Congratulations to Fresno County where the eleventh Forever 4-H Endowment will be established! Please reach out to the team and congratulate them on this accomplishment.
Congratulations, also, to Dean Helene Dillard, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Dean Kathryn Uhrich dean of the UC Riverside, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and Linda Harris, UC Cooperative Extension specialist, who are among 564 newly elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. AAAS fellows are scientists, engineers and innovators who have been recognized for their achievements across disciplines ranging from research, teaching and technology, to administration in academia, industry and government, to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public. What a great statement about women in science and leadership! UC is fortunate to have both Helene, Kathryn, and Linda!
I have had interesting conversations this week. Earlier in the week, Katherine and I discussed the new NIFA reporting system. While change can always cause some anxiety and reporting systems don't make anyone's ‘favorite' list, I am pleased to see that the focus is on the ‘why?' of research and extension efforts. I think the new system is more streamlined and particularly for those AES researchers who work closely with CE academics, the reporting will be welcomed, especially for those who focus on team accomplishments (i.e. the impact of the continuum). This morning I and the ECOP chair-elect met with NIFA Director Castille. Our conversation was about aligning messages as we work to advance the message about the NIFA partnership with land grant universities.
Of particular interest was the message from NIFA that impact is important, and so, too, is relevance. We are encouraged to emphasize Cooperative Extension's relevance to communities. Relevance requires strong engagement with our partners and clientele to build the relationship and build trust. No doubt this continues to be difficult as new subvariants are identified. I empathize with all who have had to pivot, repeatedly, to meet program objectives and applaud all who have navigated safety measures to continue in-person interactions to the extent safety measure allow. When thinking about Project Board entries, please keep ‘relevance' in mind, especially when talking about efforts related to DEI, workforce preparedness, emergency response and preparedness, and community development. I left the conversation excited about NIFA's enthusiasm and commitment to Cooperative Extension and AES research. I can't wait to begin reading this year's impact and relevance stories!