TUESDAY MORNING NOTES - October 23, 2012

Tue Oct 23 11:41:50 MST 2012

TMN submittal:
http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/tuesday/form/submittal_form.html 

Tuesday Morning Notes 

October 23, 2012

FROM THE DIRECTOR:

I attended a field day last week at the Maricopa Agricultural Center (MAC).
It was a beautiful day at a great time of year to conduct a field day of
this type, the event was well-planned and carried out, and they had
excellent attendance.  Ayman Mostafa, the Extension Ag Team, the Arizona
Pest Management Center, and the entire MAC faculty/staff did an excellent
job in developing and executing the event.  My congratulations to all of
them!

This event also very clearly demonstrated the distinct connection between
the applied and translational research and Extension education programs that
are intimately connected and become one complete functional entity in CALS.
In the case of this event at MAC, the faculty and staff had the opportunity
to take people out into the field and describe the background regarding the
problems they are addressing, show them directly and explain the research
work they are conducting, and then present the results in practical terms of
application.   

This arrangement with faculty and staff based at our Agricultural Centers
(which I would prefer to identify as "Research and Extension Centers") is
extremely important in addressing our mission in CALS and Cooperative
Extension.  We also have many faculty and staff conducting programs in CALS
that are not based at the Centers but utilize them extensively.  Therefore,
we are fully committed in CALS to the strong research-based Extension
programs and the centers that serve as the physical platform from which
these programs are directed out in the State. 

In relation to the purpose and function of these Centers, I am working to
better incorporate the Center directors that have Extension/research
personnel and programs based at their site with all lines of planning and
communication in Cooperative Extension, similar to County Extension
Directors and Department (unit) Heads.  The Centers are vital to our ability
in CALS to conduct the translational and applied research that fuels our
Cooperative Extension efforts in many areas and provide important components
to our strategic planning for the future.  

This arrangement with the combination of research and Extension with our
programs across the college, including the Centers, is the reality that we
have in CALS at this time.  This is a functional and practical model for
program development in many facets in our Cooperative Extension portfolio
and it will continue to be the norm from which we will build and develop
many new programs that serve and reach out across this State.

FOCUS ON FACULTY:

I'd like to personally add my congratulations to the winners of the 2012
CALS Outstanding Team Award - the Environment and Sustainability Extension
Signature Program Team.  The team of specialists and agents working to
address climate change and sustainability through practical extension
programming included:  Chris Jones (Gila County), Mark Apel (Cochise
County), Gregg Garfin (SNRE), Mike Crimmins (SWES), Dan McDonald (Pima
County), Tom DeGomez (Coconino County), Melanie Lenart (SWES), Candice
Rupprecht (WRRC), Kerry Schwartz (WRRC), Channah Rock (Maricopa Ag Center),
Erik Glenn (Yavapai County), Darcy Tessman (Cochise County), Ayman Mostafa
(Maricopa County), and Bill Brandau (Graham County).  

FOCUS ON STAFF:

Robert Armstrong recently accepted an offer for a new position with the CALS
Communications and Technology (CCT) unit, effective October 29.  In so
doing, Robert is joining a team that will be directed by Mr. Robert Casler
to provide a full range of web-based IT support for CALS, including
Cooperative Extension.  The intention of this new construct is to provide
the critical mass and complimentary expertise among the members of this team
to render a strong and capable group to provide this level of critical
support to our programs across the college.  We thank Robert Armstrong for
his many contributions while working for Cooperative Extension and we look
forward to working with him and the other members of this CCT group in the
future.

Carol Besselsen has accepted a new position within Extension, Administrative
Associate, as of October 29.  She will be working .75 FTE from 8:00am-2:00pm
(and no longer working a split position between our office and Ag Experiment
Station).  Carol's duties will expand to include additional administrative
support as well as select accounting support.  Her new phone number is
520.621.3621.

Congratulations to both.

FOCUS ON PROGRAMS:

The Water Resources Research Center has been awarded a $138,000 grant from
the Walton Family Foundation to support outreach and tool development for
its innovative Conserve to Enhance program.  Conserve to Enhance provides a
way for individual water users - home owners, businesses, etc. - to link
their personal water use and water conservation efforts with environmental
enhancement projects.  This grant is the second year of support provided by
the Walton Family Foundation for the program.  Over the course of the 14
month grant (November 2012 to December 2013), WRRC staff will conduct
outreach about Conserve to Enhance to water utilities and NGOs throughout
the Colorado River Basin, support expansion and development of Conserve to
Enhance programs in Tucson and other communities, and develop a new only
water conservation calculator tool to help people learn how they can save
water.  More information about Conserve to Enhance, including how to enroll
in the Tucson Conserve to Enhance program, is available on the WRRC website
<http://wrrc.arizona.edu/c2e>  .

O'BRIEN ENDOWMENT AWARD CALL FOR PROPOSALS:

The call for proposals for the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (CALS)
James P. & Shirley J. O'Brien Endowment has been extended one week to
Friday, November 2.  For detailed information, go to the Proposal Submission
Guidelines
<https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/resourcefil
e/resource/scrofts/ProjectProposalGuidelines.pdf>  and/or the Endowment Gift
Agreement
<http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/resourcefile
/resource/scrofts/O%27Brien_Gift_Agreement.pdf>  or view previous award
winners
<http://extension.arizona.edu/state/james-p-shirley-j-obrien-endowment-award
> .  It is important to note that there was an incorrect file loaded for the
submission guidelines and that has been corrected - so please recheck the
guidelines file.  Also note that this award differs from the "Shirley
O'Brien Diversity Award" offered through CALS.  If you have any questions,
contact Steven Crofts <mailto:scrofts at cals.arizona.edu>  (520.621.7145). 

TECH TIP OF THE WEEK - TIPS FOR SHOPPING SAFELY ONLINE:

Online shoppers are commonly targeted through three methods:  by
compromising unsecured or unprotected computers, by creating fraudulent
websites and email, and by intercepting unsecured Internet connections.
Following these tips can help protect you while shopping online:

*	Use and maintain anti-virus software, a firewall, and anti-spyware 
*	Keep software, particularly your web browser, up to date
*	Do business with reputable vendors
*	Take advantage of security features, such as passwords and other
security features
*	Be wary of emails requesting information
*	Check privacy policies before providing personal or financial
information
*	Make sure your information is being encrypted
*	Use a credit card instead of a debit card
*	Check your bank or credit union statements, and compare them to your
online purchase

For more information, check out the United States Computer Emergency
Readiness Team <http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST07-001.html>  (US_CERT)
website.  

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*	UA Food Day Fair
<http://uafoodday.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/2012-food-day-flier-fb-1.jpg>
, Wednesday, October 24, 10am-2pm, UA Mall - The goal of Food Day is to
celebrate the concepts of Eat Real.  What does that mean? To Eat Real means
you vote with your fork for foods that are sustainable, humane, healthy,
accessible and safe, and will ultimately improve our food system and the
health of our bodies, minds and the environment.

*	Grandparents and other relative caregivers are invited to a
Strengthening Grandfamily Connections regional workshop, November 10,
10:00am-3:00pm at the Church of the Red Rocks (54 Bowstring), Sedona.  The
workshop is co-hosted by the UA Coconino Extension program "Raising Up
GRANDchildren" - support for caregivers and the Sedona Discussion group.
Workshop topics include helping your grandchild overcome adverse childhood
experiences, creating a partnership with schools to benefit your grandchild,
moving beyond conflict-reinventing necessary communication with adult
children, and sorting through DES support.  Participants will hear from and
ask questions of speakers including CPS, guidance professionals, and both
grandparent and grandchildren panelists.  Caregivers are encouraged to
preregister with Jan Newton <mailto:newtonj at cals.arizona.edu>
(928.774.1868, ext 150) or Rebecca (928.774.1868, ext 100).  Preregistration
is $5 for a single caregiver and $10 per couple.  Registration on the day of
the workshop is $10 and $15. 

*	2012 Arizona Agriculture Literacy Days, November 19-21 - It's the
7th year of the AZ Ag Literacy Days and a piloted version of the 1st
children's book dedicated to Arizona's agriculture industry has been
released.  This program helps the upcoming generation see how connected we
all are to agriculture through volunteers who take 20 minutes of their time
to visit a nearby elementary school. During a visit, volunteers share a
PowerPoint of the "piloted book" to a K-3 classroom.  It's an easy process -
think of the children in your life and then contact their elementary school
- either a specific teacher or the school's librarian - to schedule a visit.
Once a date and time are set, volunteers must then complete the online
registration form
<https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/spreadsheet/viewform?pli=1&form
key=dFlZZUdBOF81aUFsTWcwVXFVM182R1E6MQ#gid=0> .  The form will be processed
and volunteers are then given access to the PowerPoint or, if a class isn't
able to view a PowerPoint, the materials will be mailed to the volunteer.
If you are interested in volunteering, you will need to set up the class
visits and submit the online form no later than November 7.  For more
information or questions, contact Brandon Moak
<mailto:BMoak at cals.arizona.edu>  (602.827.8200 x389).

Jeffrey C. Silvertooth
Associate Dean

Director for Economic Development & Extension
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
PO Box 210036
Tucson, AZ  85721-0036
520.621.7205
520.621.1314 (fax)

To submit tips, suggestions, ideas for changes and anything that could help
us be more effective, use  the "Director
<http://extension.arizona.edu/state/directors-suggestion-box> 's Suggestion
Box" - all submissions are anonymous.  

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://list.cals.arizona.edu/pipermail/ace_astf/attachments/20121023/c921d560/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
ACE mailing list
ACE at CALS.arizona.edu
http://CALSmail.arizona.edu/mailman/listinfo/ace