Governor Janet Napolitano has announced the selection of Kathy Jacobs as Executive Director of the Arizona Water
Institute. Kathy has more than two decades of experience as a water researcher and manager. The Arizona Water Institute is a new
consortium of the state's three universities focused on issues related to sustaining water resources into the future. In
collaboration with state agencies and Arizona communities, it also is expected to provide public education and analytical
support for policy makers, as well as new technology development. Kathy will maintain her position as deputy director of
SAHRA and her affiliation with the Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science and Cooperative Extension. Congratulations,
Kathy!
Please welcome three new lead staff members to our county offices: Dusty Murdock (Greenlee), Robyn Ihde (Cochise) and Patricia
Pease (Coconino). Many of us met Dusty and Robyn at our November in-service, but Patricia joined us just before the holidays
(12/19). We know they have some big shoes to fill, so if you haven’t met or welcomed them yet, call or send an email. They are
listed on our website directory.
Starting today, the new Extension Calendar will replace our use of the CALS Calendar. The new URL is: http://cals.arizona.
edu/extension/calendar/. Links on the Extension website have been changed and Extension events in the CALS calendar have
been copied to the Extension calendar. County offices should already have received instructions on how to add events. For
further information, contact Kelly Block or Robert Armstrong.
Upcoming Events & Reminders:
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 this month, 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).
The 18th Annual Southwest Indian Agricultural Association (SWIAA) Annual Conference is being held January 17-19, 2006 in Laughlin,
Nevada. A diverse program is planned that includes topics and speakers from the national, regional and local levels. For more
information, an agenda and a registration form, go to http://cals.arizona.edu/americanindianprograms/swiaa.pdf.
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 at http://cals.arizona.edu/aprol, the Extension evaluation form 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. If you have any questions on the process, contact Patti B (520-621-
5308).
“An Emerging Audience on a Changing Landscape: Arizona’s Open Spaces and the New Exurban Clientele" workshop will be held on
Friday, January 20, 2006, 9:30am-3:00pm at the UA Student Union, Level 3, Catalina Room. Lunch will be provided and travel
expenses covered. Space is limited, so register early by contacting Christie Mills (520-621-8586).
The workshop will provide an opportunity to share the preliminary findings of a small Extension research project focused on
our changing rural population, the growing "exurban" sector. Using what has been learned to date combined with individual
experiences, the objective is to develop ideas for a strategy to extend the reach of natural resource education programs
more explicitly into the exurban market.
The 2006 “Walk Across Arizona” begins the week of January 24 in Maricopa County with a January 18 kick-off and is part of the
Healthy Lifestyles programming outreach through Cooperative Extension. Teams of 5-10 people can have a friendly competition
to see who can get their friends, co-workers and family out to build a healthy habit and walk for fitness. This program is
not a fundraiser, but a way to start and continue a healthy habit that reduces your risk of diabetes, heart disease,
osteoporosis and other chronic diseases. In 2005 more than 140 teams with 1,240 participants from worksites, churches,
schools and neighborhoods completed more than 190,000 miles! Pima County started this past fall. The promotion flyer and
team registration is online at http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/fcs/walk.htm. Contact Sharon Hoelscher Day for a team sign-up.
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 .