TopicsSeptember 26, 2023
- Message from the Associate Vice-President and Director of Extension
- Congrats to 2023 Heart of Extension Award Recipients
- Sabbatical Application Window Open
- RISE Symposium Coming Soon
- Volunteers Needed for Grape Study
- FCHS Area Agent Patty Merk Earns Basha Excellence Award
- ALVSCE Research Workshop
- Requesting CRED Team Evaluation Support
- Job Opening
| |
Message from the Associate Vice-President and Director of Extension
Last week, I attended a new University administrator workshop hosted by Vice-Provost Andrea Romero and Professor Carl Liaupsin, Head of the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies. Although I know I’m not exactly “new,” I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to brush up on support available for administrators. The workshop covered areas such as faculty governance, prioritizing tasks, and learning to delegate. It also covered issues on funding and the difference between leading and managing. Overall, it was nice to learn how the University supports administrators and how we can better lead our teams, be they a department, center, college, or even UArizona Cooperative Extension. One highlight for me was when everyone in the room agreed on one thing – communication is a critical aspect of leadership – at least, that’s what I heard. Hopefully, these Tuesday Extension Notes provide some communication to our faculty, staff, and stakeholders throughout the state. We work hard to keep everyone updated on events and issues that affect Extension. With an ever-changing landscape at the University and often within our communities, sometimes a once-a-week newsletter seems inadequate. Then again, I have already reached 171 words and probably lost many of you after the first 100 words - perhaps once a week is more than sufficient.
| |
Heart of Extension Award
Eight Extension teammates from across the state earned Heart of Extension Awards in 2023. Each received a plaque August 4 at the Annual Conference in Tucson. Each week, TEN is featuring the presentation speeches from the conference. Congratulations!
Kyle Harrington
Associate in Extension, Maricopa County
Kyle’s nominator enthusiastically and wholeheartedly nominated him for a Heart of Extension Award, stating that Kyle’s abilities span the areas of scholarship, technical, and leadership. He has contributed to several impactful peer-reviewed publications and developed an app to provide practical tools to utilize the results of his research.
Kyle is known for his efforts promoting workforce safety and diversity. He is the “go-to-person” for mechanical, safety, and “know how” advice and fixes in Maricopa County Cooperative Extension. Kyle is known for providing help to whoever asks. He is the chairperson of the Safety Committee at Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, a member of the Insect Festival Committee, and presents about Cooperative Extension, agriculture, Entomology, and pest management for different schools, clubs and interested organizations, especially those serving underserved, and socially disadvantage communities.
Kyle’s achievements, efforts, and work are truly outstanding. Kyle is a kind, gentle, fair, and smart person. Very few people have achieved excellence in parallel professional and academic careers, and even fewer have excelled in both at the same time, as Kyle has. Kyle helps others, develops communities, recognizes the power of diversity, and makes the work environment at Maricopa County Cooperative Extension safe, enjoyable, and recognizable.
| |
The 2024-25 Sabbatical Process Now Open
Faculty interested in applying for sabbatical can now visit the Faculty Affairs website to download an application and review the process and related policies.
The dealine for sabattical applications is close of business Friday, November 18. Applications must be submitted a single PDF and must be signed by the Unit Head or CED. Requests from Cooperative Extension faculty must also be signed by Director of Extension Ed Martin. Applications should be submitted to Jean McLain at mclainj@arizona.edu with the Unit Head or CED cc'd.
| |
The 19th annual RISE Symposium is set for next month on the University of Arizona campus. Objectives include sharing recent research results from the USDA-ARS Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed and University of Arizona Santa Rita Experimental Range, encouraging research at the WGEW and SRER, and promoting the WGEW and the SRER as scientific laboratories. Speakers will present recent or ongoing research on the WGEW, SRER or other outdoor laboratories. There is also a student poster competition with monetary awards.
Scheduled speakers include Nico Franz describing the NEON Biorepository; Michael Kotutwa Johnson describing what we can learn from indigenous ingenuity; Joel Biederman describing early results of a precipitation manipulation experiment; and Betsy Arnold describing the diversity of soil microbes and mushrooms.
When: 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, October 21
Where: Marley Building Auditorium (Room 230), University of Arizona, Tucson
Please see the symposium website to read the program, register, submit poster abstracts or enter the student poster contest, or view talks and posters from past years.
| |
FCHS Area Agent Patty Merk Earns Basha Excellence Award
FCHS Area Agent Patty Merk was recently honored by First Things First with an Eddie Basha Excellence Award for her 15 years of service on the Phoenix South Regional Council. Merk earned the award August 31 at the organization's regional summit.
"Being a part of the Phoenix South Council for 15 years has been an honor. I have been able to conbtribute and actually see the impact that our efforts are making as children grow and develop," Merk said.
Conratulations!
| |
ALVSCE Research Workshop
The ALVSCE Research Office is offering a workshop to provide a comprehensive research introduction to all ALVSCE employees, including faculty, specialists, agents, administrators, business officers, post-docs, graduate students. Topics will include a Research Office overview, ALVSCE grant support staff introductions, PIVOT - finding funding opportunities, proposal and budget basics, Grant Writing 101, ORCID and SciENcv, communications & cyber technologie, Tech Launch Arizona, data and dashboards, and speaking with the media.
When: 9 a.m.-noon, Friday, October 6
Where: UArizona Forbes Building, 124 or via Zoom
An optional one-hour networking lunch will follow the workshop (RSVP required). Please RSVP here for Zoom or in-person attendance. General questions may be sent to Zaida Zalbidea at zaidaz@arizona.edu or 520-621-5242.
| |
Requesting Community Research, Evaluation and Development (CRED) Evaluation Support
CRED is excited to have more dedicated time this year to support Cooperative Extension and its program planning, proposal writing, and evaluation efforts. While CRED will continue to focus on evaluation capacity building by offering training and workshops on topics that Extension personnel have told us are important, we are also available to all Extension programs to help with using the Statewide Needs Assessment materials, writing proposals, program and evaluation planning, designing surveys, program evaluation, analysis, and reporting.
| |
Job Opening
Assistant/Associate Agent (ANR), Pima County – 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. 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 the UA Talent website for more information or to apply. If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Curley.
| |
|
