughout our day at work and at home.
With questions, please contact Georgette at rosberg@arizona.edu or call 520-626-6708.
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32nd Annual Desert Horticulture Conference
Participants can attend six sessions in three concurrent tracks from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.: Plants and Design, Plant Health, and Water/Urban Landscapes. Learn from experts through presentations and panel discussions about plant choices appropriate for desert landscapes, management of plants, pests, and wildlife, and different approaches to water conservation.
The Desert Horticulture Conference is the premier annual conference for all members of the Southwest green industry: landscape architects, designers, growers, retailers, contractors, maintenance personnel, suppliers, and educators. Presenting timely and research-based information relevant for designing, building, maintaining, and producing plants for urban landscapes in the arid Southwest.
Registration is open for attendees and sponsors.
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Community Cats - Do Cats Pose a Risk to Human Health?
Dawn H. Gouge, Tim Stock, Shaku Nair, & Shujuan (Lucy) Li
“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” - Terry Pratchett
During the spring cats often become more evident in the urban landscape, and questions often arise regarding the risks to human health they pose. Most feline infectious diseases primarily affect cats, but some can be transmitted from cats to people. This includes those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (often referred to as AIDS), the elderly, people undergoing cancer chemotherapy, or anyone receiving drugs that suppress the immune system. The chance of an average healthy person contracting a zoonotic disease from a cat is very low, but infants and people with compromised immune systems are more susceptible. Here we present some science-based considerations and note that each specific situation is as unique as the individual animals involved. For more information click here.
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WRRC Seminar Series
Severe Sustained Drought in the Colorado Basin Revisited
The JAWRA Featured Collection, Severe Sustained Drought Revisited: Managing the Colorado River System in Times of Water Shortage 25 Years Later, follows up on a series published more than 25 years ago to present collaborative research studies supported by the Powell Consortium. That original special issue, Severe Sustained Drought: Managing the Colorado River System in Times of Water Shortage, and the publications that arose from it have “shaped thought and encouraged multi-disciplinary research on drought and water scarcity in the United States Southwest.” The 2022 JAWRA Featured Collection was published in two issues and highlights the work of researchers throughout the region. This WRRC webinar will feature presentations from a panel of authors who contributed papers to the Collection.
Moderator: George Frisvold, professor & Extension specialist, University of Arizona Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics
Panelists
Bonnie Colby, Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UArizona
Dari Duval, Economic Impact Analyst, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UArizona Cooperative Extension
Kathy Jacobs, Director, Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions, Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments and Societies; Professor, Environmental Science, UArizona
Pamela Nagler, Research Physical Scientist, US Geological Survey
Connie Woodhouse, Regents Professor, School of Geography, Development, and Environment and Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, UArizona
When: Noon – 1:15 p.m. (Mountain Time), Wednesday, April 12
To request an alternate format of this webinar for disability-related access, please contact wrrc@arizona.edu
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WRRC Seminar SeriesGolf Course Water Usage: Effective Policy and Effective Water Efficiency Strategies
This WRRC Seminar presentation will provide an overview of golf course water use in the southwest, looking at three different regulatory agency policies for golf course water usage and discussing which policies have been the most effective for establishing efficient water usage. The presentation will also cover the current technologies and trends in the golf course industry that will continue to improve water use efficiency.
When: Noon – 1:15 p.m. (Mountain Time), Wednesday, April 19
Speaker: Tim Cloninger, golf course agronomist
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UArizona Wildcat Corps
AmeriCorps summer opportunities
These 10-week terms of service will run from late May to the end of July. Anyone interested should apply soon, as members must be interviewed and selected prior to April 27. Benefits include a living allowance of $3,600 and an $1,374 educational award upon successful completion of the term.
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Data Science Research Bazaar Festival
In collaboration with Arizona State University, Northwern Arizona University, and UArizona, ResBaz Arizona is inviting you to its annual data science Research Bazaar Festival on April 17-19, 2023. The festival is a free, community driven, and highly collaborative event that provides members of the university and surrounding communities with opportunities to “level up” in computational and digital tools for research. Students, researchers, and staff are welcome!
ASU - April 17-18: GWC 487; April 19: ERC 490
NAU - DuBois South Union, Juniper Room
UArizona - UArizona Main Library, CATalyst Studios
Online - via Zoom
Festival participants can attend one or all of the events, including interactive workshops on topics such as R-programming, High-Performance Computing, or Python, speaker sessions centering on GIS, Computational Social Sciences, or functional data analysis. We also host informal social events to meet the ResBaz and data science community. These are just a few examples of this year’s festival offerings. The full schedule and all venues can be found here: https://researchbazaar.arizona.edu/resbaz/Arizona2023/
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6th Arizona School IPM Conference
IN-PERSON is on April 18-19 at the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Office, 4341 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix. If you prefer to hear speakers live in-person, enjoy lunch and interact with other participants, and get your CEUs without a quiz, this is the best option.
The ONLINE option will be offered from April 24 – May 31. If you prefer listening to talks at your convenience and taking a simple quiz to get your CEUs, this is the option for you. The online format is accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
Registration is open through May 310.
The Arizona School IPM Conference is a great opportunity for continuing education for all institutional staff engaged in operations, maintenance, turf and landscape, food service, health services and more, in schools, childcare, community colleges, public health, medical facilities, city parks and rec, turf and landscape and many other areas. Six or 12 PMD/PUG/PUC CEUs will be available for license renewal.
Have a question? Call 602-827-8214 or email nairs@arizona.edu
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Save the Date!
Continuing Status and Promotion WorkshopMay 17-18
Cooperative Extension agents and specialists on the continuing status and promotion track are invited to a two-day workshop regarding the process, updates, and other important information to support successful dossiers. Sessions will address all levels of the continuing status and promotion process. You can attend in-person or virtually. More information will be forthcoming.
What: Continuing Status and Promotion Workshop
When: May 17-18 (Wednesday-Thursday)
Where: Maricopa Agricultural Center, 37860 W. Smith Enke Road, Maricopa, Arizona
For questions, please contact Area Agent and Regional Specialist Patty Merk at pmerk@cals.arizona.edu
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Cochise County Assistant Agent,4-H Youth Development Seminar
The search committee is pleased to announce they have selected a finalist for the Assistant Agent, 4-H Youth Development position located in Cochise County. Haley Chappell will give her seminar on Saturday, April 22nd at 10:00 am – My Vision for Building a Strong 4-H Program in Cochise County. After the seminar, there will be time for Q & A. The search and screen committee would like to thank you in advance for your participation and responses to the evaluation.
Haley Chappell, April 22nd, 10:00 AM
470 N Bisbee Ave, Willcox, AZ 85643
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| Save the Date!
19th Research Insights in Semiarid Ecosystems (RISE) SymposiumOctober 21
We are in the process of inviting speakers and finalizing the program. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months, including a call for poster submissions and the student poster contest.
The symposium on the University of Arizona campus will feature speakers and posters describing recent and on-going research on the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, the Santa Rita Experimental Range, and other outdoor laboratories in the region. Questions and conversations among presenters and attendees are strongly supported.
Click here to learn more about the symposium, including links to pdf files of the talks and posters presented each year.
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Cochise County Cooperative Extension Director Seminar #2
After conducting a search for a new Cochise County Cooperative Extension Director, the search committee would like to announce the second finalist for the position: Kalman Mannis. On Tuesday, April 18th, he will give his seminar at 3:00 pm – My Vision and 5-year Plan for Cochise County Cooperative Extension. Following the seminar, there will be time for Q & A. The search and screen committee would like to thank you in advance for your participation and responses to the evaluation.
Kalman Mannis, April 18th, 3:00 PM
470 N Bisbee Ave, Willcox, AZ 85643
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Extension Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources Position(Range Management)
Yavapai County Cooperative Extension at the University of Arizona invites applications for full-time (1.0 FTE), continuing eligible Assistant/Associate Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent focused on rangeland management and grazing on public lands. The individual selected will serve as a faculty member in YCCE and will report to the County Extension Director and will work with other county Extension faculty and staff to provide leadership for rangeland-based Extension programs. The successful candidate will create and supervise community outreach programs and provide leadership in the development and implementation of a science-based educational program. Using community needs and assessment data, the Agent will develop and conduct programs which address priority needs and work collaboratively with land management agencies and other partners in Yavapai County. The individual will also seek funding to implement and expand programming when needed.
Review of applications is anticipated to commence May 8, 2023 and will continue until a suitable candidate is found. Target start date is September 1, 2023. Please direct additional questions to Andrew Brischke (brischke@cals.arizona.edu), Chair of the Search and Screen Committee.
Application requirements and procedures and additional details on the position, benefits and UA employment can be found here.
The University of Arizona is a committed Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
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Assistant/Associate Agent Posotion (ANR)
This continuing eligible Assistant/Associate Extension Agent position will work with a dynamic team of professionals developing and delivering community outreach programs that provide research-based, objective informal agriculture and natural resources education in Pima County, Arizona. The primary focus of the position will be to develop and deliver education and assistance to small-scale and urban growers in Pima County, Arizona. In addition, the agent will engage and collaborate with urban food systems work conducted at the Pima County Cooperative Extension (PCCE), The Garden Kitchen, and 4-H farm-focused youth workforce development at PCCE Tucson Village Farm. The Agent will also oversee the Master Gardener Program located at PCCE as well as other natural resources programming related to the environment and natural systems. In addition to outreach, the agent will develop and conduct applied research, produce scholarly Extension publications, present at conferences and meetings, and pursue grant funding to support research and program work. This position is administratively and programmatically responsible to the County Extension Director and the Director of Arizona Cooperative Extension and is located at Pima County Cooperative Extension. Please visit UA Talent req14352 to apply.
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