More Laurels: Nutritionist and pediatrician Kenneth Brown named as a recipient of the prestigious Prince Mahidol Award.

The American Musicology Society recently bestowed its highest honor on D. Kern Holoman, professor of music and conductor emeritus of the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra.

Of the society’s 3,600 members, only 37 have been dubbed “honorary” — and Holoman is now one of them. The society accords the title in recognition of outstanding lifetime achievement in music history scholarship and service to the organization.

The society cited Holoman for his work as a scholar of 19th-century music, particularly the works of Hector Berlioz; for his writing on music for the general public; and for directing two successful symphony fundraising campaigns 25 years apart.

Holoman, a UC Davis faculty member since 1973, is the second UC Davis professor to be named an honorary member of the American Musicology Society, joining Jessie Ann Owens, dean of the Division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies, who was named an honorary member in 2008.

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A federal agency recently presented a “partnership award” to Professor Richard Bostock and others from the Department of Plant Pathology for their work in developing the National Plant Diagnostic Network.

The award is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Bostock accepted the award in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the entire network, which is designed to protect plants against significant pests and diseases that could be introduced accidentally or through acts of bioterrorism.

UC Davis became a lead institution for the new network in 2002, and Bostock became head of the western region, which includes 10 states and Pacific territories.

The western regional center team at UC Davis also includes the following, all of whom share in the award: Carla Thomas, associate director; Richard Hoenisch, training and education coordinator; and Andrew Coggeshall, programmer and information technology specialist.

In all, the USDA award recognizes the efforts of 35 people across the nation for their work in developing and implementing the network’s programs.

“The network has improved plant disease and pest diagnostics throughout the nation by forming productive partnerships between land-grant universities and state and federal agencies involved in plant health issues,” Bostock said.

The network provides resources for diagnostic laboratories and diagnostician training, develops and delivers educational programs that reach thousands of individuals who are in positions to be the first detectors of a plant disease or pest outbreak, and establishes and practices communication procedures to alert those who need to know when an outbreak occurs.

“These efforts have created an unprecedented capability throughout the nation to rapidly detect, diagnose and respond to important disease-causing agents that impact agriculture,” Bostock said.

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The Weed Science Society of America announced that Kassim Al-Khatib and Joe DiTomaso will receive the society’s highest honor — by being named fellows of the society. A ceremony is planned during the society’s next annual meeting, set to take place in February in Portland, Ore.

Al-Khatib and DiTomaso are weed specialists with Cooperative Extension, and each heads a statewide program: Al-Khatib, Integrated Pest Management, and DiTomaso, the Weed Research and Information Center.

The Western Society of Weed Science recently recognized UC Davis weed specialist Brad Hanson as Outstanding Early Career Weed Scientist.

Hanson joined the Department of Plant Sciences a year ago as an assistant specialist in Cooperative Extension, specializing in weed management in perennial crops and methyl bromide alternatives.

He is due to receive the award in March in Spokane, Wash., during the society’s annual meeting.

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The UC Davis Health System’s chief executive officer has taken a seat on the board of directors of the Association of American Medical Colleges, while the medical center’s CEO has been appointed to the California Health Facilities Financing Authority.

Claire Pomeroy is serving a two-year term on the Association of American Medical Colleges board of directors. She is UC Davis’ vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences, as well as dean of the School of Medicine and CEO of the health system.

The association announced its new board of directors during the association’s annual meeting in November. The 17-member board serves as the governing body for the association, which represents all 133 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 62 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and nearly 90 academic and scientific societies.

Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 128,000 faculty members, 75,000 medical students and 110,000 resident physicians.

Ann Madden Rice’s service on the California Health Facilities Financing Authority is by appointment of the Senate Rules Committee. The medical center CEO’s term on the financing authority runs until March 31, 2012.

The California Health Facilities Financing Authority makes loans — with funding from tax-exempt bonds — to public and non-profit health care providers.

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As founding dean of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, Heather Young is well positioned to assist in developing an improved health care system, through nursing.

And so she will, as one of eight members of the California Regional Action Coalition, one of a number of such coalitions that will help implement the recommendations of a national initiative on nursing.

The recommendations are contained in a report that came out in October: “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.” The Institute of Medicine, a unit of the national academies, collaborated on the report with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

A news release from the UC Davis Health System describes the regional action coalitions as the initiative’s driving force, charged with developing long-term, sustainable actions and promoting them at the local, state and national levels.

“The Future of Nursing” report calls for enhancing the role of nursing leadership in health care redesign and raising the education level of the nursing work force, as well as increasing the capacity of nurses to address growing societal need.

The report’s recommendations address a range of system changes, including innovative ways to improve the quality of health care and to address the shortage in the health care work force.

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Dateline welcomes news of faculty and staff awards, for publication in Laurels. Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.