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Chair's Greetings

Photo: JMike Singer
Welcome to the LAWR Fall newsletter. You are surprised by who is writing this welcome. So am I! Jan Hopmans, who has served well as the department Chair for over four years accepted a position as Associate Dean for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in September. I was asked to come out of retirement to serve as Interim Chair until a new Chair is selected. Read more...

 

Featured Publication

Photo: Professor Minghua Zhang
A former LAWR postdoc, who is moving to the World Agroforestry Center in Nairobi, Kenya next year, and Professor Minghua Zhang earned national as well as international recognition with their recent publication "Climatic changes lead to declining winter chill for fruit and nut trees in California during 1950-2099". Read more...

 

Current Research

Climate Change

Photo: Houlton's research group.
Exploring Earth's life support systems: biogeochemical cycles from bacteria to the biosphere
Benjamin Houlton's research group studies earth's biogeochemical cycles by linking computer models with experiments... Read more...

Landscape Processes

Photo: Landscape view of the sites on Santa Cruz island.
Fog contributions to pedogenesis and hydrology in Bishop pine (Pinus muricata) ecosystems on Santa Cruz Island
Read more...

Environmental Quality

Photo: Sierra snowpack
California’s Water Storage Problem, the Underworld, and the Body
Professor Graham Fogg’s research group with graduate students Jeannette Sager and Casey Meirovitz focuses on... Read more...

Sustainable Agriculture

Photo: Red Rock Ranch field
Sustainable bioremediation of selenium and biofuel feedstock production
As a result of the extent of irrigated agricultural land in the San Joaquin Valley, Selenium (Se) has become a familiar... Read more...
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Adventures in Outreach

Graduate Students disseminating knowledge to high school students and educators in California.
Environmental Science Camp
The 2009 Summer Environmental Sciences Camp at California State University, East Bay put together an educational program exploring wetlands, climate change, water and waste treatment, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Read more...
Picture: Group of Luncheon Participants
Yolo County Fair
For the first time the department is showcasing some of his exciting research projects and hands-on activities at the yearly Yolo County Fair in Woodland, CA.. Read more...
Photo: Soil presentation.
Digging deep in Afghanistan
Department of Land, Air and Water members Nicholaus Madden , Vic Claassen and recent graduate Matt Curtis are part of team of UC Davis soil scientists working with Purdue University staff on the Advancing Afghan Agriculture Alliance (A4) program. Read more...
Photo: Maddy Furdeckdoing
Future Soil Scientists
5th grader Maddy Furdek is on her way to being a soils scientist. Read more...

 

Awards

Award Ribbon
Faculty, staff and students in LAWR are the recipients of a wide variety of local, national and international honors and awards. LAWR is very excited about the diversity of these achievements. Read more...

 

Spotlight: Get to Know LAWR

Photo: Graduate Group Chairs
Graduate Group Chairs
Graduate Group chairs Kate Scow (Soils and Biogeochemistry) Graham Fogg (Hydrologic Sciences), and Bryan Weare (Atmospheric Science) recently spoke about their respective programs -- the uniqueness, research, goals, and student participation of each. Read more...
Photo: Susan Ustin
Faculty: Susan L. Ustin
Research interests include remote sensing of environmental properties and landscape analysis utilizing optical, microwave, and thermal scanners; radiation interactions in plant canopies and application to hydrological and ecological problems. Read more...
Photo: Merlyn Potters
Staff: Merlyn Potters
In an effort to bring cohesiveness to the three components of LAWR - land, air and water - we've created an inclusive model for our annual Graduate Showcase. Our graduate groups in Atmospheric Science, Hydrologic Sciences... Read more...
Photo Headshot: teve P. Carlson
Retiree: Steve P. Carlson
With LAWR from 1951 to 1982 as a graduate student and then in the cooperative extension as a farm advisor, county director, specialist and reginal administrator. Read more...
Photo: Danielle Groenen
Alumni: Danielle Groenen
Danielle helped organize and coordinate the Atmospheric Science exhibits and demonstrations for the UC Davis Picnic Day in 2008 and 2009. She is also interested in climate change education, including outreach programs... Read more...
: Garrett C. Liles
Graduate: Garrett C Liles
In general my work attempts to quantify the characteristics of soil organic matter, soil carbon stocks, and methods to predict soil C contents in forest ecosystems. I am utilizing thermal gravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry... Read more...
Photo: William Russell LaBarge
Undergraduate Student: William Russell LaBarge
Whether you're into saving the world by battling environmental problems or not, in LAWR you're surrounded by amazingly intelligent, kind, and open minded people. Read more...

 

Announcements

Photo: Student mentoring at Highlands Academy.
EnvironMentors
The Davis Area EnvironMentor Program has started in September of 2009. Fifteen high school students from Highlands Academy of Arts and Design in Sacramento are being mentored by an undergraduate and graduate student team from UC Davis... Read more...
LAWR Coffee Mugs
Can you help us finding the location of the LAWR Mug? Take a walk on campus to find out where the picture listed below has been taken. Read more...
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