It's been a while since I have posted (a week!). This isn't due to not having much to report on; quite the opposite. Again it has me wondering how I could better provide a means for everyone to have the opportunity to see all of the amazing things I get to see from UC ANR. This blog is a small attempt to do so.
Last week we finished the last two of the information sessions; Redding and Davis. Like the other sessions, they were both really fun and a nice chance to meet new faces, including some of our newest Advisors, and a chance to see people I had not seen in a while. Of the 5 sessions, Redding was the smallest attendance (about 26 or so) and Davis was the largest (100?). However, in each case the topic was the same so the conversation was familiar. What did surprise me was how different the UC ANR receptiveness to the concept of conveying public value and capturing condition change data was compared to my previous experience. Upon reflection, I think the difference can be attributed to the fact that impact reporting has been part of the expectation and culture in UC ANR for some time so the need to document impact (condition change) is familiar. That move from private to public value is a step rather than a leap. Kudos to Katherine Webb-Martinez and the Program Planning and Evaluation group for keeping UC ANR ahead of the Cooperative Extension curve! For those interested in the slide deck used during the meetings, it should be posted to the website in the next couple of days, if not today. I've been a bit of a laggard in getting that done.
I am eager to see what the cost of the information sessions totals. I see great value in holding such meetings once a year, even if there isn't a specific topic like there was this year. We'll have to see if it looks like the budget would allow. I would love to hear from some of you if you think it was time and money well spent and worth doing in the future. Summer may not be the ideal time either. Though given everyone's schedules, I'm not sure there is such a thing as a slow time.
Congratulations to Nancy Erbstein (PI), Charles Go, Russell Hill, Anna Martin, Fe Moncloa, Terri Spezzano, Connie Schneider, Steven Worker, Dennis Carrasquilla and David Ginsburg as well as a host of faculty and students at UC Davis for recognition of the Putting Youth on the Map project! UCOP recognized the group's efforts as the recipients of the Larry L. Sautter Award for Innovation in Information Technology. Another great example of innovation in action across UC ANR!