Posts Tagged: global

Clover Research Published on St. Pat's Day: Luck o' the Irish?

When evolutionary ecologist Marc Johnson, a professor of biology at the University of Toronto,...

Principal investigator (PI) Marc Johnson (far right) led the team with co-PI Rob Ness (far left), second author; and doctoral student James Santangelo (center), first author, all of the University of Toronto. The research was published in the journal Science on St. Patrick's Day (Johnson's birthday anniversary), with the official publication set March 18 (Ness' birthday anniversary).

Principal investigator (PI) Marc Johnson (far right) led the team with co-PI Rob Ness (far left), second author; and doctoral student James Santangelo (center), first author, all of the University of Toronto. The research was published in the journal Science on St. Patrick's Day (Johnson's birthday anniversary), with the official publication set March 18 (Ness' birthday anniversary).

The clover or shamrock symbolizes St. Patrick's Day, but this herbivore just considers it lunch. This image of a yellow-striped armyworm moth, Spodoptera ornithogalli, was taken in Louisiana. (Photo courtesy of Marc Johnson, University of Toronto)

The clover or shamrock symbolizes St. Patrick's Day, but this herbivore just considers it lunch. This image of a yellow-striped armyworm moth, Spodoptera ornithogalli, was taken in Louisiana. (Photo courtesy of Marc Johnson, University of Toronto)

Two UC students named Global Food Initiative Fellows with UC ANR

University of California students Anna Rios and Conor McCabe have been selected as Global Food Initiative fellows for UC Agriculture and Natural Resources during the 2021-22 school year. Their projects will involve working with campus-based academics, UC Cooperative Extension professionals, and staff to conduct research and communications to improve food security, nutrition and agriculture sustainability for communities across California.

Rios is a senior in molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley. Rios is originally from the small rural town of Williams, about two hours north of the Bay Area. In her home community, she noticed the prevalence of packaged and processed foods, along with health burdens present. Coming into college, Rios had no interest in research, but this slowly shifted as she gained more exposure to research through her involvement with Lorrene Ritchie, director of the Nutrition Policy Institute. In this upcoming year, she will work on two GFI projects which focus on improving nutrition in infants and school-aged children through nutritious school meals.

“As a first-generation college student and daughter of immigrants, I'm looking to take the findings of my research work to benefit not one or two individuals, but rather multiple generations through program and policy change and reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases in my hometown and communities across California,” Rios said.

McCabe is a Ph.D. student in animal science at UC Davis. His research focuses on the intersection of agriculture and the environment by reducing the environmental impact of intensive cattle production. Every part of McCabe's past has focused on Extension and agriculture programs from raising pigs in 4-H to show at the county fair to talking with decisionmakers on Capitol Hill for funding for agriculture research and Extension programs. His project for the GFI will focus on strategic communications on food-related issues for underserved communities.

“I'm strongly interested in career opportunities in food and agriculture and its relationship with policy implications,” said McCabe. “This fellowship is sure to serve as a key experience to continue my engagement into positively impacting California communities.”

The Global Food Initiative was founded in 2014 under then UC President Janet Napolitano with the goal of conquering the question of how to sustainably and nutritiously feed a world population that is expected reach 8 billion by 2025. Fellows across the 10 UC campuses and Agriculture and Natural Resources work on projects or internships that focus on food issues. Participants receive professional development, tours of food and agriculture sites throughout California, and a $3,000 annual stipend to support their education experience.

'Climate Change' May Be a Key Factor in Declining Butterfly Populations

The public tends to blame habitat loss and pesticides for the declining butterfly populations in...

Edith’s checkerspot (Euphydryas editha) is one of the species declining in at least two datasets quoted in the Science publication. (Photo courtesy of Walter Siegmund, Wikipedia)

Edith’s checkerspot (Euphydryas editha) is one of the species declining in at least two datasets quoted in the Science publication. (Photo courtesy of Walter Siegmund, Wikipedia)

UC Davis distinguished professor Art Shapiro monitoring butterfly populations along Gates Canyon Road, Vacaville. This image was taken Jan. 25, 2014. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

UC Davis distinguished professor Art Shapiro monitoring butterfly populations along Gates Canyon Road, Vacaville. This image was taken Jan. 25, 2014. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Amanda Koltz Seminar: Species Interactions and Global Change

"It's important to consider species interactions in efforts to understand ecosystem responses...

Global change ecologist Amanda Koltz, a senior scientist with the Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, will present a virtual seminar, hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology, on Oct. 14.

Global change ecologist Amanda Koltz, a senior scientist with the Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, will present a virtual seminar, hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology, on Oct. 14.

Two Cal students selected as UC ANR Global Food Initiative fellows

Two graduate students from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health have been selected by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources as Global Food Initiative (GFI) Fellows for 2019-2020. Elsa Esparza and Andrea Jacobo will focus on community-based initiatives and programs related to food access, food insecurity, addressing the needs of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and highlighting the work of the local UC Cooperative Extension offices.

Esparza, second-year Masters of Public Health student, will work with UC Nutrition Policy Institute researchers on the CDFA Healthy Stores Refrigeration Grant Program Evaluation to assess the effects of neighborhood stores obtaining refrigeration units on store environments, store owner perceptions, and consumer perceptions. As an undergraduate at UC Davis, Esparza admired the GFI Fellows' work and aspired to be a part of the program for the professional and academic opportunities.

“I hope to grow as a researcher and advocate,” Esparza said. “I hope to branch the two roles – advocacy and research – in my work at NPI. This will be possible through my work in other projects, including creating public-facing materials for policymakers. I want to learn how to frame issues and research appropriately in order to target and educate folks who are in positions of political power.”

Jacobo, first-year Doctor of Public Health student, will work with the UC ANR strategic communications team to highlight the work of the local Cooperative Extension offices to improve food security in the community. As a former community health extension agent at the University of Tennessee, Jacobo saw the impact Extension programs have on the community's ability to manage their food dollars, cook healthy and nutritious meals, develop good agricultural practices, and develop their children's leadership skills through 4-H. Jacobo, who is fluent in Spanish as well as English, hopes to connect California's diverse community members to nutrition education, gardening and other programs to enhance their access to nutritious food.

“I am deeply invested in making sure every person in the community, from child to senior citizen, has access to healthy and affordable foods and resources that improve their quality of life,” Jacobo said. “I am excited to be a GFI fellow because it will allow me to pursue what I am most passionate about, community and healthy food.”

The UC Global Food Initiative was launched by UC President Janet Napolitano in 2014 with the aim of putting UC, California and the world on a pathway to sustainability. The GFI fellows are part of a group of UC graduate and undergraduate students working on food-related projects at all 10 UC campuses, UC Office of the President, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC ANR. Each participant receives a $3,000 award to help fund student-generated research, projects or internships that support the initiative's efforts to address the issue of how to sustainably and nutritiously feed a world population expected to reach 8 billion by 2025.

In addition to their individual projects, GFI fellows are invited to participate in systemwide activities designed to enhance their leadership skills and enrich their understanding of the food system in California.

[This story was updated Oct. 11 to correct the spelling of Elsa Esparza's last name.]

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