Registration is open for workshops that will be part of the Career Development Resource Showcase, scheduled from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, in the ARC Ballroom.

The program, organized by Human Resources and Staff Assembly, will connect staff with the people and resources to help employees advance their careers at UC Davis.

Representatives from more than 20 campus organizations, along with regional and local educational institutions, will share information about volunteer, leadership and networking opportunities, as well as degree programs and professional education courses that can facilitate staff career advancement.

The event also includes two workshops, each to be presented twice:

• Job Application Tips: Optimizing Your UC Davis Employment Application — Presented by Debbie Ferreter and Tony Puccioni, Human Resources recruiters. 11:15-11:45 a.m. and 12:45-1:15 p.m.
• The Art of Interviewing — Presented by Constance Stevens and Andrea Weiss, Human Resources career counselors. 11:15-11:45 a.m. and 12:45-1:15 p.m.

Workshop registration.

More information is available online. Questions can be directed to Grant Nejedlo, Staff Assembly coordinator, by phone, (530) 752-0988, or email.

Data Center gives new meaning to 'fast'

Did you notice? Hardware that supports key campus services, including email routing and my.ucdavis.edu, sped up last year by an order of magnitude.

Unless you track time in milliseconds, you probably didn't detect the change. But the improvement represents a useful step forward in data-storage processing for campus web-based services, especially the busy ones.

Read the TechNews article.

Employees like discount on electric LEAFS

No other UC campus beats ours for the number all-electric LEAF cars that employees have purchased through a discount program arranged between UC and Nissan.

From February 2013 through January 2015, Nissan applied the discount on 46 purchases by UC Davis employees — more than any other UC location. UC San Francisco was second, with 26.

Employees may save up to $10,000 in tax and local incentives when purchasing a LEAF under the arrangement between Nissan and UC. The discounts are available through the Vehicle Purchase Program, part of UC President Janet Napolitano’s Carbon Neutrality Initiative.

Discounts and incentives vary from month to month. Examples include a free home charger and free electricity for two years.

More information is available on this flier (although it indicates the offer of incentives expires on March 2, they are available on an ongoing basis). Questions? Contact Jeannie Lam, Nissan's Northern California representative for the program, by phone, (615) 315-1239 or email.

UC Davis Extension offers free life coaching

“Clients” are being sought for 18 students in UC Davis Extension’s Professional Coaching for Life and Work Certificate Program. As part of their training, the students will provide free, one-on-one services over three to four months, in a maximum of six, one-hour sessions.

A news release states: “Do you need a little guidance or encouragement when it comes to your career? Could your personal life use some accountability and motivation? For a limited time, you can work with a professional coach and not have to pay for it!”

Crystal Babowal of UC Davis Extension said coaches will partner with “clients” in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potentials.

Interested “clients” should contact Babowal by email by Monday, March 9. Include your contact information and the areas of development in which you would like to focus.

The offer is good for employees as well as their friends and family members.