Podcasts about uc davis center

How wildfires like the Park Fire are threatening California salmon. Two housing measures, Prop 5 and Prop 33, will be on the ballot in November. Finally, the local website “The Lookout” offers context and clarity to wildfire coverage in the region. Park Fire Threatening Spring-Run Salmon The Park Fire is California's fourth-largest wildfire, and has burned over 420,000 acres across Northern California in more than two weeks. The fire is now threatening some of the last refuges of California's iconic spring-run salmon in the Central Valley - a population that has already faced devastating declines in recent years. Carson Jeffres, Senior Research Ecologist at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences joins Insight to talk about the dangers the fire poses to these fish, and whether they can still bounce back. Breaking Down Housing Propositions 5 and 33 California's shortage of affordable housing is an ongoing and well-documented crisis. Now, a pair of measures on the November ballot aim to ease this problem. Prop 5 would lower the threshold for bond borrowing, while Prop 33 would allow for more rent control measures. Sac State Public Policy Professor Robert Wassmer spoke with CapRadio Politics Reporter Megan Myscofski about the potential impact of these two propositions, and some of the challenges they might face ahead of the election. Wildfire Website ‘The Lookout' During the 2021 Dixie Fire, which burned across five counties in Northern California, Zeke Lunder found the amount of fire information available on the internet overwhelming and lacking in context. So he started The Lookout to help. Lunder is a pyrogeographer and the founder of Deer Creek Resources. He has been mapping wildfires and leading a crew for more than 20 years. He joins us to talk about the Park Fire, which is currently burning east of Chico.

The world's largest dam removal project is underway along the 250-mile Klamath River in California and Oregon. By the end of 2024, four of the river's six dams will be demolished. UC Davis scientists are studying whether it will help salmon populations rebound. The fishes' ear bones could hold clues to their future. In this episode of Unfold, host Amy Quinton discusses the topic with co-host Kat Kerlin, who has written a multimedia feature story about whether restoring the river to its natural state will also restore decimated salmon populations.   In this episode: Rob Lusardi, aquatic ecologist, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences Beth Rose Middleton Manning, professor, UC Davis Department of Native American Studies Barry McCovey, director of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department   

UC Davis professor Alejandro Martínez is moving his bio-inspired snakeskin piles into industry practice. The novel pile-surface employs “frictional directionality” characteristic of snakeskin. Field trials provided better than expected results, and Martínez is now working to get his new design into the hands of practicing geotechnical engineers. Much of his NSF-supported research took place at the NHERI at UC Davis Center for Geotechnical Modeling; the project is part of the NSF-funded Engineering Research Center, the Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics, CBBG, at Arizona State University. Background info on Martínez's snakeskin-inspired piles: https://www.designsafe-ci.org/community/news/2022/august/piles-inspired-snakeskin/ Learn more about the NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) called the Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics, CBBG, based at Arizona State University https://cbbg.engineering.asu.edu/ Engineering researchers use centrifugal force to study natural hazards at the NHERI at UC Davis Center for Geotechnical Modeling facility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlLTdPaOUFk Read up on Professor Martínez's research at UC Davis: https://faculty.engineering.ucdavis.edu/martinez/ Follow Alejandro Martínez on X: @MartVAlejandro Follow the NHERI Center for Geotechnical Modeling on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Center-for-Geotechnical-Modeling/10006311110707

UC Davis professor Alejandro Martínez explains how biogeotechnical engineers leverage solutions from lifeforms like worms, trees, and bacteria. It starts with fundamental, cross-disciplinary work with biologists. Then, at the UC Davis Center for Geotechnical Modeling (CGM), centrifuge tests fill an important gap between laboratory ideas and full-scale field tests. For instance, by replicating ground stress and increased gravity in a centrifuge, geotechs can model and test designs at greater soil depths and across soil types. The NHERI CGM facility functions as a testbed for the NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) called the Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics, CBBG, based at Arizona State University. Read up on Professor Martínez's research at UC Davis: https://faculty.engineering.ucdavis.edu/martinez/ Follow Alejandro Martínez on X: @MartVAlejandro Background info on Martínez's snakeskin-inspired piles: https://www.designsafe-ci.org/community/news/2022/august/piles-inspired-snakeskin/ Using centrifugal force to study natural hazards at the NHERI at UC Davis Center for Geotechnical Modeling:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlLTdPaOUFk Follow the Center for Geotechnical Modeling on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Center-for-Geotechnical-Modeling/100063111107077/ Questions about NHERI or NHERI extreme events research? Contact us: nheri.communications@gmail.com

Geotechnical engineer Alejandro Martínez joins us to discuss a new and multidisciplinary engineering subfield called biogeotechnics. “Bioinspired” research examines and mimics ways that plants, animals and bacteria successfully interact with soil. For example: how tree roots successfully resist wind loads. “Biomediated” research uses biological elements to improve soil. For example, byproducts of certain bacteria can cement and desaturate soil — potentially preventing liquefaction in susceptible areas. Read up on Professor Martínez's research at UC Davis:https://faculty.engineering.ucdavis.edu/martinez/ Follow Alejandro Martínez on X: @MartVAlejandro Background info on Martínez's snakeskin-inspired piles:https://www.designsafe-ci.org/community/news/2022/august/piles-inspired-snakeskin/ Using centrifugal force to study natural hazards at the NHERI at UC Davis Center for Geotechnical Modeling:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlLTdPaOUFk Follow the Center for Geotechnical Modeling on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Center-for-Geotechnical-Modeling/100063111107077/ Questions about NHERI or NHERI extreme events research?Contact us: nheri.communications@gmail.comKeywords: biocementation, biodesaturation, liquefaction, biogeotechnics, geotechnical engineering, ground improvement, soil improvement

Gov. Newsom attends the April snow survey in the Sierra. Also, an investigation into a rise in jail deaths across the state. Finally, a memoir studying hip hop culture “Dancing the Afrofuture: Hula, Hip-Hop and the Dunham Legacy.” April Snow Survey Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to the April 1 snow survey in El Dorado County held by the Department of Water Resources near Echo Summit. For the second year in a row, California's snowpack is above the historical average - this year the snowpack is 110%, which is considered the peak snowpack for the season and critical for water managers as it marks the transition to spring snowmelt into the state's rivers and reservoirs. Jay Lund is a professor emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Vice-Director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and joins us with more on what this means for California's evolving water needs. Investigating California Jail Deaths CalMatters Reporter Nigel Duara discusses his investigation into jail deaths in the state which found that despite Gov. Gavin Newsom's pledge to address a rise in jail deaths early in his administration, fentanyl overdoses and suicides have death rates at historic highs - even though California jails are holding thousands fewer people. Memoir ‘Dancing the Afrofuture' A UC Davis professor's new memoir, titled Dancing the Afrofuture: Hula, Hip-Hop and the Dunham Legacy, chronicles her journey from being a dancer-activist in the Bay Area, to an academic scholar studying hip-hop culture. Author Dr. Halifu Osumare, Professor Emerita of African American & African Studies at UC Davis joins Insight to talk about how this transition from art to academia came to be, and how dance has been a “survival mechanism” for people of African descent to preserve culture and values.  

How a Supreme Court case on the abortion medication mifepristone could impact California. Also, California's strategy to recover long declining salmon populations. Finally, the best way to view the upcoming April eclipse.  Supreme Court Abortion Pill Case This morning, the Supreme Court heard arguments for another case challenging the right to abortion. FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine challenges the use of mifepristone, a medication typically used in a two-combination dose to terminate a pregnancy (the other medication used is misoprostol). Medication abortions account for roughly two thirds of all abortions in the country - and this ruling can affect all states, regardless of what protections are in place. But there is more at stake than abortion - this case could impact the FDA's regulatory power to approve all drugs and evaluate their safety. Leslie Gielow Jacobs is an Anthony Kennedy Professor of Law at McGeorge School of Law and joins us with a breakdown of today's oral arguments.  California's Salmon Strategy California's salmon population has been in decline for decades, largely due to human activity and climate change. To help reverse these trends, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the “California “Salmon Strategy” earlier this year - bringing together governments, conservation groups and tribal communities to revive the salmon numbers by removing dams, restoring habitats, and modernizing hatcheries, among other strategies. Carson Jeffres is a Senior Researcher at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and discusses the current salmon population counts, as well as why there is still hope for a strong future for this iconic species. Best Way to See Upcoming Eclipse On April 8, Californians can view a partial solar eclipse. To get the obvious out of the way, at no point is it safe to look directly at the sun during an eclipse. However, with special glasses or telescopes fitted with the right equipment, we can experience this firsthand. Vinita Domier is a coordinator of the Davis Astronomy Club - and calls herself an eclipse chaser. Vinita joins us with more on this celestial phenomena. 

Rob first came across the work of Dr. Jacob Katz in the book Upstream by Langdon Cook. The chapter was titled “Make Way for the Floodplain Fatties”. Cook detailed research by CalTrout that showed salmon grew larger when feeding in flooded rice fields along the Sacramento Delta. Jacob Katz holds a PH.D. in ecology at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. He currently directs CalTrout's Central California region where his work focuses on redesigning California's antiquated water infrastructure. The Nigiri Project mission is to “Scientifically demonstrate that productivity created by shallow inundation of floodplains is foundational to supporting self-sustaining populations of fish and wildlife in the Central Valley.” Rob and Dr. Katz discuss all things salmon living in an altered environment along the California coast. They talk everything from conservation, geology, and tacos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It can be tough to face our own mortality. Keeping diaries, posting to social media, and taking photos are all tools that can help to minimize the discomfort that comes with realizing we have limited time on Earth. But how exactly does documenting our lives impact how we live and remember them?  In this episode, diarist and author Sarah Manguso reflects on the benefits and limitations of keeping track of time, and Charan Ranganath, a professor of psychology and researcher at the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience, discusses what research reveals about how memories work and how we can better keep time. Write to us at howtopodcast@theatlantic.com.  Music by Rob Smierciak (“Slow Money, Guitar Time, Ambient Time”), Corinne Sperens (“Dichotomy”), Felix Johansson Carne (“Headless”), Martin Gauffin (“The Time”), and Dylan Sittss (“On the Fritz”).   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since people are living and working longer there is a multiple generational overlap in our workforce. The way members of various generations learn, interact, respond to challenges and create changes.In this podcast episode, Genein Letford invites her former elementary students, who are now in their early 20's, to talk about the changes in the workforce, their workforce focus and the discussion on generational leadership. They also discuss how their formative years helped shape their adult mindset on leadership, networking and taking risks.Kenia Ventura is a second year at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo pursuing Business Administration, and concentrating in accounting. In being part of the Latinx Business Student Association, and serving as the Director of External Affairs, she is also a Summer 2023 EY Launch Intern.  Currently, she is the Assistant Executive Director/Social Media Manager at Alumni360, a mentorship program that supports middle and high school students. Her goal is to intern where she'll be surrounded by an environment where underrepresented and vulnerable groups are treated equitably and ethically, and there's value in encouraging advocacy.Katherine Menendez is a Specialist at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change (CRC). She has worked as a Mentor for Alumni360. She is currently working on projects stemmed in social security net, transportation equities, youth participatory action research (YPAR) and other sectors. Her emphasis is prioritizing working with and for the community.Lizbeth Paz is a student at California State University, Northridge, pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Business Analytics with a minor in Business Management. Mathematics and numbers in business-related contexts are her passion, and she enjoys spreading her knowledge with others as a Mathematics Instructional Student Assistant. Furthermore, as an Outreach Assistant at Alumni360, a mentorship program dedicated to developing the financial, professional, and creative skills of students in all grade levels, Lizbeth's goal is to engage with students through various communication channels to guide them through available resources to aid with professional growth.Emails:kmenendez@ucdavis.edulizbeth.paz.749@my.csun.edukeniaventura2004@gmail.comTo learn more, visit:https://caffestrategies.com/Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/genein-letford/

Can tomatoes made using CRISPR help relieve stress? In this episode, we take you to Japan to learn more about the first CRISPR food available on the market. ResourcesFor a firsthand look at the invention of the first GMO whole food, our team highly recommends Dr. Belinda Martineau's book,First Fruit: The Creation of the Flavr Savr Tomato and the Birth of Biotech Foods (2001).InterviewsDr. Belinda Martineau, UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy & ResearchHaruka NakataCreditsA CRISPR Bite is supported by the Jean Monnet Network, which is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union through the GEAP-3 Network of scientists. More about our project here. This podcast does not reflect the views of our funders. This podcast was co-written and hosted by Dr. Lauren Crossland-Marr. Our executive producer is Corinne Ruff. She co-wrote, edited and produced the show. Jake Harper edited this episode. The show was sound designed and engineered by Adriene Lilly. Aaron Crossland made our theme music. Rachael Marr designed our logo.  Legal support from New Media Rights.Thank you to the GEAP-3 team! Special thanks to Matthew Schnurr, Klara Fischer, and Glenn Stone for their support and advice on this podcast. Special thanks to Fumino Tamaki for her help with organizing the Japanese interview. Leave a 5-star rating and review of this episode on Apple podcasts to help us spread the word. Have more to say? Email us at acrisprbitepodcast@gmail.com. Follow for updates on Instagram @acrisprbite

Elizabeth is surprised and relieved to learn her Filipino mom is finally ready to see a therapist, but she's unsure of how to support her. And Roanne de Guia-Samuels, a psychotherapist who works with Filipino women, speaks with Juleyka about reading nonverbal cues and tuning in to communication nuances when speaking with loved ones about their mental health.Featured Expert: Roanne de Guia-Samuels is a licensed psychotherapist, mom of 4, and an immigrant twice in America. She has frequented at least 500 Filipino households & counting. She is the author of the Ebook: 5 Pinoy Love Languages & the creator of the presentation entitled: Filipino Core Values & Considerations in Culturally-Responsive Care presented to various organizations including the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities Team. Roanne was the lead clinician & pioneer for Solano County's first Filipino Outreach Project for 5 years. She has been featured in the Filipino American Woman Podcast, at Apple, Inc., UC Davis Bulosan Center and NPR's Code Switch. Roanne is a lover of Kapeng Barako (straight from Batangas) , a gardener-wanna-be & enjoys belly-laughing with her children. Learn more about her work and private practice Kalamansi Juice here.If you loved this episode, listen to Mom Tells Her to Pray Her Depression Away and Redefining Manhood with Papí.We'd love to hear your stories of triumph and frustration so send us a detailed voice memo to hello@talktomamipapi.com. You might be on a future episode! Let's connect on Twitter and Instagram at @TalkToMamiPapi and email us at hello@talktomamipapi.com. And follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Dogs 10 years and older have a 50% chance of dying from cancer. They also develop the same types of cancers that humans do because their immune system is closely related to ours. Now human oncologists are studying cancer in canines in the hopes of benefiting both animals and humans. In this episode of Unfold, you'll learn how UC Davis veterinarians and physicians are collaborating to help human cancer patients and their furry best friends.  In this episode: Robert Canter, surgical oncologist with UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center  Michael Kent, radiation oncologist and director of the UC Davis Center for Companion Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine  Danae Unti, owner of Boone, dog who completed a cancer clinical trial

Welcome, Filipino Momcast listeners! Have you ever wondered how you and your partner are evolving in your relationship? What would it mean to you and your partner if you could learn to understand and love them better and they could do the same in return? In this episode, Maryann has a conversation with The Filipino Momcast's very own Resident Psychotherapist, Roanne Samuels. Not only does Roanne have the unique gift of bridging the nuances of filipino and american culture, but in this conversation, she shares more about her own culturally relevant approach to discovering the unique love style preferences that come from mix-ethnic and diverse cultural backgrounds to help couples design a love map tailored to each partner's unique love needs. Check the show notes below for links on how you can design your own love map with your partner. If you enjoy what we're talking about here on the podcast, we would love your support! The best ways to do that are by: subscribing and keeping your notifications on sharing the podcast or a favorite episode with another mom (Filipino or not!) a tag on social media leave an honest 5 star review on whatever podcast platform you use. - - - - - CONNECT WITH ROANNE SAMUELS Roanne is a licensed Psychotherapist Mom of 4. An immigrant twice in America. She has frequented at least 500 Filipino household & counting. She is the author of the Ebook: 5 Pinoy Love Languages & the creator of the presentation entitled: Filipino Core Values & Considerations in Culturally-Responsive Care presented to various organizations including the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities Team. Roanne was the lead clinician & pioneer for Solano County's first Filipino Outreach Project for 5 years. She has been featured in the Filipino American Woman Podcast, at Apple, Inc., UC Davis Bulosan Center and NPR's Code Switch. Roanne is a lover of Kapeng Barako (straight from Batangas) , a gardener-wanna-be & enjoys belly-laughing with her children. For Roanne's Love Mapping Course, visit https://kalamansijuiceacademy.podia.com/love-mapping-for-couples - - - - - TO CONNECT WITH: Filipino Momcast IG: @filipinomomcast Email: filipinomomcast@gmail.com Maryann Clark IG: @thefilipinomom Website: www.thefilipinomom.com Email: hello@thefilipinomom.com Roanne De Guia-Samuels IG: @kalamansijuice4u @thetherapistmama Website: www.kalamansijuice.com Email: info@kalamansijuice.com Lynne Tugangui IG: @theboldceo Website: www.theboldceo.co Email: hello@theboldceo.co Leilani Lei IG: @itsleilanilei --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/filipinomomcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/filipinomomcast/support

In this episode we speak to Dr. Raviinder S. Parmar of Alleviate Pain he is Pain Management Physician located in St Petersburg, FL. Board-certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine, Raviinder S. Parmar, MD, provides comprehensive, compassionate care to the men and women of Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg, Florida, and the surrounding communities at his practice, Alleviate Pain. The patient always comes first at Alleviate Pain, and Dr. Parmar uses the latest innovations in pain medicine to help his patients find relief. Dr. Parmar grew up in Naples, Florida, and completed his undergraduate work at the University of Florida. He went on to earn his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, where he developed an interest in helping people afflicted with pain find relief. He took a one-year sabbatical to conduct research on degenerative joint diseases at the prestigious Rothman Institute, also in Philadelphia. While at the Rothman Institute, Dr. Parmar published several journal articles and book chapters. He also presented his research at national conferences. He then completed a surgical intern year at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, and a residency in anesthesiology at Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Parmar continued his focus on pain management with a fellowship at the world-renowned UC Davis Center for Pain Medicine, which was recently selected as a clinical center of excellence for pain medicine. Dr. Parmar is fluent in English, Spanish, and Punjabi, enabling him to help patients from a variety of backgrounds. Want to Schedule an Appointment? 6798 Crosswinds Drive N Suite E-102 St Petersburg, FL 33710 fax: 866-237-7330info@alleviatepain.com

Welcome to Episode 4, Plugging away at the South Salish Lowland Prairies, all about conservation programs with the WA Sustainability in Prisons Project. In this episode we will learn a little about the umbrella Conservation Programs with Kelli Bush, and then we chat with Carl Elliot about the Conservation Nursery Program.This season is all about the Sustainability in Prisons Project (otherwise referred to as SPP), how they bring education, nature and training into the prisons to reduce recidivism and protect and enhance our environment. We now know that this season is at least 6 episodes long and it still could be 7 episodes long. In the first episode we got into how it all started; Episode 2 provided a background on the prison system and an introduction to SPP. Episode 3 was all about partnerships, which is really what SPP is, a network of partners working to bring education and nature into the prison system.According to an article “Conservation Projects in Prison,”“The pace of habitat destruction and loss of biological diversity globally exceeds the current capacity of societies to restore functioning ecosystems. Working with prison systems to engage inmates in habitat conservation and ecological science is an innovative approach to increase our ability to reestablish habitat and at-risk species, while simultaneously providing people in custody with opportunities for reciprocal restoration, education, therapeutic activities, safer conditions, and lower costs of imprisonment. We present the benefits of working with prisons to conduct habitat conservation through nursery production of plants and captive rearing of animals, combined with educational experiences...”Interviewees this EpisodeKelli Bush is the co-director of the Sustainability in Prisons Project. She helps bring nature, science and environmental education into prisons in Washington. She also leads staff from The Evergreen State College that coordinate programs in the prisons. She has a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture Ecology from The Evergreen State College. Carl Elliot is the Program Manager of the Conservation Nursery Programs with the Sustainability in Prisons Project. Carl has a B.S. and a Masters of Environmental Science from The Evergreen State College. Prior to his work with the Sustainability in Prison Project, he had over twenty years of experience in horticulture and sustainable agriculture. He was a founding board member of the Seattle Youth Garden Works, which trains homeless children and other at-risk youth in skills for employment and healthy living. He began working for SPP in 2011 as the Conservation and Restoration Coordinator and has expanded the Conservation Nursery Program from one to four prisons in Washington.SPP Conservation ProgramsIn this episode we chat with Kelli Bush about the overarching Conservation Program, its goals and some of the different types of programs. She also shares a little about some conservation programs on the horizon; like the Sagebrush in Prisons Project, which grows sagebrush in prisons to help restore sagebrush habitat. We get off on a little tangent, but it leads us to talking about another potential partnership with UC Davis Center for Community and Citizen Science.Next we talk to Carl Elliot about the Conservation Nursery Programs. He starts with some background in the South Salish Lowland Prairies (say that five times fast!) and the work over the last 20 years or so to restore this habitat. He also shares how he got his start with SPP and why he was ultimately the ideal candidate to help further develop the Conservation Nursery Program (spoiler alert, it was because he was not just looking at it as cheap prison labor). He also talks about what is grown at the nurseries and why. He also shares about how biological technicians participate in the program, including a discussion about how ideas are shared and how he fosters and encourages new ideas from all people involved. He shares some of the benefits of participating in the program; technicians are learning, they can get college credit and in the end those things ultimately benefit our communities. He also shares about his personal experience working with a program in a prison and what working with incarcerated individuals is like.“I rarely meet an incarcerated individual that can not add something to the conservation community.” -Carl ElliotCarl provides a solid foundation to the restoration of South Salish Lowland Prairies. This includes discussion about some of the locations of remaining prairie near Olympia, WA.Wolf Haven is working with many partners to help restore 36 acres of Mima Mound Prairie found on their property.JBLM includes the largest remaining intact Prairie in the South Salish Basin (which happens to be a live artillery range). The artillery impact area at JBLM contains some of the highest quality prairies in the Pacific Northwest and some of the few remaining natural populations of Taylor's checkerspot butterflies. Out of all of the glacial outwash prairie that previously existed there is only 5% remaining and of that, JBLM is home to about 95%!!!Glacial Heritage Preserve, a 1,134-acre preserve, including 650 acres of grassland, located in Thurston County south of Olympia, Washington. In 1988, Thurston County purchased the land, recognizing the potential for restoring several native ecosystems on the variable site. The Nature Conservancy began managing the land in 1995, a role that was taken over by the Center for Natural Lands Management in 2014. Today, CNLM sees to all aspects of maintenance on this private preserve: managing controlled burns, removing invasive plants by pulling or herbicide use, and reintroducing native plants through seeding and planting. They open up the prairie each spring to the public for Prairie Appreciation Days.Did you know that there's a Prairie Landowner Guide for Western Washington?!Western Washington Prairies BackgroundDid you know? Prairies are one of the rarest ecosystems in Washington State! Only 3% of the original prairies remain.Prairies west of the Cascade Mountains were created by glaciers. When the glaciers started to recede about 15,000 years ago, they left behind dry gravelly soils perfect for prairies. These prairies were a natural landscape habitat in this area during the earlier dryer and warmer climate. Between 6000 and 5000 years ago the pollen signature shifted to a wetter and cooler climate, resulting in a natural plant succession that shifted the ecosystem to oak and then Douglas fir dominated forests. However some of the prairies persisted and this has been attributed to the Coast Salish tribes, who likely grew to depend on the prairies and so they continued to maintain them through burning. This type of landscape management was used to maintain prairie areas from Vancouver Island south to Eugene. The prairies in the South Salish Lowlands were traditional use areas for the Nisqually, Squaxin Island, Upper Chehalis and Cowlitz tribes. Prairies in the South Salish Lowlands have faced many ecosystem pressures. Current restoration efforts are as varied as the sites they are trying to restore. Typical methods include invasive species removal methods (mowing, herbicide, hand pulling), prescribed burning, and native plant restoration (seeding, plugging, planting). Adaptive management is the name of the game as they try to improve their restoration techniques. Until Next Time…WE HOP TO SEE YOU NEXT EPISODE!Thank you so much for joining us this episode! We hope you learned more about the SPP Conservation Program and the Conservation Nursery Programs and how they impact our communities and our environment. We think the biggest take away from this episode is that bringing nature and education into prisons can be rewarding for all involved, from the individuals, to the ecosystem, to the community. Maybe most importantly, these programs often change the way that people view themselves. We also want to reiterate that these programs are really about bringing education, nature and training into prisons. We hope you also learned more about prairie ecosystems and some of SPP's conservation and restoration efforts both for the prairies themselves and for endangered species like the Taylor's checkerspot butterfly. Carl also shared what it's like to grow plants in a conservation nursery and what it looks like to bring this kind of science and education into the prison. This episode showcases what a big partnership with SPP might look like. While this might not be the right fit for every organization, it certainly seems to be very beneficial for those who have a big idea about bringing science and nature into prisons.Please join us on August 2nd for our next episode which will be all about the SPP Conservation Partnership for the Taylor's Checkerspot Butterfly Recovery Program. We will let Kelli rest for one episode and chat with Mary Linders (again) and introduce Liz Louie, former butterfly technician. Please don't forget to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts (like Tune In, Castbox Himalaya, iheartradio, etc). Please let us know what you think in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

Clifford Saron, a neuroscientist at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain and the MIND Institute, leads the Shamatha Project, one of the most ambitious and comprehensive longitudinal studies of meditation ever conducted. In this episode, Saron discusses the findings so far of the Shamatha Project; what science can tell us about the tangible effects of meditation; and how mindfulness affects our physical, mental and emotional health.

This episode of Vitamin PhD's Teaching season bring us to graduate education, in which we hear from guests Rachel Stumpf, Education Specialist at the UC Davis Center for Educational Effectiveness, and Steve Wolverton, professor in University of North Texas' Department of Geography and the Environment. Our guests tell us what it is like to help students navigate the in's and out's of graduate school while helping them to succeed academically. We also hear about the different paths that can be taken to educate graduate students and the importance of developing yourself before you can help develop others.

On Today's Monday Motivation, Corry discusses ALIGNMENT with Carl Rabun. Carl Rabun, Ph.D., has over 15 years of experience training professionals in soft skills development, 20 years experience working with government agencies, and over 10 years experience managing teams within various public and private sector organizations. Carl is a Leadership and Management consultant for Mechanics Bank, UC Davis Center for Professional Education and Sacramento State College of Continuing Education. His areas of expertise are motivation, customer/client relations, communication skills, personality and generational dynamics, diversity, conflict resolution, team dynamics, strength-based coaching and goal setting.

Since fundamental changes were made to the way rice straw is managed following harvest in the early 1990s,  Sacramento Valley rice country has steadily grown as a vital rest and refuel stop for millions of birds.  Local rice fields not only provide habitat for nearly 230 wildlife species, the value of rice fields for the environment is proving to be even greater during drought years, because there is less water on the landscape and fewer habitat options. What's next for the environmental crop? If promising research by the Rice Commission and UC Davis pays off, Sacramento Valley rice fields may one day help dwindling salmon runs. The third year of field work for the salmon project has just completed, and the last of the baby salmon raised on Steve Neader's Sutter County rice farm have been released and are heading out to the ocean. Through sophisticated tagging, their journey will be studied. The ultimate hope is that rice fields specifically managed for this purpose will provide an even greater role in preserving and enhancing the California environment. “I'm extremely optimistic about it,” remarked Andrew Rypel, one of the study leaders and professors in the Department of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology at UC Davis. “All of the data we have collected points to the fact these fields are going to be helpful for, not just salmon, but lots of native fishes.” There were new elements in the latest year of the project that will ultimately help researchers adapt the habitat management strategy and understand prospects for future success.  “This is the first time we've ever done the project on full size rice fields, with about 125 acres devoted to testing the practice at scale, “ said  Paul Buttner, Environmental Affairs Manager of the California Rice Commission. “One of the things we needed to make sure is that we could allow the fish to move freely through all of the checks in the field and out of the field when they want to, which is called volitional passage. We put in specialized boards with holes and notches to allow the fish to move through the system entirely.” Buttner stressed the importance of partnerships to make this multi-million dollar project successful, including the scientific research from UC Davis and other technical partners. “It would not be possible without funding, that comes first and foremost from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service,” he said. “They provided over half of the funding for the project. All of the funding they provide has to be matched with private sector contributions, both financial and in-kind. Syngenta and State Water Contractors have really stepped up with major contributions, and we have a long list of other sustaining contributors as well.  The full sponsorship list can be seen at http://salmon.calrice.org/#Sponsors.” As the salmon left the rice fields to start their journey to the ocean, it was a somewhat emotional time for researcher Alexandra Wampler of UC Davis. “I'm very excited,” Wampler said. “I can't wait to track their migration to the ocean. We have a very dense receiver array, so we should be able to track each step they take, and it's going to be very exciting.” It will take a while longer to determine the viability of the project, but those involved remain optimistic that, perhaps one day, Sacramento Valley rice fields will add a significant new area to their environmental benefits. “I think that rice fields have the same opportunities for the salmon as they did for waterfowl,” said Carson Jeffres, research ecologist at UC Davis. “It's a little bit different. It takes different opportunities because fish can't fly, so you have to make it available for them, as opposed to having it just available for them to fly to. There's those same possibilities that we have, and I think that we've really turned a big corner in doing that, and we're starting to see those benefits being realized on the landscape right now.” Episode Transcript Jim Morris: The environment holds special importance in California, and salmon represent one of the most beleaguered species in what now is year three of a major drought. There is a ray of hope in the form of a partnership being lived out in the rice fields of the Sacramento Valley. Jim Morris: Welcome to Ingrained, the California Rice podcast. I'm your host, Jim Morris, proud to have worked with the state's farmers and ranchers for more than three decades to help tell their stories. Environmental stewardship among the rice industry is unparalleled. Not only do Sacramento Valley rice fields serve as a vital part of the Pacific flyway migration of millions of ducks, geese, shorebirds, and other species, those same fields offer great promise to help salmon. Jim Morris: I'm at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, where researchers play a pivotal role in exploring how local rice fields might help salmon. I'm speaking with research ecologist, Carson Jeffres. First of all, Carson, salmon in California have been struggling. What are some of the factors that have led to that decline in their population? Carson Jeffres: They face multiple threats, both in the freshwater environment where we've experienced drought for multiple years. We're on our second major drought in the last 10 years, which is probably much more of a long term drought. Water and fresh water environments is limited, but also there's other factors from thymine deficiency coming back from the ocean. It's just one thing after another that they've experienced over the last, probably, a hundred years. Now, we're starting to see the culmination of climate change and management really affect the populations. Jim Morris: Rice fields may help in two different areas. Can you comment on those? Also, your degree of optimism that these two areas may significantly help. Carson Jeffres: There's two ways that those, what we think of as historic floodplains, which are not rice fields, can benefit the salmon. One of them is that, unlike birds, fish can't get to the dry side of the levee, but we can take the food that grows on the dry side of the levee and the rice fields and pump it into the river for the fish that are out migrating to the ocean. The other way that rice fields are used for salmon during their out migration, is that in the flood bypasses. In particular, is that when we have flood events, many of those habitats are rice fields now, and fish can use them during their out migration. If we manage those habitats well, we can benefit salmon during their out migration on those habitats, and the food that we grow that they consume, and they get big, and then they head out to the ocean. Jim Morris: In a larger picture, reactivating the floodplains of the Sacramento Valley, do you see multiple benefits from that, not only just for salmon? Carson Jeffres: Many species rely on these habitats, from waterbirds, the waterfowl, there's the waiting birds, there's fish, there's groundwater recharge. There's lots of benefits from having floodplains activated in the Central Valley. For human uses, for wildlife, it's really a win-win to see those habitats inundated. Jim Morris: Fish food, and rice fields, how nutrient rich is that, and how optimistic are you that can make a difference? Carson Jeffres: Fish food is really interesting in that what happens is as the rice double breaks down, when it's flooded, is it's basically carbon that's being released in the water. Carbon is the currency of energy in the floodplain. When carbon is released, microbes eat it, and zooplankton can eat it, and that's creating food for the salmon. It's really that ability to create that carbon out and make it usable for the animals in the system. That's what happens when you flood during the non-growing season. Jim Morris: How important is it to consider the long term in this process? I imagine the salmon population probably won't rebound immediately, but steps need to be taken to help this important part of our environment. Carson Jeffres: This is a problem that's been constructed over the last 150 years, since the Gold Rush. We shouldn't expect that we're going to fix it in one, or two, or five years. This is a long term idea that we need to change. The decisions that we're making now are something that will affect the future. Understanding that we have climate changing, being able to be plastic with our decision making, and our management, is really important. Jim Morris: Rice fields have helped a lot with the Pacific Flyway and are essentially surrogate wetlands in California. Do you feel that they might be able to play a similar role down the road for salmon? Carson Jeffres: I think that rice fields have the same opportunities for the salmon as they did for the waterfowll. It's a little bit different. It takes different opportunities, because fish can't fly. You have to make it available for them, as opposed to having it just available for them to fly to. There's those same possibilities that we have. I think that we've really turned a big corner in doing that. We're starting to see those benefits being realized on the landscape now. Jim Morris: Andrew Rypel is a professor and the Peter Moyle and California Trout chair in cold water fish ecology at UC Davis. Andrew, this is year three of field work of the pilot salmon project between UC Davis and the Rice Commission. At first glance, it may sound like a wild concept, but good things are happening. Can you provide an overview on the project? Andrew Rypel: What we're trying to do this year is to really scale out some of the lessons we've learned from previous years, such that we're working on production scale rice fields, working with growers, using the infrastructure that they already have in place, and trying to do things to help fish, to help salmon, using that infrastructure. Jim Morris: Let's talk about that infrastructure. How suitable is a rice field to raise salmon? Andrew Rypel: Well, we think it's very productive habitat. When you look at the river habitat that salmon have been using in recent years, it's functionally equivalent of a food desert. What this is really about is activating the floodplain, activating the food factory that already grows food for people, but now might grow food for fish, and grow salmon to be big and healthy. Jim Morris: To have this work, you really do need quantifiable data, and of course, good results. How are those achieved? Andrew Rypel: Using sound science. What we're really trying to do here is get down in the weeds, get down in detail with the kinds of questions that managers and agencies are really interested in here. Trying to understand how well salmon move through the infrastructure, through the modified rice ports that we have, how well they survive in the fields, how well they egress out to the river, out to the bypass, out to the ocean, these sorts of really nitty gritty science questions that are hard to do, but we need to really advance the practice. Jim Morris: What level of optimism do you have that this will ultimately work and help the salmon population? Andrew Rypel: I'm extremely optimistic about it. Everything we've collected so far, all the data we've collected, points to the fact that these fields are going to be helpful for not just salmon, but lots of native fishes, but the key is to really do the hard work, do the science, to work with the agencies that manage these fisheries, and these stocks, to address their questions, to do things in a partnership-oriented method, and to move the practice forward. Jim Morris: When you talk about native fish, I have seen some of your writings on that. That's an area of passion for you. It sounds exciting that maybe salmon are just the first part and there could be other species that could be helped by rice fields. Is that one of your hopes? Andrew Rypel: Absolutely. Many of the native fishes in the Central Valley are adapted evolutionarily for floodplains. Though we only have 5 percent of the natural floodplains left, we have 500,000 acres of these rice fields. We think they can be used smarter to help lots of native fishes, including salmon, but including a lot of other are kinds of native species, things like Sacramento black fish, and Sacramento perch, and maybe even smelt, who knows, but a lot of these species evolved to exploit the food rich areas of these floodplain areas, which rice fields can still provide. Jim Morris: Oftentimes, when you have fish and farming, particularly in California, can be rather adversarial. What's different about this arrangement as far as you see? Andrew Rypel: Fish and farms have been pitted against each other for a really long time in California. But to me, that's becoming somewhat of an old trope, and something that we need to get past. This is a great example of an interesting project where fish conservationists, growers, can work in collaboration to really help the resource, while still helping make food for people. That's the kind of thinking that we need in California. That's the kind of thinking we need in the world. This is just one example of how a project like that can come together. Jim Morris: Paul Buttner is environmental affairs manager with the California Rice Commission. Paul, it hasn't been easy at all times, but after three years of field work, what are your thoughts about the potential viability of this project? Paul Buttner: Well, Jim, I'm very encouraged about the possibilities for this project. As you know, what we're really trying to accomplish is to do for fish, what we've done for birds, for many, many years, that is develop habitats that's ideal for them. Of course, there's a lot more challenges with the fish side than the bird side. Of course, the birds fly over the habitat. They see it, they come down, they use it. With fish, it's all about the plumbing. It's how do we get the fish there? How do we get them off of the fields? These are the types of questions that we're really trying to answer. Jim Morris: What were some of the new areas that you were working in this year? Paul Buttner: Well, first of all, this is the first time we've ever done the project on full size rice fields, 125 acres or so, with five or six checks. One of the things we needed to make sure is that we could allow the fish to move freely through all of those checks, and out the field when they want to. It's called volitional passage. We put in specialized boards with holes and notches, allowing the fish to move through the system entirely. Jim Morris: Carrying this out takes a lot of coordination, creativity, and partnerships. Let's talk about the latter. How vital are partnerships to make this effort a success? Paul Buttner: Yeah, this is a very significant project. We're in phase two. Both phases are pretty expensive. They cost about $1.2 million apiece. Tremendous amount of science being done by UC Davis, and our other technical partners. It's a really significant endeavor and it would not be possible without funding that comes first and foremost from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Services, which has provided over half of the funding for this project. Of course, all of the funding they provide has to be matched with private sector contributions, both financial and in kind, and Syngenta and State Water Contractors have really stepped up with major contributions, and then we have a long list of other sustaining contributors as well. Jim Morris: We've come to the final day of the third year of field work for the salmon project. Alex Wampler of UC Davis, you've been here through the start. What are your thoughts as the fish are going to head from the rice fields out to the ocean? Alex Wampler: I'm very excited. I can't wait to track their migration to the ocean. I suspect the fish will make it out in about 14 days. We have a very dense receiver array, so we should be able to track each step they take. It's going to be very exciting. Jim Morris: Is it at all emotional? You're kind of in a different area. You're working with living things. We sure hope that the salmon will ultimately be helped by all of this. Alex Wampler: Oh, yes. It's very emotional. I care about these fish deeply. I've hand raised them since they were eggs, in November. I suspect that they will do very well out at sea. It feels great to know that our efforts, and our research, are going immediately to species survival and helping these endemic and endangered species have a great chance while working within human boundaries. Jim Morris: Hopefully, those same rice fields that provide major benefits for wildlife, especially during drought years, will also play a valuable role in restoring salmon, an icon of the California environment. Jim Morris: That will wrap up this episode. Thank you to Andrew Rypel, Carson Jeffres, Paul Buttner, and Alex Wampler for their comments about this promising project. You can find out more at podcast.calrice.org. Please subscribe and leave us a review. Thanks for listening.

Host Dave Schlom visits with former Chico/Redding market TV meteorologist Kris Kuyper about his take on the winter's on again off again weather, then a visit with Jay Lund, co-Director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Science.

On this episode, natural hazards Jason DeJong discusses the experimental centrifuges, including the giant nine-meter centrifuge, at the UC Davis Center for Geotechnical Modeling, a NHERI facility. DeJong explains how rapidly spinning centrifuges create “hypergravity” — a force up to 200 Gs — to study how structures and soil withstand natural hazards. Here's how it works: researchers place a physical model in the centrifuge bucket and subject it to a high-speed, hypergravity field. Then, using equations, they scale the loading forces proportionate to the model. This crazy, high-speed environment, enables scientists to see and measure the stresses of earthquakes, waves and wind on natural and built environments.“That proportional scale is amazing. We can simulate real-world systems that we can't really do any other way.” - Jason DeJongJason DeJong  NHERI UC Davis Centrifuge

A fish can't talk, but its eyes and ears can. Scientists have discovered that each layer of a fish's lens reveals a different part of its life history, including what it's eaten throughout its life. While you've probably never heard of fish otoliths, these ear bones tell us not only a fish's age, but what rivers it has traveled. Understanding this could help wildlife managers know what habitats to protect to help imperiled species. In “Nature Tells Its Story Part 1,” Unfold looks at the eyes and ears of fish.      In this episode:  Miranda Bell Tilcock, assistant specialist researcher, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences  Carson Jeffres, senior researcher and fish biologist, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

Earworm, brainworm, whatever word you choose, it's that song that gets stuck in your head. Research shows that more than 90% of us experience earworms. UC Davis researchers have found that they may play an important role in helping us form memories, not just for the song, but for life events. In this episode of Unfold, we examine music, memory and what earworms can teach us about how the brain works.  In this episode: Petr Janata professor, UC Davis Department of Psychology and Center for Mind and Brain  Ben Kubit, postdoctoral researcher, UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain 

How can diagnostic accuracy benefit both patient and physician alike? If breast cancer is diagnosed precisely and accurately the first time, treatment can be much more effective. Press play to learn: How various types of breast cancer be differentiated How some lesions may be more lethal than others What makes cancer act differently in various tissues  Sandy Borowsky, Doctor and researcher at the UC Davis Center for Comparative Medicine, describe their work with diagnosing breast cancer and its accuracy. By utilizing various categorization and detection techniques, specific breast cells can be determined as the culprit for breast cancer. Due to the highly variable nature of breast cancer, this diagnostic technique allows for a more targeted treatment and therapeutic path. The level of variation may even warrant breast cancer being treated as a set of almost ten different diseases. Each form offers its own risk, with some slipping under the body's radar and others directly fighting the immune response. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Stephen Robinson, Former Astronaut and Director of UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research, talks about what's it's like to work in space and his experience as a NASA astronaut. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36864]

Last month, Dr. Josh Elder spoke with us about UC Davis Express Care allows patients to see a doctor via virtual urgent care visits. In this episode, we explore a different side of telemedicine: teleconsults. Dr. Jim Marcin is Director of the UC Davis Center for Health and a pioneer in telemedicine. As a Pediatric Critical Care Physician, Dr. Marcin has been facilitating tele consults for physicians at rural hospitals to help provide the expertise needed for care for critically ill children. He explains the current model he and his colleagues are using, the data to support what works (and what doesn’t), and a glimpse into what he might expect in the future as telehealth becomes more widely available.  Have you tried telemedicine, either as a patient of provider? Share your experience with us via social media, @empulsepodcast, or through our website, ucdavisem.com. ***Please rate us and leave us a review on iTunes! It helps us reach more people.*** Hosts: Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guest: Dr. Jim Marcin, Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care, Vice Chair of Pediatric Clinical Research, and Director for the UC Davis Center for Health and Technology. Resources: UC Davis Center for Health and Technology CDC: About Rural Health Sauers-Ford HS, Hamline MY, Gosdin MM, Kair LR, Weinberg GM, Marcin JP, Rosenthal JL. Acceptability, Usability, and Effectiveness: A Qualitative Study Evaluating a Pediatric Telemedicine Program. Acad Emerg Med. 2019 Sep;26(9):1022-1033. doi: 10.1111/acem.13763. Epub 2019 May 2. PMID: 30974004; PMCID: PMC6732030. Marcin JP, Shaikh U, Steinhorn RH. Addressing health disparities in rural communities using telehealth. Pediatr Res. 2016 Jan;79(1-2):169-76. doi: 10.1038/pr.2015.192. Epub 2015 Oct 14. PMID: 26466080. Sauers-Ford HS, Marcin JP, Underwood MA, Kim JH, Nicolau Y, Uy C, Chen ST, Hoffman KR. The Use of Telemedicine to Address Disparities in Access to Specialist Care for Neonates. Telemed J E Health. 2019 Sep;25(9):775-780. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2018.0095. Epub 2018 Nov 3. PMID: 30394853. Rural Health Information Hub: Critical Access Hospitals *** Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting this podcast and to Orlando Magaña at OM Audio Productions for audio production services.

 Today we're joined by Melodie Yashar - Designer, Researcher, Technologist, co-founder of the firm Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+), Senior Research Associate with San Jose State University Research Foundation at NASA Ames Research Center, and an Associate Researcher within the UC Davis Center for Human/Robotics/Vehicle Integration and Performance (HRVIP). She also teaches undergraduate and graduate design at Art Center College of Design and is a 2019-2020 Future Space Leaders Fellow. Melodie's current work focuses on the relationship of advanced software & hardware systems for spaceflight and maintains ongoing research interests in the design of augmented environments, human-machine interaction, human performance studies, and space technology development. As an undergraduate Melodie studied at UC Berkeley and at Art Center, and she holds graduate degrees in architecture and human-computer interaction with an emphasis in robotics from Columbia University and Carnegie Mellon University, respectively. She also served as a Visiting Professor at Pratt Institute, as a researcher within Carnegie Mellon's Morphing Matter Lab and Design Director of Sonic Platforms. Having come from an interdisciplinary background, Melodie appreciates those who see research and design as a confluence of different fields—allowing problem solving to become a more thoroughly collaborative exercise. 

This week, Mark Keppler discusses the importance of voter registration and subsequent voter turnout on our elections and on democracy with special guests California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Mindy Romero, Executive Director of the California Civic Engagement Project at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change

* This event was recorded on August 20, 2020 * NOTE: The conversation starts at the 5:55-minute mark How will this continued state of isolation during the pandemic affect the long-term mental health of children in California? CalMatters mental health reporter Jocelyn Wiener moderates a conversation about the potential long-term effects of COVID-19 on mental health, what behaviors to watch for in your child, and how to help them cope with the stress of the pandemic. PANELISTS * Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Director, UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities * Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, Surgeon General of California * Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California Thanks to our sponsor, First 5 LA, for their help to make this important conversation happen. WHO SAID WHAT WHEN * 5:55 minutes - CalMatters CEO Neil Chase and reporter Jocelyn Wiener open up the event and introduce our panelists * 10:30 min - How have children been impacted by these unprecedented times? * 16:25 min - The Surgeon General explains "Adverse Childhood Experiences" * 20 min - Will more children be diagnosed with mental illness in the future? * 24:15 min - What are childcare centers and parents saying, especially low-income families dealing with other difficulties like job losses or housing? * 27:45 min - What signs should people look out for in their children to know if something more concerning is going on? * 42:55 min - What can you do to help your depressed and secluded child get out of this pandemic funk? * 46:15 min - How will this prolonged isolation affect toddlers' development and ability to socialize -- and what can parents do to help? * 54:45 min - How do you keep from passing along your stresses to your kids? * 59:30 min - How are schools going to screen, identify and counsel students who are anxious, stressed and potentially unable to engage in virtual school? * 1 hr, 1:40 min - What are the mental health impacts we may see once students go back to their physical schools? * 1 hr, 4:05 min - The panelists share what they're telling the kids in their lives to help get them through these tough times

What the world needs now is . . . How would you complete the sentence? At a moment in our history so rife with fear, conflict, and suffering, “empathy” might be a leading candidate. But what is empathy, exactly? Is it an innate human experience, or a skill that can learned? And how can science shed light on such an abstract and elusive concept? Jocelyn and Bradley are joined this week by cognitive psychologist Dr. John Kiat, who describes his research into social cognition and shares his perspective on the role of empathy in navigating our current contentious social and political climate, from wearing masks to confronting systemic racism. The friends also discuss the value of the social sciences more generally, and how neuroscience trumped physics in John’s quest to answer the ultimate questions of our existence, which has shaped his science journey. You can learn more about John’s amazing work at https://www.johnkiat.com/ and at the links below: “What’s in a name? Monikers alter empathy in the brain”: https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/whats-in-a-name-monikers-alter-empathy-in-the-brain/ “Study shows how brain anticipates social exclusion”: https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/study-shows-how-brain-anticipates-social-exclusion/ UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain: https://mindbrain.ucdavis.edu/ Susan Lanzoni, “A Short History of Empathy”: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/a-short-history-of-empathy/409912/ Scott Barry Kaufman, “What Would Happen If Everyone Truly Believed Everything Is One?”: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/what-would-happen-if-everyone-truly-believed-everything-is-one/ Paul Bloom, Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion: https://www.amazon.com/Against-Empathy-Case-Rational-Compassion/dp/0062339338 Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search For Meaning: https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/080701429X Robert Sapolsky, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Zebras-Dont-Ulcers-Third/dp/0805073698

In this episode, Candice Madison, The Crown's Director of Roasting, and Juliet Han from The UC Davis Center of Coffee, explore the chemical reactions that take place in the bean at different stages of the roast, and discuss how these chemical reactions affect the coffee in your cup. Check out all our past webinars & what's on the horizon online www.royalcoffee.com/webinars Shout out to Michael Senderovich for the music. Special thanks to Bolor Erdenebat for editing.  Submit your questions press@royalcoffee.com

In this episode you will meet Brandon Louie, Community Engagement Coordinator, UC Davis Center For Regional Change. Brandon is an expert in YPAR (Youth-led Participatory Action Research) which is used to empower youth and improve society. Listen and learn about how we our using this process with MWLA and how you can use it when engaging youth to create change. Tap in and listen! If you are enjoying the WE DREAM Podcast please SHARE, RATE, & SUBSCRIBE. Thank you for listening and supporting!!! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wedream/message

In this episode, our guests share smart ways to teach science with technology while avoiding the pitfalls. @larryferlazzo @outsidewonderlb Erin Bridges Bird is a former high school science teacher and is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Science Education at the University of California, Davis. She investigates students' science learning outcomes during their participation in authentic environmental science research, such as students monitoring bird and pollinator populations on school campuses. Peggy Harte has been a teacher for over 20 years. She works as an elementary science specialist in the central valley of California and as an innovation fellow at the UC Davis Center for Community and Citizen Science.

UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences researchers, Ann Willis, and, Rob Lusardi, discuss how ranchers and fish can thrive on the same land. Series: "UCTV Prime" [Science] [Show ID: 34111]

UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences researchers, Ann Willis, and, Rob Lusardi, discuss how ranchers and fish can thrive on the same land. Series: "UCTV Prime" [Science] [Show ID: 34111]

Jason Beunker: Profile of a rising research engineer   On this week’s episode, Dan Zehner speaks with research engineer Jason Beunker.  Currently in year two of his PhD, Jason Beunker studies soil structure interaction and seismicity at UCLA’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.   Why academia? Like many PhD candidates in the field, Beunker returned to academia after working as a professional engineer. He discusses enjoying work for Seattle-based firm Shannon and Wilson and how his projects there actually inspired him to come back to school. He explains the value of applied engineering, logging hours in the field and interacting with knowledgeable clients. Field work gives your analyses more “teeth,” he says. And seeing his designs in action was a rewarding experience.   Early on, as a civil engineering undergraduate at the University of Illinois, it was just that hands-on nature of geotechnical engineering that appealed to him, he says. It was the right mix of math and science and being outside, getting his hands dirty.   He explains how, after eight years as a practicing engineer, he was encountering larger projects — with more complex problems and greater technical demands. He decided that, while he was still young, to enroll in a PhD program to build his knowledge in soil structure integration and soil response.   Research in soft soils. Beunker describes working with UCLA researcher Scott Brandenberg on a project examining shallow foundations on soft soil. (Brandenberg was a recent guest on DesignSafe Radio.) By replicating the response of ground failure and structure failure in these conditions, the work will function as a case history, a guide for future engineers looking at structural responses to earthquake shaking.   Beunker details his “steep learning curve,” as a hands-on researcher. Brandenberg, a noted expert in soil structures, performs his experiments on the large centrifuges at the UC Davis Center for Geotechnical Modeling, a NHERI facility. New to centrifuge modelling, Beunker describes having to learn the nuts and bolts of centrifuge modelling with help from the support team at UC Davis. “I learned how to model there,” he says, thanks to the deep knowledge on the UC Davis team.   Host Dan Zehner was eager to learn about Beunker’s experience as a new NHERI researcher. As NHERI’s facility scheduling and operations coordinator, Zehner talked about providing new ways to “flatten the learning curve” for hazards engineers working at experimental faciities.   Data publishing. Beunker says that all the findings from the project will be posted to DesignSafe in a single Jupyter notebook. Currently he’s working to make the raw data from the experiments usable for colleagues, “dressed up and filtered,” as he puts it. He explains how Jupyter enables embedding direct connections to data in reports, so users can filter and examine the information in various ways. We can look forward to hearing more Jason Beunker’s adventures in geotechnical engineering in the coming years.

Today, DesignSafe radio host Dan Zehner starts a conversation with geotechnical research engineer Scott Brandenberg, engineering professor at UCLA. In his investigations, Brandenberg employs the very large geotechnical centrifuge at the UC Davis Center for Geotechnical Modeling, a NHERI experimental facility.   Brandenberg was raised on a cattle ranch, where he helped his father fix machinery. What hooked him on engineering as a kid, he says, was entering a toothpick bridge competition. He majored in geotechnical engineering at Cal Poly in San Louis Obispo, and in graduate school at UC Davis, he did research with professors Ross Boulanger and Bruce Kutter. Brandenberg enjoyed grad school at UC Davis so much that he ended up completing his PhD there. Although he has been on faculty at UCLA for about 12 years, he spends much of his research time at the UC Davis centrifuge — a world-class facility that’s available to researchers everywhere.   Geotechnical centrifuge. Brandenberg describes the nine-meter radius centrifuge, which was originally used by NASA to test components in high-G fields. The machine can reach up to about 80 Gs. When the centrifuge spins at 60 Gs, the nine-foot arm is spinning about one-and-a-half times per second. Brandenberg jokes: “It’s like the world’s biggest blender.”   Brandenberg explains how soil modeling via centrifuge works, including the scaling effect, and why understanding soil behavior is so important in seismic engineering. Centrifuge testing mimics real, field-level stress conditions — the behavior of soil under stress.   Spinning — and shaking. Not only does the contraption spin, Brandenberg explains that the soil models are built in containers that rest on top of a shake table. Then, while the soil models are spinning around, researchers impose earthquake motions on them. He explains the scaling effect that high-G force has for simulating earthquakes. Time gets compressed, he says; it takes mere seconds to impose a shaking-motion equivalent to a one-minute-long earthquake.   In each soil model, hundreds of sensors monitor and record acceleration, displacement, and even water pressure inside the soil. Researchers also embed structures with strain gauges mounted to them to measure the bending or the axial load demands on a structure.   Brandenberg emphasized that researchers make models to capture fundamental mechanisms of loading, not to mimic the world perfectly. By measuring simplified models that let them capture fundamental load mechanisms — researchers ultimately understand how engineers should be doing design calculations for real infrastructure, on real sites that are more complicated and difficult.   In the second half of the podcast, Brandenberg provides a fascinating and detailed overview of his first major research project, which was to study propagation of earthquake ground motions through soft soil layer —  from painstakingly building the models, to testing them and then analyzing the results.   Among other things, Brandenberg explains why it’s important to measure the sheer strength properly over a wide range of shaking intensities, not just for the really strong ground motions, a finding he says is in parallel with other fundamental profiling studies.

In part two of our interview with hazards engineer John van de Lindt, we learn how his career expanded from earthquake engineering to other hazards.   After the NEESsoft project, van de Lindt won a grant for investigating sustainable buildings, looking at tornado loading, trying to reduce damage and injury in expansive soils. The team’s structure provided safety by devising shelter in basement with sustainable backfill that prevents basement walls from being damaged. Ironically, during this time, his own family lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and was caught in the famous 2011 EF4 tornado that ripped through the area. Although his house was not damaged, he worked on an NSF RAPID grant to do reconnaissance on the area damage. (NHERI’s own David Prevatt led that work, showing what a small world it is for natural hazards engineers.)   He explains that, interestingly, mitigation methods in one hazard can translate to other hazards, which is why collaborative work is so beneficial. He says it is a popular PhD dissertation topic these days: showing how it’s possible to port a method from one hazard to another.   Currently, van de Lindt is co-director of the Center for Risk-Based Community Resilience Planning, a NIST-funded center at Colorado State University.   And he is still working on wood projects. He describes wrapping up a project focused on cross laminated timber, which he describes as plywood on steroids. (Take 2x6 planks, laminated with epoxy, and build a large wall) Like the Tall Wood project, it shows that wood is strong enough to be used for building 10 10-18 story structures.   FEMA P69 analysis, “rational” approach to establish perf factors. For CLT. To establish update to building code in ASCE 2022.   Although he admits engineers grumble about building codes, and the amount of work involved in creating them, but they are what make buildings in the U.S. and Japan the safest in the world.   He describes how, in hazards engineering, multiple fundamental projects often lead to one really focused project. Or sometimes it’s just a matter of an ASCE committee doing the work to return to other, related codes, or talk to engineering groups in other countries, to “find the missing pieces.” Committees try to fill in the gaps, he says, so the world can share the data that codes are based on. “It’s how stuff becomes code,” he says.   Indeed, Van de Lindt gives back to the engineering community in these important ways. As a member of NHERI’s Network Independent Advisory Committee (NIAC), he sits with academics and practitioners to review the NHERI quarterly reports and independent advice for the grant managers and NSF.   NHERI CENTRIFUGE USERS' WORKSHOP Hosted by the UC Davis Center for Geotechnical Modeling Friday, May 18, 8AM-5PM PST Register on the DesignSafe website:  https://www.designsafe-ci.org/learning-center/training/workshops/3rd-annual-centrifuge-users/ WORKSHOP DETAILS: The Center for Geotechnical Modeling will be hosting a one-day centrifuge users’ workshop at the NHERI equipment facility at UC Davis on Friday, May 18th, 2018. The workshop will include tours and lectures by UC Davis personnel and outside users that will allow participants to understand the capabilities of the centrifuge facility, explore research opportunities and challenges, and discuss specific details toward developing proposals. Participation will be limited and priority registration will be given to: faculty planning to submit or participate in the development of NSF proposals to use the centrifuge facility at UC Davis; research team members currently funded to use the centrifuge facility; other individuals interested in learning about the NHERI equipment facility at UC Davis. Limited travel support will be available for workshop participants and those interested in receiving travel support should indicate so using the workshop registration form on this page. Participants receiving funds will be reimbursed for actual expenses up to a pre-assigned threshold of $1000 (junior faculty) or $500 (senior faculty). Currently funded NSF research teams are expected to support their travel costs within their existing research funds.

Conventional wisdom says that our eyes are drawn to objects that stand out from the background. But this "magpie theory" of visual attention is wrong, says John Henderson of the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain. A new study from Henderson's lab shows that attention is drawn to areas of a scene that are "meaningful" instead.

Topic:National Engagement Starts with Local Engagement In This Episode:[01:18] Guest Mindy Romero is introduced. [02:14] Mindy shares if there’s a resurgence of civic engagement. [05:52] Mindy talks about whether there’s an opportunity to translate national engagement to local level engagement. [08:48] Mindy speaks about building trust with communities with local policymakers that aren’t demographically reflective. [12:26] Mindy shares if she’s seen strategies where communities have attempted to create more accessible pathways. [17:10] Mindy gives her thoughts on how trust plays into voter turnout and if there are strategies to increase voter turnout. [22:07] Mindy addresses how to measure the quality of the engagement. [27:08] Do events like what happened in Charlottesville make us stronger? [30:06] Mindy provides where listeners can find out more about her work. Co-Host:Kate Meis joins the Infinite Earth Radio as the co-host for this episode. Kate Meis is the Executive Director of the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kate is a champion for local governments; a recognized leader in local climate change adaptation, mitigation and clean energy efforts; and an ardent coalition builder. She obtained a Masters of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, and has a Sociology Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sonoma. Guest & Organization:Photo by Eddie Ostrowski Mindy Romero, Ph.D. is the founder and director of the UC Davis California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP). Romero is a political sociologist and holds a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from UC Davis. Her research focuses on political behavior and race/ethnicity, and seeks to explain patterns of political underrepresentation.   Romero has been invited to speak about civic engagement and political rights in numerous venues, testifying before the National Commission on Voting Rights and the California Legislature, among others. Her research has been cited in major news outlets, including The New York Times, Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, Politico and the Huffington Post. She has also been a frequent guest on National Public Radio, Capital Public Radio, and several other NPR-affiliated stations in California. She is a regular op-ed contributor to the Sacramento Bee.   Romero works with a wide array of policymakers, elected officials, voter education groups and community advocates to strengthen political participation and representation. To this end, she has served on a number of boards and commissions. She is currently a member of the Public Policy Institute Statewide Survey Advisory Committee, President of the Board of the non-profit organization, Mutual Housing California, and Vice-Chair of the Social Services Commission for the City of Davis. The California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP) is a non-partisan civic engagement research and outreach initiative for the state of California and the U.S. Founded and directed by Mindy Romero, it is housed at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change. The CCEP provides data and analysis to inform public dialogue about representative governance. We believe that inclusive civic engagement can help overcome disparities in social and economic well-being, and can improve health, education and employment outcomes for all Californians. The CCEP has become a go-to source for electoral and civic engagement research, including the examination of nationally relevant election reforms such as automatic voter registration, online voter registration and vote centers. Legislators, public agencies, advocates, researchers, media (state and national) and community leaders use its pioneering research to track disparities and opportunities in civic participation by place and population. Take

From new ways to stimulate the brain, to new strategies to monitor and communicate with individuals with psychosis, UC Davis neuroscientists are leaders in understanding the brain and developing new treatments for mental-health disorders. Dr. Cameron Carter, Director of the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience and UC Davis Imaging Research Center explores the development of novel, effective, deliverable therapies and early interventions. [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 30129]

From new ways to stimulate the brain, to new strategies to monitor and communicate with individuals with psychosis, UC Davis neuroscientists are leaders in understanding the brain and developing new treatments for mental-health disorders. Dr. Cameron Carter, Director of the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience and UC Davis Imaging Research Center explores the development of novel, effective, deliverable therapies and early interventions. [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 30129]

Dr. Katrina Jessoe will discuss how the new UC Davis Center for Water-Energy Efficiency is advancing integrated water-energy management. She will share her current work studying the effect of behavioral and incentive-based conservation programs on residential water and natural gas savings. Her research partnership with the Southern California Gas, Burbank Water and Power, and the home water report company WaterSmart will provide insights on the cost-effectiveness of achieving energy efficiency through water savings.

Keynote: Jay Lund, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

In this War on Poverty Conference presentation, Douglas Miller discusses research on Head Start and evaluates some recent study findings. The Center for Poverty Research hosted the conference at UC Davis on Jan. 9 and 10, 2014. Miller is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of California, Davis, a Faculty Affiliate of the UC Davis Center for Poverty Research and a Faculty Research Fellow for the National Bureau of Economic Research.

In this War on Poverty Conference presentation, at the January 2014 War on Poverty Conference, Hilary Hoynes discusses her research on the food stamp program in the U.S. and the program’s impact over the past 50 years. The Center for Poverty Research hosted the conference at UC Davis on Jan. 9 and 10, 2014. Hoynes is a Professor of Public Policy and Economics, and Haas Distinguished Chair in Economic Disparities at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a Research Affiliate for the UC Davis Center for Poverty Research and is co-editor of the leading journal in economics, American Economic Review.

"The Delta is not just a canteen to supply water...it’s a place that a lot of people live and work and call home," said Kip Lipper, Chief Councilor for Energy and the Environment at the Office of the Senate Pro Tempore. California’s water future will lead to higher prices and higher uncertainty, and “the climate change piece is a huge part of that,” according to Former Deputy U.S. Secretary of Interior David Hayes. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta requires restoration, but can it meet the conflicting demands of Californians? "You're looking at an enormous bill and that's going to push up the price of water," said Los Angeles Times reporter Bettina Boxall. This discussion with politicians, a reporter and a researcher from the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences tackles the challenges surrounding the West Coast’s largest estuary. Bettina Boxall, Reporter, Los Angeles Times David Hayes, Former Deputy US Secretary of Interior Jay Lund, Director, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences Kip Lipper, Chief Councilor for Energy and the Environment, Office of the Senate Pro Tempore This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on October 15, 2013

Dr. Vincent Walsh of University College London, discussing the current evidence for and against the role of transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) in improving cognition at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain.

Dr. Vince Clark, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of New Mexico, speaking on the role of tDCS in cognitive enhancement in a talk at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain.

Dr. Dylan Edwards of the Burke Medical Research Institute, speaking on the role of tDCS and robotics in human motor recovery in a talk at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain.

Dr. Marom Bikson, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at The City College of The City University of New York, discussing the cellular mechanisms of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain.

Dr. Michael Nitsche, a pioneer in the field of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) from the University of Goettingen in Germany, speaking about the physiological basis of tDCS at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain.

In this talk at the Summit on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) at the UC-Davis Center for Mind & Brain, Dr. Roy Hamilton, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses a range of clinical applications of the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) technique.

State Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, (and former Davis mayor), who has a long and distinguished record on California water policy, shares her views on effective water policymaking and Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to tunnel exported water beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Senator Wolk heads the Senate Select Committee on Delta Stewardship and Sustainability. The Jan. 7, 2013, event, was the first in a series of talks on California water policy sponsored by the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences.

Robyn Suddeth, a graduate student in the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, outlines the major factors that make levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta landscape susceptible to future flooding — sea level rise, seismicity, subsidence and changing inflows. She then discusses the economic methods for approaching the evaluation of Delta island levee upgrades and repairs.

Peter Moyle and William Bennett, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, address four basic questions about fish in their role as major drivers of ecosystem-related policy in the Delta: 1) what species are important for making decisions that affect ecosystem function? 2) what are likely attributes of a future Delta ecosystem? 3) what are likely effects on fish of the four strategic water export alternatives? and 4) what actions could improve the Delta for desirable fish species?

William Fleenor, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, presents an initial assessment of the salinity implications of four strategies for managing delta water exports. He also explores the impacts on salinity due to two main changes to the Delta over the past century: One to three feet of sea level rise and increased island flooding.