Gov. Jerry Brown last week reappointed Dean Helene Dillard to the California State Board of Food and Agriculture. Dillard, a UC Davis alumna, has led the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences since 2014.

Brown appointed her to the food and agriculture board in 2015; her new term runs until January 2020. The 15-member panel, representing a broad spectrum of California agriculture, serves in an advisory capacity to the governor and the secretary of the state Department of Food and Agriculture.

Dillard, a plant disease expert, had a 30-year career at Cornell University (professor, associate dean and head of Cooperative Extension) before returning to UC Davis, where she earned a master’s degree in soil science in 1979 and a Ph.D. in plant pathology in 1984. She completed her undergraduate work at UC Berkeley.

Fire officials urge: Have an exit strategy

As the mourning continues for UC community members and all the others who perished in the Dec. 2 fire at Oakland’s Ghost Ship warehouse, campus safety officials are reminding the campus community to always think about an exit strategy.

It’s a message that the UC Davis Fire Prevention unit delivers annually to new students during summer orientation, and repeats during residence hall fire drills in October, said Jim Patterson, interim campus fire marshal.

A campus brochure from haveanexitstrategy.com states: “The crush of bodies forms a bottleneck. People panic and start pushing. Some fall down. Some even die. When you walk into a public place, do your homework. Plan an exit strategy. And, keep in mind, the best way out may not be the way in.”

The Fire Prevention unit also emphasizes having an exit strategy when you attend large gatherings. “You have a strategy for getting out of the parking lot,” a poster states. “How about one for getting out a burning concert?”

Fire officials advise: Make a mental note of where the exits are, and, if you’re on the first floor, the windows, too. If you see doors that are locked or blocked, or hallways that are blocked, notify the management and the local fire marshal. And if the place seems too crowded, or the occupancy limit has been exceeded, move to an exit.

Resources

• Have an Exit Strategy brochure (PDF)
• Have an Exit Strategy for Concerts (PDF)

UC Davis Canvas making inroads as deadline approaches

The switch to a new learning management system is moving along, with Canvas users outnumbering SmartSite users for coursework this fall.

All classes must be taught with Canvas by the summer, and Information and Educational Technology reports that instructors on campus were more than halfway there as of the fall quarter. Winter quarter figures will be available in January.

More detailed statistics and a timeline are available on the IET website. 

Picnic Day board seeks exhibit applications

The Picnic Day board announced that the exhibit application form for next year’s event is ready and waiting for departments and department-affiliated organizations wishing to participate. Here’s the link.

“Growing Together” is the theme for 103rd Picnic Day, to be held Saturday, April 22. More information.

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