January 21, 2021 | Issue 15 |
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A Message From The Vice Provost
"Somehow we weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken but simply unfinished."
– Amanda Gorman
National Youth Poet Laureate reciting her poem “The Hill We Climb”
at President Biden’s inauguration
After a year like no other we have experienced, I hoped 2021 would bring some sense of relief. In many ways, it has – the inauguration of our 46th president brings with it a renewed commitment to combating climate change, advancing racial equity and environmental justice, supporting underserved communities, and engaging with partners and organizations around the globe. But we cannot forget how profoundly unsettling and disturbing the first week of January was. A day that began with the elections of the first black Senator and the Jewish son of an immigrant in Georgia ended with a violent attempt to undermine faith in the democratic process.
The disparate reactions to the failed insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6 and the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer further illustrate our Janus-faced American democracy. As Distinguished Professor of History Eric Rauchway notes in an interview for The Backdrop, the past four years invite – if not force – us to reckon with some of the worst aspects of American history. Both historically and in contemporary society, an uninformed and misled citizenry leads to autocracy, fascism, and other anti-democratic forms of power. The only way to collectively move toward democracy is through an educated and informed citizenry.
Enhanced technology and social media have given the world immense power – creativity has exploded, any questions we have can be answered with a quick search, and we can share stories and ideas across time zones with a single click. But with great power comes great responsibility and grave consequences. This same technology has fueled disinformation campaigns, helped coordinate violence and allowed our nation to exist in alternate universes. Platforms that bring connection can also sow division.
Given these challenges, how do we become an informed citizenry; how do we place emphasis on viewpoints that are based in fact, not fear? In an increasingly polarized world, how do we learn from each other in ways that center values and dreams? The everyday actions we take in the places we find ourselves – in interpersonal relationships, our local communities, institutions in which we work – are a powerful way to develop a shared understanding of the world in which we live.
Democracy is a struggle, but a much-needed one. As the COVID remembrance ceremony on Tuesday evening reminds us, we need to acknowledge what we have lost in order to collectively move forward. However unfinished – even unattainable – a goal democracy is, we must continue to move toward what we imagine it to be. While events on the national stage have rightly captured so much of our attention and concern, we must remain focused on cultivating communities that value and celebrate difference. Rather than believing “this is not who we are as a country”, let’s acknowledge that it is and use recent events as an opportunity to decide who we strive to be.
In community,
Michael Rios
Vice Provost, Public Scholarship and Engagement
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Through the Public Impact Research Initiative, PSE is offering grants to support research activities with non-university partners in one of the two following categories: Seed Grants to support the development of new research collaborations; and Bridge Grants to deepen, sustain, or evaluate existing collaborative research. UC Davis Academic Senate and Academic Federation members from any UC Davis location are eligible to apply. Recipients of a Public Impact Research Initiative grant will receive up to $10,000 for proposed activities.
Deadline: February 26, 2021
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In recognition of the impacts of COVID-19 on the 20-21 academic year, we have delayed the start of this program and extended the application deadline to March 1, 2021. We are currently accepting applications for our Community Engaged Learning Faculty Fellows Program, which aims to support individuals working to fully integrate this learning approach into existing courses and new curricular experiences, including distance-learning classes.
Deadline: March 1, 2021
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Hipolito Angelito Cerros, a science and technology studies (STS) major at UC Davis, won a seat on the city council in his hometown of Lindsay, California. Cerros said his classes and internships in STS have prepared him for local politics. In fall 2020, while learning remotely from home, Cerros researched gentrification in the Central Valley and its impact on communities. The project, led by Assistant Professor and Community Engaged Faculty Fellow Lindsay Poirier, focuses on housing rate increases spurred by people moving from the Bay Area to the Sacramento region during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Public Engagement Champion |
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Professor Heidi Ballard knows how powerful it can be when scientists partner with the public to do research on environmental issues that affect their communities. That's why she conceived of the Center for Community and Citizen Science at UC Davis with a mission to help scientists, communities, and citizens collaborate on science to address environmental problems as a part of civic life. Read her story.
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As we look to the next four years under a new administration, what should we expect in terms of poverty and inequality alleviation? Looking beyond the immediacy of the Covid-19 pandemic, what are the most important challenges facing the United States, and what are possible anti-poverty solutions? In this panel discussion, faculty from across the Center for Poverty and Inequality Research will share their expert perspectives.
Event: January 22, 2021 | 3:30 – 5 p.m.
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One Health Institute is initiating a small grants program to promote the integration of the One Health approach into efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The One Health approach is both in need of better DEI immersion throughout all engagements and could also be an excellent method for exploring novel applications and improvements to address inequities. Innovative proposals that connect students, staff, faculty, and community members to address these issues are encouraged.
Deadline: January 31, 2021
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The California Planning Roundtable (CPR), a nonprofit organization of urban planning professionals, has initiated an oral history project focused on identifying how past planning practices have impacted communities of color, as related by those people who have experienced the impacts. CPR is offering two paid internships to students currently enrolled in graduate programs to assist with the project. The internships are available beginning in early 2021.
Deadline: January 31, 2021
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This new initiative recognizes faculty at the Assistant or Associate ranks whose scholarship epitomizes engaged excellence, defined as scholarly or creative achievements that involve diverse communities with a commitment to social change. Graduate students, post-docs, and faculty are invited to nominate scholars.
Deadline: February 1, 2021
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The Green Initiative Fund, a campus program hosted by the Office of Sustainability and supported by student fees, offers students the opportunity to develop and launch innovative sustainability projects on campus, and to have a greater impact on sustainability within the UC Davis campus and the immediate region.
Deadline: February 8, 2021
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The Keeling Curve Prize is accepting applications for the prize from innovative climate change solutions in the areas of Capture & Utilization, Energy, Finance, Social & Cultural Pathways, and Transport & Mobility. Each year the Keeling Curve Prize gives out 10 awards of $25,000 each.
Deadline: February 9, 2021
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The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is recruiting a Faculty Director for the Center for Regional Change to provide academic leadership that supports the building of healthy, equitable, prosperous, and sustainable regions in California and beyond through innovative, collaborative, and action-oriented research.
Deadline: February 12, 2021
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Do you know someone in the Sacramento region who might be interested in starting their own food business? Alchemist Micorenterprise Academy is a 12-week business training course designed to make sense of the confusing aspects of starting a food business. The Spring 2021 cohort will be 100% online.
Deadline: February 14, 2021
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This is an invitation to individuals and/or groups in all mediums to submit proposals for inclusion in the Un/Equal Freedoms: Expressions for Social Justice inaugural exhibition. Artworks should reckon with the unequal freedoms embedded within our social structures and/or offer a vision of an improved society with greater equality and freedom for all.
Deadline: February 15, 2021
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The Ali Youssefi Project aims to nurture artists from a diverse range of backgrounds and uplift the work of artists, with a particular focus on underrepresented perspectives and voices. We welcome all visual artists working with a wide range of mediums. This residency is open to national applicants and will take place in Sacramento, California, for a period of 3 months.
Deadline: February 16, 2021
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CCST is seeking PhD scientists and engineers for a year of public service and government leadership training in the California State Legislature and California state agencies. The CCST Science Fellows program trains scientific thinkers to be policy-savvy, while helping equip California's decision-makers with science-savvy staff.
Deadline: March 1, 2021
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Forest managers can now look to a newly enhanced, predictive mapping tool to learn where forests are likely to regenerate on their own and where replanting efforts may be beneficial.
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Social media misinformation can negatively influence people’s attitudes about vaccine safety and effectiveness, but credible organizations — such as research universities and health institutions — can play a pivotal role in debunking myths with simple tags that link to factual information.
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The Backdrop podcast is a monthly interview program featuring conversations with UC Davis scholars and researchers working in the social sciences, humanities, arts and culture.
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Opened in November, Davis PAW looks to establish monthly clinics, and not only provides a valuable service to the community’s homeless population, but also provides hands-on experience for UC Davis veterinary students, as well as a basis for research on pets of the homeless.
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Partnering for the Public Good |
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At a time when our planet and its people face unprecedented challenges, UC Davis is reimagining the vital links that connect university, community and society. Philanthropic support plays a vital role in advancing UC Davis research, education and collaborations that make the world a better place. We invite the partnership of university friends who share our vision of discovery, learning and engagement for the public good. |
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About Public Scholarship and Engagement |
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Public Scholarship and Engagement is fostering a culture of engagement at UC Davis that increases the university’s impact through mutually-beneficial relationships that have local, regional, statewide and global reach. We envision UC Davis research, teaching and learning that serves society and makes a positive difference in the world.
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