FOCUS ON FACULTY:
- Congratulations to Russ Tronstad who is the Winter 2008 recipient of the University Distinguished Outreach Faculty Award. This is appropriate recognition for a lot of hard and competent work for the College and University.
- I'd like to welcome Dr. Guangyao (Sam) Wang , Assistant Specialist, Cropping Systems, who joined the Plant Sciences faculty and is located at the Maricopa Agricultural Center.
FOCUS ON PROGRAMS:
- Future State Funding Support: We are seeking your input regarding decisions we will make for providing future state funding support for Cooperative Extension Programs. The information you provide via this survey will be important in our decision making process. Please complete the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=VUdLeLdMEb0eG2gomAoF4A_3d_3d by April 11 . If you have questions regarding items in the survey or if you have additional ideas or recommendations for us regarding program support, contact any of the Extension Program Administrators (Ed Martin, Linda Houtkooper, Kirk Astroth).
- Healthy Lifestyles: A Healthy Lifestyles working group meeting was held on March 26 and 27th. Guest speakers included Dr. Linda Houtkooper, Dr. Kirk Astroth, Dr. Scott Going, Dr. Kay Hongu, Dr. Mark Langworthy, and Nancy Rogers MS, RD. The goals of the meeting included exploring future partnerships with 4-H and Healthy Lifestyle programming, exploring new technology as a tool for programming, exploring potential models of partnership between extension and research, and to explore cost benefit analysis to program outcomes. End of the year reports and framework for future Working Group and initiative funding were planned. A GPS activity at the Pima County Extension office was also included. A special thanks goes to all who participated to make this meeting a success.
FACULTY AND EXTENSIONIST OF THE YEAR AWARDS - REMINDER:
A reminder that 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 and I'd like to encourage you to submit a recommendation for the Faculty of the Year and/or the Extensionist of the Year awards. This year we will receive nominations for both 2007 and 2008 since we did not have a Faculty Conference last year. The Faculty of the Year awards will be presented at the 2008 Faculty Conference in August where the recipients will receive $1,000 and a plaque. The Extensionist of the Year awards 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 the Cooperative Extension office by May 1 . Extension Faculty of the Year Award nomination forms and criteria are located at http://ag.arizona.edu/awards/extfacultyawd.html. A nomination for the Extensionist of the Year Award is located at http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/download/2007-08_Nomination_Form.pdf. If you have any questions, please contact my office (520.621.7205).
UPCOMING EVENTS & DEADLINES:
- All retirees are invited to attend the Annual Retirees BBQ to be held Saturday, April 12 , from 4:30-8:00pm at the El Rio Center, 1390 West Speedway, Tucson. "Catching-up" hour is from 4:30-5:30, good eating from 5:30-6:30, and fun entertainment begins at 6:30.
- UA Cooperative Extension is hosting an Extension Water Summit on May 1 at the Swede Johnson Building. This in-service will include presentations from several Extension faculty and roundtable discussions. The goal is to provide the framework for additional collaboration within the colleges extension system and bring focus to the varied aspects of the complex issue of Extensions water programs. Registration is required; please go to: http://cals.arizona.edu/exact/watersummit/. The preliminary agenda is at: http://cals.arizona.edu/exact/watersummit/agenda.pdf. For further information, contact Patti B. (520.621.5308).