Tuesday Morning Notes
August 18, 2009
2009 FACULTY AND EXTENSIONIST OF THE YEAR AWARDS:
Each year we recognize both our faculty and our strong contributors to Extension programs with the Extension Faculty of the Year Award and the Extensionist of the Year Award. It is time to make a call for nominations and I strongly encourage you to submit a recommendation for the Faculty of the Year and/or the Extensionist of the Year awards. The Faculty of the Year award will be presented at an appropriate event where the recipient will receive $1,000 and a plaque. The Extensionist of the Year award will be presented at an appropriate college-wide event to recognize residents of the State of Arizona who have contributed time and talent, through Cooperative Extension, to citizens of their community and state. Letters of nomination from faculty and staff in Extension should state the nature and extent of the service that the individual has performed and how it has benefited the community, the state and its citizens. Please submit your nominations to my office by September 30. Go to cals.arizona.edu/awards/extfacultyawd.html for Extension Faculty of the Year Award nomination form and criteria and to cals.arizona.edu/extension/kudos/2009extensionistnomination.pdf for the nomination form for the Extensionist of the Year Award. If you have any questions, please contact my office (520.621.7205).
ACE DRUPAL WEB SITE TRAINING:
Sign ups for Drupal training, the new content management system we will transition to for our Cooperative Extension Web sites, are still available. Through Drupal we want to enable you or your designee(s) to put your program and event information content directly into the Web site right from your computers. You will also be able to easily change and update your program information. This round of trainings will focus on getting state program information and events into the database and will take place on the UA campus in the Forbes computer lab. We will offer trainings via Breeze at a later date and may be able to offer some on-site training when we are ready to input county information. If interested in learning how to put state program and event information into a site, go to Doodle at doodle.com/ay3z5d2kynhuhad8 and indicate your availability. Class sizes will be limited to 8 people, so indicate all dates/times that you are available. If you have questions, contact Sheila Merrigan (merrigan@cals.arizona.edu or 520.626.6543).
FOCUS ON PROGRAMS:
- VISTAS Making an Impact for Arizona Extension - Since February, Arizona 4-H has benefited immensely from the services of 9 VISTA members who are making valuable contributions to the state and to Extension. We are proud to have them working in partnership with Extension agents and specialists on a wide variety of projects. These VISTAS are working on military projects, Stealth Health, rainwater harvesting, TerraPod, the Power of the Wind, volunteer recruitment, skateboard parks and many more projects. We profiled several Arizona 4-H VISTA members in the new Arizona 4-H Project Selection Guide which can be ordered through the Publications Distribution Center (pubs1.cals.arizona.edu/sales/index.cfm or 520.318.7275). Below are links to some of the films they have produced (with a special congratulations to Cochise County 4-H for a winning video in the National 4-H SET Video Challenge Contest). Click on the following titles to connect to each film: Global Youth Service Day at the High Ropes Course (www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwdZOuxnltU), National 4-H Video Challenge Contest (4-h.org/set/videochallengeresults.html look for the video titled "Investigating Wind Power Using the Scientific Method"), and Rainwater Harvesting Project (www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0SodEceXyQ).
- UA Master Gardeners Are Popular - The UA Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners in Maricopa County were in demand at the August 7-9 Maricopa Home and Garden Show. Thanks to the leadership of staff members Kristen Wagner, Sharon Dewey, Loretta Hostettler and all our volunteers. Presentations were given to almost 1,600 people in attendance at the show. Attendees learned about Vegetable Garden Soil Preparation (209 people); Terrariums (55); Right Plant, Right Place (253); Cactus, Aloes and Agaves (264); Gardening for Seniors (188); Rose Care (123); Get the Buzz on Bees (84); Fall Herb Gardening (174); and Fall Vegetable Gardening (215).
- New Grants to Arizona 4-H - Arizona 4-H recently received word of an increase of $5,000 to help with overseas 4-H military training for Air Force base personnel in Japan and South Korea. These funds will be added to the $7,500 traditionally received and will enable 4-H to provide face-to-face training to base personnel who direct educational programs on these U.S. military bases. Arizona 4-H is also in line to receive $5,000 more from the Joseph Stanley Leeds Foundation. Last week, 4-H had a very successful meeting with Marilyn LeRud, the chief grants officer, and she is very pleased with how the foundation’s support has helped with TerraPod and other film making projects. They showcased a few of the videos that have been produced with the cameras that the Leeds Foundation funds helped purchase and shared a copy of the new Arizona 4-H Publications Catalog with her that features a story on TerraPod. The additional funds for this year will allow 4-H to purchase more cameras for counties as well as a few netbook computers.
CONTINUING STATUS AND PROMOTION WORKSHOP UPDATE MEETING:
We are planning to hold an update of the 2007 Continuing Status and Promotion workshop, along with an APR writing/reporting component. To help us choose the best dates, go to the following Doodle site (doodle.com/zkdb5e9gdfar98au) and choose the dates for which you are available. We anticipate running from noon to noon and the meeting will most likely be in Tucson. You are encouraged to attend if you are: a) not yet continued faculty, b) faculty who may wish to put in for promotion in the future, c) "seasoned" faculty who may be a future member of either the departmental, college, or university level committee. Input is needed by this Friday, August 21. If you have any questions, contact Patti B. (520.621.5308).
UPDATED FACULTY/STAFF ROSTER AVAILABLE:
The latest downloadable version (August 18, 2009 cals-cf.calsnet.arizona.edu/exact/roster/pdf/20090818Roster.pdf) of the on-line Faculty/Staff Roster is now available under the "Directory Listing" section of our Web site. A direct link is available by clicking the date above. If you have additional changes, email or fax (520.621.1314) them to Steven Crofts (scrofts@cals.arizona.edu).
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- The Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) is hosting a special Community Evening Program, "Israeli and Palestinian Water Management and Policy: Challenges Facing Water Managers and Potential Solutions" on Tuesday, September 1, starting at 7:30pm at the Westward Look Resort, Sonoran Ballroom 245 East Ina Road, Tucson. There will be introductory remarks by UA President, Robert Shelton, and keynote speakers include Dr. Shaddad Attili, Chairman, The Palestinian Water Authority and Professor Uri Shani, Director General, The Israeli Water Authority. If you would like to attend, RSVP to Jane Cripps (jcripps@cals.arizona.edu or 520.621.9591, ext. 55). Go to cals.arizona.edu/azwater/AzIP_Community_Prog.pdf for a program flyer.
- Another Ranching and Land Stewardship in the Future workshop will be held on Friday, September 18 in Kingman (specific location yet to be determined). A variety of speakers will once again share their insights into land protection and estate planning options for landowners, large and small. Please RSVP by September 14 to Erik Glenn (erikg@cals.arizona.edu) if you plan to attend.
James A. Christenson, Ph.D.
(jimc@cals.arizona.edu)
Associate Dean and Director
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Forbes, Room 301
Tucson, Arizona 85721
520/621-7205
520/621-1314 FAX
TMN submittal: http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/tuesday/submittal_form.html