For Your Information | February 10, 2022

February 10, 2022 | Volume 3, Issue 11

Download a printable version of this week's newsletter

UC Davis Latinx Staff and Faculty Association Crowdfunding to Support Staff Upward Career Mobility

The LSFA is an employee resource group that is raising funds to empower a greater percentage of Latinx staff towards greater upward career mobility. LSFA works to ensure that Latinx staff of the university are not only represented adequately in academic and administrative units but that they have access to quality career development opportunities. Student development studies show a greater degree achievement rate amongst Latinx students when an institution has a commensurate percentage of Latinx faculty and staff. Learn more and become a donor.

 

A MESSAGE FROM VICE CHANCELLOR TULL

Dear Friends,  

We are looking forward to celebrating the Principles of Community week with you, starting 2/22/22! Events include musical performances and a talk with Juan Diego Diaz about his new book, Africanness in Action: Essentialism and Musical Imaginations of Africa in Brazil - Carnival Samba performance led by Brian Rice, Capoeira performance led by Juan Diego Díaz on 2/23 (sponsored by CAMPSSAH), a session on the five practical components of Kishimoto’s (2018) anti-racist teaching practices, and much more! You can read more below in the events section.

 

 

We also invite you to join us at the Mondavi Center for Ronald K. Brown and Evidence on Saturday evening, 2/26/22. The Mondavi Center’s website notes that Mr. Brown’s art “focuses on the seamless integration of traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word.” The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater notes that:  “Ronald K. Brown is an advocate for the growth of the African-American dance community and uses movement as a way to acquaint audiences with the beauty of traditional African forms and rhythms. Mr. Brown founded Brooklyn-based Evidence, A Dance Company in 1985 and has also set works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Cleo Parker Robinson Ensemble, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Jennifer Muller/The Works, Jeune Ballet d’Afrique Noire, Ko-Thi Dance Company, Philadanco, and others.”

I would also like to take a moment to congratulate Prof. Rachel Jean-Baptiste, Director of IDEA – the Institute for Diversity, Equity, and Advancement and the IDEA team, for the work on “4 things the Black population needs to know about COVID-19,” and the corresponding webinar  moderated by Dr. Ebony Lewis, with guests Dr. Michael Lucien (UC Davis School of Medicine alumnus), and SAYS Associate Director, Denisha Bland. The session was part of the IDEA’s “Parenting in the Pandemic” initiative, through “Healthy Yolo Together.” 

Finally, thank you to the companies who are participating in today’s Diversity, Belonging and Inclusion at Work - a UC Davis Networking Event, led by the UC Davis Internship and Career Center, moderated by Ken Barnes. 

The campus is lively these days, and there are a number of ways to engage in activities. Whether you come to some events in person, and others online, thank you for participating, and for taking part in all that the campus has to offer. I continue to wish you a safe and healthy week!

Warmest Regards,
Renetta

Professors for the Future Now Accepting Applications for 2022-23 Cohort

Professors for the Future (PFTF) is a competitive, leadership-development program that provides outstanding Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars with an unparalleled opportunity to develop leadership prowess; refine problem-solving skills, and acquire an advanced understanding of the university system. Since its founding in 1992, Professors for the Future has empowered hundreds of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their future careers in academia and other fields in an ever-changing, competitive job market. Application deadline February 18. Learn more.

Celebrate Black History Month with Books

Student Services Librarian and Diversity Fellow Nancy Wallace of Shields Library offers a set of readings including a a graphic novel series to honor Black History Month. Most of Nancy’s recommended books are available at Shields Library or through our Interlibrary Loan service. Check our catalog or ask for assistance at the Circulation desk: The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones; When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America by Paula Giddings; The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson; Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor; March Trilogy by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin; We were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Check out this video from Nancy discussing her picks!

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of Academic Diversity | AVC Lorena Oropeza

P.L.A.C.E. with CAMPSSAH Grant Opportunities Now Available

“Professors Leveraging A Community of Engagement (PLACE) with CAMPSSAH” is delighted to return for a second year in support of our UCOP Advancing Faculty Diversity grant. The goal of P.L.A.C.E. with CAMPSSAH is to promote the development and retention of faculty by providing resources and programs in three areas: community, leadership, and recognition. It  is an interdisciplinary hub for research activities for faculty of color, URM faculty, and those faculty whose work forms the foundation of inclusive excellence at UC Davis. We have three grants now accepting applications (please visit our webpage for more details and award requirements):

Post-Tenure Startup Award - Application deadline: February 25, 2022

To help recently-tenured faculty continue their promotional trajectory, we will offer two newly-tenured faculty a “start-up” package of $4,000 as an Academic Enrichment Fund to assist them in the development of a new project or allow them to refocus their energies in ways more attuned with their desired career path within the university.

Manuscript Workshop - Application deadline: February 25, 2022

The Manuscript Workshop will aid selected faculty in getting a project from rough draft to published manuscript by providing financial resources to secure critical feedback. P.L.A.C.E. will offer up to $5,000 for one UC Davis faculty to allow the recipients to convene a one- to two-day workshop that brings together chosen experts in the scholar’s field to help prepare a manuscript for submission to a publisher. 

Summer Writing Symposium - Application deadline: April 15, 2022

P.L.A.C.E. will host a small group (5-6 faculty) to engage in a weeklong, structured and facilitated writing symposium that will take place in summer 2022. This opportunity is geared toward faculty working to complete a big task (e.g. writing an introduction, a book proposal, or a chapter in a book project) and who would benefit from uninterrupted, concentrated writing time, and structured feedback by peers and a professional writing instructor within a setting where their meals and lodging are provided.

Office of Campus Community Relations | Interim AVC Mikael Villalobos

Principles of Community Week Begins February 22

Please join us for a series of events including an Opening Ceremony featuring Gary S. May, David Lubarsky, and Renetta Tull moderated by Hendry Ton; a book talk with musical performances at the Student Community Center; workshops, student presentations, and more. You can find a complete list of main campus events with registration information here. 

Police Accountability Board Winter 2022 Public Meeting

Held each quarter during the regular academic year, the UC Davis Police Accountability Board (PAB) public meetings provide opportunities for Davis and Sacramento campus community members and others, including people from the surrounding communities, to learn more about the board’s work and how to file complaints, and to raise concerns. The meeting is informal and follows an "office hour" format. The PAB Winter 2022 public meeting will be held online via Zoom with board representatives in attendance. To attend, please register here—all are welcome. More information on the PAB can be found at pab.ucdavis.edu.

Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion | AVC Hendry Ton

Governor Names Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola to California Health and Wellness Panel

Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, director of the Community Engagement Program of the UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center, has been appointed to a state panel to promote health and wellness for Californians. Gov. Gavin Newsom named Aguilar-Gaxiola and 15 other state leaders Monday to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being. The council is led by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who is a former college athlete, and former National Football League star defensive player Ronnie Lott.  Full announcement.

Celebrating our Campus Community - Black History Month

This is the time honor and celebrate Black Americans, the time to broaden our knowledge of Black history, AND time for us to stand up against racism, as allies and advocates. To help you do this, the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion has provided a curated list of educational resources, events, and ways to get involved in support of our local communities. Read the story.

EVENTS

February 10, Thursday

Global Migration Center Presents “Beyond Social Death: Migrant Ontologies in the Digital Narrative” | 12:00pm
Brooke Kipling theorizes a digital narrative of a Honduran migrant. Kipling illuminates possibilities of migrant being and world-making that exist outside of narrative frameworks that center migrant pain and suffering within a timeline of repair, where experiences of racialized violence dissipate through the promise of inclusion. Kipling thinks with and through theorizations of the flesh and its ontological possibilities that emerge from Black studies to consider how Central American migrants articulate other ontological possibilities from the site of their disposable existence. Learn more and find Zoom link here.

The California Studio’s Artist Talk: Jennifer Packer | 4:30-6:00pm
Jennifer Packer, a painter known for her portraits, still lifes and interior scenes, has been recognized by the American Academy of Arts and Letters and received the Nancy B. Negley Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome. She has been featured in solo exhibitions at the Serpentine Galleries, London, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Her work has also been included in major group exhibitions, including Prospect New Orleans, the Whitney Biennial and the 33rd São Paulo Biennial. Packer is an associate professor in the painting department at the Rhode Island School of Design. Organized by The California Studio in the UC Davis Department of Art and Art History. Co-sponsored by the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum and the Campus Community Book Project. Free to attend. Wright Hall, Main Theatre.

February 11, Friday
Community-Academic Partnerships to Advance Equity-Focused Climate Action | 10:00am
You are invited to attend an Introductory Workshop for a new year-long training called CAPECA. CAPECA aims to augment the training of ten Californian place-based teams of community leaders and university researchers from the UC and CSU who work together to draw on participatory methods to ask and answer key research questions that inform climate planning and action in their place. The training will be rooted in the principles and practices of participatory action research, popular education, and social equity. Learn lots more and register here.

February 15, Tuesday

Aoki Presents Lorena V. Marquez  Book Talk - La Gente | 12:00pm
La Gente traces the rise of the Chicana/o Movement in Sacramento and the role of everyday people in galvanizing a collective to seek lasting and transformative change during the 1960s and 1970s. In their efforts to be self-determined, la gente contested multiple forms of oppression at school, at work sites, and in their communities. Márquez shows that the Chicana/o Movement was not solely limited to a handful of organizations or charismatic leaders. Rather, it encouraged those that were the most marginalized—the working poor, immigrants and/or the undocumented, and the undereducated—to fight for their rights on the premise that they too were contributing and deserving members of society. Learn more here. Register in advance for this event.

Growing an Indigenous Sense of Microbiology–Stories from Avanersuag | 12:00pm
Aviaja L. Hauptmann, PhD., is an Inuk microbiologist and public debater from Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland). After finishing her PhD in microbial metagenomics at the Technical University of Denmark in 2017 she returned to her birth-town Nuuk, to lead the research project the Greenland Diet Revolution Project. Her research centers the animal-sourced Indigenous diet of the Inuit. For the past four years her research focus has been the human and microbial culture of Inuit foods. Aviaja recently moved with her husband and two sons to unceded Patwin lands where she holds a position as visiting postdoc at UC Davis. During her stay Aviaja is collaborating across disciplines including microbiology, Indigeneity and Feminist Science to explore the microbial potential and the importance of the Inuit fermentation culture. Link to the event.

February 16, Wednesday

Heal the Healer | 12:00pm
A weekly lunch hour self-care and mindfulness session for community members supporting refugees. Facilitators: Iffat Hussain MSW-LCSW is a Program Director at the Turning Point Mental Health Urgent Care which is an innovative service in Sacramento County. Dr. PC How is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UC Davis where she serves as the Associate Medical Director of the Sacramento County Mental Health Treatment Center and the Associate Program Director for the psychiatry residency program. Khoban Kochai serves as the Assistant Director for Anchor Institution and Culture/Climate. Registration will only allow you to choose one date but once you have the Zoom link, you are welcome to attend as many sessions as you like. Each Wednesday in February and March. Register here.

February 17, Thursday

Staff/Faculty Womxn of Color Support Group | 12:00pm
This group was brought together in 2019 by Dr. Satinder Gill and Cecily Nelson-Alford to support womxn of color employed at UC Davis. The intention is to offer a safe and encouraging space to support healing, growth and development in the personal and professional lives of womxn of color. Hosts: Dr. Satinder Gill, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Academic and Staff Assistance Program Cecily Nelson-Alford, Director, Women’s Resources and Research Center. Consent for participation is necessary, please contact drgill@ucdavis.edu for more information. The groups meets bi-weekly year round on Thursday (next meeting 2/17).

Global Migration Center Presents “Precarious Legal Patchworking: Detained Immigrants’ Access to Justice” | 12:00pm
As immigration enforcement increases, so does the detention of immigrants facing the threat of deportation. Detained without the support of a public defender system – a feature of US immigration law, immigrants face a complex immigration court that is adversarial and can produce dire consequences including family and community exile, loss of employment, and inevitable violence or even death if deported. This paper chronicles the experiences of former detainees and how they were able to acquire (or not acquire) justice through multiple means while detained. Learn more and find Zoom link here.

February 22, Tuesday

Aoki Center on Critical Race and Nation Studies – Irene Oritseweyinmi Joe, “Learning from Mistakes,” | 12:00pm
Much of the attention following a reversal of a defendant’s wrongful conviction focuses on the role that police, prosecutors or judges played in perpetuating the injustice. To the extent the defense attorney is considered, it is limited to claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. A more complete story about each reversal would include a description of how each of the components of the criminal process failed to work cohesively in a manner to maintain systemic integrity and protect human life and liberty. Register.

CAMPSSAH Presents a Muscial Performance and Book Talk with Juan Diego Diaz | 12:00pm
Join the Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Social Science, Arts, and Humanities for music from a student Samba Ensemble led by Brian Rice (Music; Director of Samba and Afro-Cuban Percussion) and Capoeira performance led by Juan Diego Diaz (Music). Following the musical performances, Juan Diego will talk about his new book, Africanness in Action: Essentialism and Musical Imaginations of Africa in Brazil. The bookstore will be on hand to purchase books. The event will be in person at the Student Community Center’s Multipurpose Room and livestreamed via Facebook, YouTube, and Zoom. Please register in advance for in person attendance and comply with all health and safety requirements before arriving.

February 23, Wednesday

Five Approaches to Anti-Racist Teaching | 12:00pm
Participants will engage with the five practical components of Kishimoto’s (2018) anti-racist teaching practices: (1) addressing assumptions to cultivate students’ critical analytical skills; (2) generating awareness of students’ social positions; (3) empowering students to take responsibility for their learning through the decentering of the classroom; (4) empowering students to apply theory to practice; and (5) fostering a sense of community in the classroom through collaborative learning. Interdisciplinary examples of these practices will be shared as participants develop actionable plans for their classrooms. Participants will also discuss how anti-racist pedagogies extend to other spheres of influence. Learn more and register.

Davis Humanities Institute Book Chat with Jessica Perea | 5:10pm
“Sound Relations: Native Ways of Doing Music History in Alaska.” What does it mean to sound (or not sound) Native? Who decides? And how can Indigenous-led and Indigeneity-centered analyses of Native musicking reframe larger debates of power and representation in twenty-first century American historiography? From hip hop to Christian hymnody and drumsongs to funk and R&B, Jessica Bissett Perea offers relational and radical ways of listening to a vast archive of Inuit presence across a range of genres to register the density (not difference) of Indigenous ways of musicking. Native ways of doing music history engage processes of sound worlding beyond colonial nation-state notions of containment and measurement, and instead amplifies possibilities for more just and equitable futures. Register.

Book Project: Racial Healing Circle | 6:00pm
Facilitated by Kawami Evans, Director of Inclusion and Organizational Development, Student Dining and Housing Services and Vickie Gomez, Director of Campus and Regional Community Engagement, Office of Campus Community Relations. We are creating a safe space for self-reflection to promote racial equity and healing. In this session we will foster meaningful connections as we address the systems of racism and oppression that cause harm to our communities, and offer support to one another during these difficult times. Register.

March 18, Friday

Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández at the Mondavi Center | 7:30pm

Founded in 1952 by dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández, Ballet Folklórico brings together the music, dance and costume of Mexican folklore from pre-Colombian civilizations through the modern era. With its permanent home at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, one of Mexico City’s most historic venues, the company has developed choreography for 40 ballets, composed of 76 folk dancers who have performed extensively across Mexico and abroad. Learn more and purchase tickets

RECOMMENDED READING

Center for Educational Effectiveness, Anti-racism Series Resource Book, February 2022.

CEE has updated their Anti-racism Series Resource Book, including more on anti-Asian awareness actions. As educators, we can infuse our professional practice with actions in support of anti-racist ideals. We can all contribute to this race and equity work, so that the entire burden does not fall solely on Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC). Beginning with a vigilant self-awareness, we can interrogate our own experiences and unconscious biases, disrupting the privileges from which we may benefit. Reflecting on privilege and acknowledging racism and white supremacy can help keep focus on our anti-racist work. Download the resource book.

Mike Palazzolo, University of California, Davis, and Adithya Pattabhiramaiah, Georgia Institute of Technology, “Raising the Minimum Wage Improves Nutrition Among Food-Insecure Households,” Center for Poverty and Inequality Research, February 2022.

Blame for widespread food insecurity across the U.S. is frequently directed at the prevailing minimum wage. In a recent study, we examined whether and to what extent increases to the minimum wage improved the quantity and nutritional quality of food purchased by minimum-wage earners. We found that households likely to be earning the minimum wage purchased more calories in response to minimum-wage increases. Read the research.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Resources for Trans and Non-Binary Employees
UC Davis is committed to supporting trans and non-binary employees in the workplace. Resources for employees; resources for supervisors; policies and laws; health benefits; reporting options; community and individual support. Find the resources here.

11 Suggested Actions toward Anti-Racism in the Office and on Your Own
Written by the UC Davis Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and based on the Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’s Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan, the “Being an Ally Requires being Anti-Racist: 11 Suggested Actions toward Anti-Racism in the Office and on Your Own” provides practical suggestions for everyone. 

Reporting Concerns of Harassment and Discrimination
The Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program (HDAPP) supports the University's commitment to a harassment and discrimination-free work and learning environment for all members of the UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR). 

If you are interested in reporting concerns of Harassment and Discrimination, please contact HDAPP to file a report and/or speak with a representative to better understand your options. Learn more about HDAPP here or go to HDAPP's website for more information.

11 Suggested Actions toward Anti-Racism in the Office and on Your Own
Written by the UC Davis Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and based on the Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’s Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan, the “Being an Ally Requires being Anti-Racist: 11 Suggested Actions toward Anti-Racism in the Office and on Your Own” provides practical suggestions for everyone. 

Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center
The mission of Aggie Compass is to help mitigate the effects of food and housing insecurity on students, while working to change policy, systems and environment that will affect long term change. The Aggie Compass is a comfortable space for students to build community and learn about basic needs resources, pick up fresh fruits and vegetables, receive CalFresh enrollment assistance and help finding stable housing.

If you need help with food or housing insecurity concerns, financial or mental wellness, please visit their website for more information.

Counseling Services Mental Health Resources Webinar [requires Kerberos log-in] One of the things we hear frequently from instructors about teaching in Spring 2020 is the extent to which they encountered students in their courses experiencing significant stress or crisis, yet they felt unequipped to help or direct students to resources. To help, Student Health and Counseling Services provided a Mental Health Resources Webinar. If supporting students in crisis is a concern for you, please watch this previously-recorded webinar. Webinar topics include an overview of mental health services on campus, how to make referrals, signs of distress and how to respond, and how faculty can support students in the classroom (remote or on-campus). Student Affairs has also provided this folder of faculty resources.

Content Submission Form
Do you have a DEI-oriented event, announcement, or article that you would like us to help promote through our DEI communication channels? Did your unit/department or a member of your unit/department receive recognition that demonstrates your commitment to DEI? If so, please send us your information through this online form.

We invite you to share and submit your thoughts and items for our newsletter (either current or future news and events) at diversityinclusion@ucdavis.edu

Thank you for your dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion!

#ThinkBigDiversity
https://diversity.ucdavis.edu/