Spotlight on…

Join the UC Davis social network

Check out our Facebook, iTunes U and blog offerings on our new social media page. It's where the UC Davis community meets online to share ideas and express themselves. And here's a sampling of our staff and faculty blogs. [ More… ]

NEWS

New faculty stars: Junior faculty chosen for Hellman Family Foundation awards

Young faculty stars are the focus of the newly established Hellman Fellows Program. UC Davis informed 13 up-and-coming scholars earlier this month that they won grants from the Hellman Family Foundation in San Francisco. In all, UC Davis' stars collected almost $250,000. "These grants are for newer professors who show the capacity for great distinction in their research," said Bruce White, interim vice provost for academic personnel. [ More… ]

Ocean clean-up project nets $400K state grant

A Wildlife Health Center project to clean up the California coastal seafloor got a big boost Aug. 28 with a $400,000 grant from the state Wildlife Conservation Board. The funds will pay for staff and expenses to coordinate diving expeditions to collect lost gear, such as fishing nets and crab traps, from the waters off Central California. The California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project is run by wildlife health experts in the center's SeaDoc Society program. [ More… ]

Arboretum plans Oak Discovery Trail, education programs

The UC Davis Arboretum will build an Oak Discovery Trail in the Shields Oak Grove and launch education programs focused on oaks — thanks to a two-year, $150,000 grant from the federal government's Institute of Museum and Library Services. The new trail will feature plant labels and interpretive signs providing information on oak biology and ecology, the importance of oaks in human history and culture, their significance in mythology and lore, and the challenges facing oak populations worldwide. [ More… ]

In research: Feats of strength begin a lizard's day

Male Jamaican anole lizards begin and end the day with displays of reptilian strength — push-ups, head bobs and extensions of a colorful neck flap, or dewlap — to defend their territory, according to a new study by UC Davis postdoctoral researcher Terry J. Ord. The lizards are the first animals known to mark dawn and dusk through visual displays, rather than the much better known chirping, tweeting, and other sounding off by birds, frogs, geckos and primates. [ More… ]

State fair, centennial pavilion winding down

Starting today, you have only four days left to see the UC Davis Centennial pavilion at the California State Fair. The pavilion closes when the fair closes, Labor Day, Sept. 1. The exhibition, titled "Dream Big," showcases scholarship and research in food and agriculture, energy, the environment, health, and community building and global understanding. [ More… ]

Men's basketball team embarks on European tour

The UC Davis men's basketball team departed Wednesday on a 10-day tour of Europe, where the Aggies had games scheduled with four national teams. The itinerary includes stops in France, Switzerland and Monaco. "This is an incredible opportunity for us to participate in an enriching educational trip while continuing to develop a team identity," head coach Gary Stewart said. Read the players' and coaches' blogs from Europe. [ More… ]

Students set for Google e-mail service

Students at UC Davis will switch this fall to Google Inc.'s Gmail as their campus e-mail service, an e-mail system with vastly expanded data storage space, more features and access to popular communication tools. Students will continue to use their existing ucdavis.edu e-mail addresses. Faculty and staff accounts are not now moving to Gmail, but the campus will begin preliminary discussions on the subject down the road. [ More… ]

Labor Day reading: Campus author's view of the temp industry

Temporary help agencies place nearly 3 million Americans in jobs each day -- but the temp industry's very success may embolden some managers to view all workers as impermanent, jobs scholar Vicki Smith argues in her latest book, "The Good Temp." "Labor Day is an opportunity to remind ourselves that we have a long way to go to address the risks and vulnerabilities that workers face in today's global economy," said Smith, a professor and chair of sociology at UC Davis. [ More… ]

DIRECTIVES

No new directives were issued this week.

EVENTS

Author to share dog stories for children

Monday, Sept. 8, 10:30 a.m., Hutchison Child Development Center, behind the Rec Pool Lodge

Robert Leighton, professor emeritus in the School of Veterinary Medicine, will share stories from his new book, Dog Stories for Spencer. Leighton, 92, wrote the stories for his grandson. The book's illustrations are designed for children to color in themselves. [ More… ]

Teaching With Writing workshop

Monday, Sept. 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 126 Voorhies Hall

All-day workshop for faculty on varied ways to integrate writing into courses across the disciplines. Sponsored by the Teaching Resources Center and the University Writing Program. Registration deadline is Sept. 6. [ More… ]

Expert advice for fall planting in your garden

Saturday, Sept. 27, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The UC Davis Arboretum is offering "Great Plants for Central Valley Gardens" just in time for fall planting. The workshop cost is $35 for members of Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum, and advance registration is required. [ More… ]

Flag football and lacrosse camps scheduled for children

Various weekend dates, September and November; registration now open

The Department of Campus Recreation's Youth Programs will offer a pair of sports camps for children in the campus community. The first is Flag Football Frenzy, for boys and girls, and the second is a Boys Lacrosse Clinic. Registration deadlines: Sept. 12 for Flag Football Frenzy and Nov. 14 for the Boys Lacrosse Clinic. [ More… ]

More calendar listings…