I would like to welcome and introduce Cathy Roberts, the new Associate Accountant in the
Arizona 4-H Youth Foundation Office. She is replacing Margaret Gallegos (whose last day was December 1)
on a part-time basis with her hours being 9:00-5:00, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. You can contact her
at 520-621-7211 or croberts@cals.arizona.edu. Welcome aboard.
Beginning January 2, 2006, Ron Allen will be appointed as head of the Department of Animal Sciences.
Ron is an outstanding scientist who will lead Animal Sciences into the future. Please join me in
welcoming Ron to his new position. Bob Collier will provide leadership in research based in the new
Animal Sciences/Environmental Building on the North Campus Ag Center.
With the holiday season approaching, I want to remind everyone that faculty APRs (submitted through
the APROL system) are due January 20, 2006. Remember, you need unit head approval, so submit them
early enough to give your county director, department head, or school director time to read and
approve them. The APROL sign-in site is available at http://cals.arizona.edu/aprol, the evaluation
form Extension uses is available at http://ag.arizona.edu/extension/profdev/appointedpersonnelevalform.pdf,
and the Dean’s 11/28 memo can be found at http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/download/DeansMemo11-28-05.pdf(username = cals / password = ua). If you have any questions on the process, contact Patti B.
(520-621-5308 ).
Were you at this year’s staff in-service or did you miss this one? Either way, you can view all the fun
we had in picture form at http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/employee/staff_conference_05/(with username “cals” and password “ua”). Some of the thumbnails will appear distorted
(due to forcing them all to be the same size), but when you click on the photo they will display in
larger format and are all downloadable if you have a favorite or two you want to keep. This is not a
public website, so only you “select few” can see these. Special thanks to Sheila Merrigan
(our photographer) and Xinyu Zhang (who put this page together for us). Enjoy!
There has been some discussion regarding virtual domain names for websites, such as .org, on the CALS
server. A virtual domain name for a site on the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences main server
is a site name that does not start with either cals.arizona.edu or ag.arizona.edu. These are some issues
to consider if you are considering using .org: 1) cals.arizona.edu or ag.arizona.edu clearly links your
program to the University of Arizona as a research-based educational institution, 2) an .edu is a
recognized and trusted source of information, 3) an .edu helps market extension and the college as a
whole organization, 4) the CALS search engine will not find an .org, and 5) Extension resources will
not be used for development and maintenance of an .org site. You may request a virtual domain name on
the CALS server by contacting ECAT at http://cals.arizona.edu/ecat/web/virtualdomain.html. The request
will then be forwarded to Extension Administration for consideration. The first requirement is that
your program must demonstrate significant funding from sources outside of the University of Arizona.
If your program meets this requirement, it will then be reviewed and final decision made by Extension
Administration in conjunction with ECAT. If approved there must be clear identification on the front
page of the site that the site is a program in Cooperative Extension within the College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences at the University of Arizona and is hosted by the College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences. For more information, contact Kelly Block (520-626-9174 ).
The Western Center for Risk Management Education (Western Center), in conjunction with the Northeast,
North Central and Southern Centers, announces a funding opportunity for projects that help farm and
ranch families succeed through targeted risk management strategies. Awards will fund projects conducted
between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007 and are generally between $5,000 and $40,000; however, there is
no absolute upper or lower limit on the funds provided to a single project. To apply, go to the Western Center’s website and select “Available Grant Funding.” The two-stage online grants application process (Pre-Proposal and Full Proposal application) is fully explained in the Western Center's 2006 Request for Application (RFA), which is the binding document on application instructions. It is very important to read and follow all of the instructions. Applicants who view, read and follow the instructions provided in the RFA and the Proposal Resources section will have a far greater chance of success in receiving funds from the Western Center. Eligibility applicants are qualified private and public groups, organizations, and institutions with a demonstrated capacity to develop, carry out, and manage educational projects that create targeted results for agricultural producers and their families. The Western Center serves Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands.
For additional information, contact Trent Teegerstrom (520-621-6245).
Upcoming Events & Reminders:
Epsilon Sigma Phi is hosting a 75-minute web-based seminar entitled “Reflections on Extension Leadership”
on Wednesday, December 14 at 12:45pm EST. The seminar will feature panel members representing county,
state and administrative positions in Extension who will share their perspectives, experiences and
insights on leadership. You can join the presentation by web browser and speakerphone. The cost is $18
(for ESP members) or $25 (for non-members). To access the announcement and registration form, enter the
username of “cals” and the password of “ua” at the following link:
http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/download/Reflections.pdf.
La Paz County Cooperative Extension in collaboration with the Arizona Department of Agriculture
Consultation & Training Program are hosting a Farm Safety Workshop from 8:00am-1:00pm on Thursday,
December 15 (Bruce Church Farm Equipment Shop, Parker Valley) and on Friday, December 16 (Avi Kwa Ami
Farm Office, Mohave Valley). Each location will present the session in Spanish (from 8:00-10:00am)
and English (from 10:00am-12:00pm). For more information, contact Eric Norton(928-669-9843).
We want all Arizona children to be "Healthy Active Kids." The Healthy Lifestyles work group is
sponsoring a one-day workshop on Friday, January 13, 2006. It is free for Extension faculty, staff,
volunteers and partners who are interested in integrating healthy lifestyles into their youth and
family programming. Speakers include Michelle May, MD.; Joanne Ikeda, University of California; and
Audry Liddell, University of Idaho. Registration is required for one of the 4 sites with the UA
videoconferencing system classrooms - Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff or Sierra Vista. Contact Sharon Hoelscher Day or Joyce Alves for more information or
a registration flyer.
The Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) is hosting two events in January 2006, both at
the Doubletree Hotel at Reid Park in Tucson -- “Greenhouse Crop Production and Engineering Design Short
Course,” January 15-18 that will consist of expert plant science, engineering and marketing presentations
with professionals in both industry and education and visitations to the state-of-the-art tomato
production greenhouses and The University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center;
and “Growers Marketing Forum: Farm to Fork”, January 18-20, the first Growers Marketing Forum for
vegetable and specialty crop growers that will consist of a state-of-the-art tour of the greenhouse
tomato production and packing facility and continue with topics ranging from branding and packaging to
competitive entry into markets ranging from restaurants to wholesale to retail. For more information,
contact Priscilla Files (520-626-9566).
Join leading scientists and educators to learn more about emerging climate and rangeland ecology research
and help create practical tools for natural resource managers, decision-makers and practitioners at the
Climate and Rangelands Workshop: Beyond Boxes and Arrows - Assessing Climate Change/Variability and
Ecosystem Impacts in Southwestern Rangelands, January 25-26, 2006, Apache Gold Casino, San Carlos
(Hwy. 70, five miles east of Globe, San Carlos, AZ 85501). Early registration deadline is January 6
($70 for SRM and SWCS members, $85 for non-members, $40 for students and SRM/SWCS spouses, and $100
for anyone registering after January 6). The refund policy is according to SRMAZ section policy.
The registration and agenda is available online at: http://azrangelands.org. For more information,
contact Chris Jones (928-425-8586).
A reminder that the University of Arizona Water Sustainability Program (WSP) is accepting proposals for
the competitive grants program through the Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF), administered
by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). The deadline for proposal submission is January 31, 2006 with
awards being announced in early April and funding beginning July 1, 2006. You can view and download the
RFP at http://uawater.arizona.edu/grants/rfp.html. For further information contact Jackie Moxley.