UC Davis this week celebrated the opening of the Jess S. Jackson Sustainable Winery Building, which isn’t a winery at all — but key to making the winery next door an environmental wonder.
“What you see in this building is the potential to achieve levels of sustainable operation never before seen in a commercial or research winery,” said David Block, chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology.
The potential lies in systems, not yet installed, such as one that will capture the carbon dioxide from wine fermentation; another that will filter rainwater to be used to clean fermenters and barrels (and refilter and use it again and again, up to 10 times); and yet another that will use electrolysis to make hydrogen gas for use in a fuel cell for nighttime energy.
The one-story, 8,500-square-foot Jackson building is an environmental wonder, too, described as extremely “tight” with exceptional insulation, roof overhangs to shelter the building from the summer sun, and a tubing system in the building’s slab, to help cool and heat the building (with cold or hot water), among other features that lessen the building’s carbon footprint.
Veterans and Diversity Career Fair
All job seekers are invited to UC Davis’ first Veterans and Diversity Career Fair, 4 to 7 p.m. Monday (June 3), to be held on the Sacramento campus.
UC Davis is among the largest employers in the Sacramento area, with more than 28,000 employees on the Davis and Sacramento campuses. The university offers more than 400 types of positions in fields ranging from entry-level to mid-level professional.
“UC Davis is committed to helping military veterans make a smooth transition back into the workplace and hope that this event will help many candidates advance in their job search,” said Steve Chilcott, director of Human Resources for the UC Davis Health System.
The career fair will take place at the MIND Institute, 2825 50th St.; free parking will be available next door at the California Employment Development Department, 2901 50th St. No advance registration is required.
Departments merge, change names
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences announced two mergers:
- Department of Entomology and Department of Nematology — Now the Department of Entomology and Nematology.
- Department of Human and Community Development, and the Landscape Architecture Program — Now the Department of Human Ecology.
And, in the College of Biological Sciences:
- Department of Microbiology — Now the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics to better reflect the department’s research activities, while still reflecting its history, said Wolf-Dietrich Heyer, department chair.
Book project nominations due for 2014-15
The Campus Council on Community and Diversity invites all members of the campus and greater community to nominate books related to the topic of disability-disability issues for the 2014-15 Campus Community Book Project.
“As an educational institution, we endeavor to explore and engage thoughtfully about issues that impact our lives, directly and indirectly, with the goal of building a community that promotes diversity,” said Mikael Villalobos, book project coordinator and administrator of the Diversity Education Program in the Office of Campus Community Relations.
Nominations are sought by July 19, by email to mbvillalobos@ucdavis.edu. Please include title, author and a short description of the book, plus an explanation of why it complements the topic and represents a worthy selection.
You're invited: Farm to College dinner event
Dining Services is preparing once again to serve up ample portions of its commitment to shopping local, and to sustainable production methods and the humane treatment of animals.
The campus community and the general public are invited to partake during the Farm to College celebration, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday (June 6) on the lawn within the Segundo residential complex. Farm to College is held twice a year, and next week’s is No. 15.
The menu includes Summer Citrus Free-Range Chicken Salad, Cage-Free Egg Frittata, Summer Citrus Tofu Salad and BBQ Pork Sandwich, as well as Fair Trade Chocolate Brownies, Gunther’s Ice Cream and Fresh Organic Strawberries, and Larry & Luna’s Coconut Bliss Ice Cream. Vegan offerings include the tofu salad, and the Larry & Luna’s ice cream; vegetarian and gluten-free items also will be available.
The program also includes music, educational activities and crafts (emphasizing sustainability, of course).
The Farm to College dinner is priced at $11.80 for UC Davis employees (with staff ID or Staff Assembly pin) or $14.75 for the general public. If you are a meal plan holder, simply swipe your card.
Invites go out for New Retirees Reception
Did you retire in 2012-13, or do you plan to retire in 2012-13? Then you’re invited to the New Retirees Reception, sponsored by the Retiree Center, the Office of the Provost, and the Retirees and Emeriti associations.
The reception, with hors d’oeuvres and music, is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 20, in the Conference Center Ballroom.
Invitations have been sent to faculty and staff whose retirements have taken effect and to those employees who made their plans known to the university. If you feel you should have received an invitation and did not, contact the Retiree Center at (530) 752-5182 or retireecenter@ucdavis.edu.
People who plan to attend the reception are asked to register by Wednesday (June 5), via the Retiree Center’s online registration system.
‘Cool School’ survey
The creative minds behind a UC Davis communication campaign — about the university's "Coolest School" ranking from Sierra magazine — are conducting a survey about the ranking: Have you heard of it?
“Tell us what you know and what you think about it," the organizers are asking in the online survey.
The results will be presented at the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference, where UC Davis' "No. 1 Cool School" campaign will receive a best practices award. The conference is scheduled June 23-27 at UC Santa Barbara. (The conference took place at UC Davis last year.)
Media Resources
Dave Jones, Dateline, 530-752-6556, dljones@ucdavis.edu