Wow – this week and next seem to be a mad rush to get everything done before the winter break. The result will be even greater need for a break that will only happen if I get everything done in time. Truth be told, the ‘break' is shaping up to be far more hectic than the norm so I will be glad to get back to work.
Today I met with the UC Davis Specialists and some of the AES faculty. It was great to hear what the Specialist Advisory Committee has been working on and hear a college update from Dean Dillard. The conversation throughout the meeting was positive despite the difficult nature of the topics (REC recharge rates, the recent outcome of the 2018 Position Call Process). Perhaps there is never gain without some pain. What really stuck with me was the statistic that Helene presented indicating that over 50 of the 67 UCD CE Specialists received an award in FY2017-2018! That is impressive! No wonder it is so easy to love the work of UC ANR. And no wonder UC Davis is top ranked in so many fields!
I spent some time over the weekend getting notes out to the last of the Ideation Workshop teams. I remain hopeful that most of the teams continue to develop their ideas. The teams had great ideas; my abbreviated summary of the ideas are below. Teams are open to additional membership and expertise. If you know someone who attended the workshop, be sure to ask the participant about the projects listed below. If any titles interest you, I would be happy to connect you to the teams for further discussion.
Synergists – Developing credit-based internship courses for UC students
Bond's Beach Party – Incentivizing and rewarding revenue generation by academics
Wolf Pack – Creating ANR stories to foster donor support
HAKZ Inc. – Building a food waste collaborative
Insight Out Explorers – Development of a platform for peer sharing of best practices to enhance fund development efforts
Zootopia – Fee-based adult learning opportunities as part of the UC ANR portfolio of offerings
Impact A-Team – Creating a Consumer's Report system for ag tech
A-Team – Developing a subscription service for online learning
Girl Party – Establishing scientists in residence within county-based Cooperative Extension
Flying Squirrels – Offering farm-to-dinner with a scientist events as a fundraising opportunity
ANR 3.0 – Expanding evaluation service offerings within UC ANR
Tomorrow I am visiting San Francisco and San Mateo County offices. Tomorrow will be my first time to visit the San Francisco space that we now rent a couple of days each week. Igor was successful in negotiating use of the space, and while it may seem a small step, it represents a door opening that could lead to an even stronger partnership and presence in San Francisco. Maggie Gunn attended the Ideation Workshop so I had a chance to meet her then but this visit will be my first chance to talk to her about her goals and challenges in her new position as 4-H Advisor and co-County Director. Given traffic, tomorrow promises to be a long, but exciting day.