National survey of Ph.D. programs released
September 28, 2010
A half-dozen UC Davis graduate programs rank among the best of the nation in a comprehensive survey of doctorate programs released today (Sept. 28) by the National Research Council. It is the first survey of its kind since 1995.
Among the best UC Davis performers were the graduate programs in Spanish, entomology, agricultural and resource economics, plant biology, ecology, and nutritional biology, all of which fell in the top 5 percent among similar programs nationally on at least one of two overall measures. About one-third of the UC Davis programs fell in the top 25 percent in their respective fields.
"The strong overall performance of so many UC Davis graduate programs reflects the talent and energy of the faculty and the interdisciplinary environment on campus," said Jeffery Gibeling, dean of graduate studies. The results quantitatively validate what we already know about some of our best programs, he added.
"At UC Davis and, I expect, at other Ph.D.-granting universities, we will be carefully working through these data, making comparisons between our programs and those at other institutions, and looking for ways that we can improve," Gibeling said. "It is likely that we will construct our own rankings based on the qualities we believe to be most important."
Gibeling cautioned against making simple head-to-head comparisons of rankings. The NRC describes the rankings as "illustrative" of the ways the data can be used and does not endorse their use to make absolute comparisons. Different UC Davis programs do well in different subcategories, he noted.
Data for the survey were collected in 2006 and reflect the 10 years before that. Changes since 2006, such as changes in curriculum or faculty turnover or growth, are not captured.
While the data in the survey are in some ways dated, it is the most comprehensive and detailed survey of its kind, and can provide useful information for future policy discussions on strengthening graduate education at UC Davis, Gibeling said.
Fifty-one UC Davis programs were included in the survey. Eligible programs had to have graduated at least five Ph.D.s in the five years prior to 2005-06. Programs were slotted into specific subject fields determined in advance by the NRC. In some cases, multiple UC Davis programs fit in the same subject field. One important change since the 1995 NRC assessment is the inclusion of agricultural fields, areas in which UC Davis has longstanding strengths.
The report's methodology is complex. The committee assigned each program a range of ranks on five different scales: two overall scales, "overall-S" and "overall-R," and three subcategories, "research activity," "student support and outcomes," and "diversity of the academic environment."
The results for each measure are expressed as a range of rankings reflecting the variability and uncertainty inherent in such assessments. For example, the UC Davis graduate program in entomology was ranked from 1 to 7 on the overall-S scale, 2 to 10 on overall-R, 2 to 13 for research activity, 3 to 15 for student support and outcomes, and 3 to 12 on diversity.
Those rankings might be skewed in fields with few programs in the country: For example, it is easier to be in the top 10 programs if only 15 such programs are offered nationwide than if there are 150. So the rank ranges can also be expressed as percentile ranges.
To calculate the rankings, the NRC collected data on 20 key variables, grouped under the three subcategory headings.
The NRC's statisticians weighted these variables in two different ways. In the first method, they surveyed university faculty across the country and asked them what factors, such as publications by faculty or time to degree, were most important in the quality of a graduate program. These "survey" weights were used to calculate the "overall-S" score.
In the second method, they asked small groups of professors to rank a subset of programs in a particular field. Then they used regression analysis to work out which variables best predict the program rankings reported by the faculty. This set of weights was used to calculate the "overall-R" score.
The NRC's statisticians analyzed the data 500 times and discarded the top and bottom 5 percent of results to arrive at a range of values, said Division of Graduate Studies analyst Helen Frasier. Statistically, there is a 90 percent probability that the true rank of the program falls into that range.
The overall-S and overall-R scores give divergent results in some cases. The size of a program, for example, has a bigger effect on the overall-R score, Frasier said.
For example, Spanish was ranked 1 to 6 (98th to 90th percentile) on the overall-S scale, but 13 to 42 (78th to 30th percentile) on the overall-R scale. Ecology was ranked from 5 to 28 (95th to 70th percentile) on the overall-S scale, but from 1 to 4 (99th to 96th percentile) on the overall-R scale.
Rankings in the three subcategories highlight different areas of strength, Gibeling said. For example, across the country, it is common for programs that ranked high on research activity to rank lower on diversity.
Nationally, the NRC noted that more students and faculty are participating in doctoral education than in 1995. In particular, the council observed that doctoral education has benefited from dramatic increases in enrollments of international students, minorities and women. These changes reflect the continuing value of U.S. doctoral education and the ability of graduate programs to reach U.S. citizens who have been historically underrepresented in Ph.D. programs, the report said.
About UC Davis
For more than 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 32,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $600 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges — Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science. It also houses six professional schools — Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.
Additional information:
UC Davis survey data (Graduate Studies)
NRC Assessment of Research Doctorate Programs
Media contact(s):
• Jeffery Gibeling, Graduate Studies, (530) 752-2050, jcgibeling@ucdavis.edu
• Andy Fell, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-4533, ahfell@ucdavis.edu
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Solano Community Wins 100 Best Title - Again
Solano Community Wins 100 Best Title - Again
Solano County Named One of the Nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People By America’s Promise Alliance and ING
The efforts of Solano County civic and community leaders were honored today when America’s Promise Alliance announced the county had been named a winner of the Alliance’s 100 Best Communities for Young People.
Its 2010 recognition marks the fourth win for Solano County in the competition, and earns the county the distinction of being the only community in California to be a four-time winner.
“Every time America’s Promise has been given a glimpse of Solano County, they have been impressed with what they see,” said Supervisor John Vasquez. “We are blessed with so many people and organizations dedicated to helping our kids get a healthy start, learn and succeed in school, and become productive members of our workforce and community.”
The 100 Best designation recognizes those communities that make youth a priority by implementing programs that help keep children in school and prepare them for college and the 21st century workforce. The competition is open to all communities that make children and youth a priority, including small towns, large cities, counties and school districts. In addition to enhancing local educational opportunities, most winning communities have taken steps to facilitate improved access to health care for its young people, encourage youth civic engagement and supply developmental resources that create better places for young people to live and grow.
The entire 2010 list of 100 Best Communities for Young People and their accomplishments can be found at www.americaspromise.org/100Best.
“Through its innovative and far-reaching programs, Solano County is taking bold and effective steps to help their young people graduate and lead healthy, productive lives,” said Marguerite W. Kondracke, America’s Promise Alliance president and CEO. “Solano County serves as an example to inspire and educate other communities across the nation to tackle the challenges facing their city and children, and to implement initiatives that give them the essential resources they need to succeed in life.”
Solano County was named one of the nation’s 100 Best because of the county’s deep commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable youth. Despite economic and social challenges, Solano County continues to sustain effective community collaboratives and a range of innovative programs to address the community’s needs.
For example, the 100 Best reviewers noted that the Solano Kids Insurance Program, which aims to provide health insurance for every child, has a current success rate of more than 90 percent, and that Solano County also provides 3,000 “Kits for New Parents” each year with DVDs and books on childhood development.
The 100 Best panel also recognized the county for its pre-Kindergarten academies for children lacking preschool, its renovation of a children’s visiting area at the local state prison, its establishment of the Matt Garcia Youth Center, its programs to increase the number of healthy babies born to high-risk mothers and its Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) programs, whose 530 cadets performed over 7,400 hours of community service, to name just a few of the proactive activities addressing the many challenges preventing children and young adults from reaching their full potential.
“The 100 Best designation tells the rest of the country that every community in Solano County is committed to helping our children have the best chance in life we can provide,” said Solano County Library Foundation Executive Director Dilenna Harris. The Library Foundation acted as the lead partner in compiling information for the 2010 Solano County “100 Best Communities” application.
On September 21, 2010, Solano County and the other winners spanning 37 states were recognized at a ceremony in front of the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Each of the winning communities was formally recognized with a designation on a map of the U.S., illustrating the geographic and demographic diversity of the winning 100 communities. In addition to the 100 Best distinction, Solano County and the other top communities will receive two road signs identifying the city as one of 100 Best, as well as a trophy to be presented to local officials later this year.
Alliance Chair Alma Powell and President and CEO Marguerite W. Kondracke revealed the list of winners during the national celebration. They were joined by Rhonda Mims, president of the ING Foundation and senior vice president, ING’s Office of Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs and Twilight’s Kellan Lutz, who both share a passion for the development of young people.
“ING is committed to children’s education and to the advancement of education initiatives that prepare them for successful futures,” said Mims. ”Our support for 100 Best demonstrates our goal of honoring communities like Solano County that produce real, measurable results for improving the lives of young people.”
The commitment of ING and other corporate sponsors to helping fulfill the “5 Promises” for young people (caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, an effective education, and opportunities to help others) is reflected locally in the active support for youth program provided by businesses large and small across Solano County.
“We know that supporting quality preschool and youth programs that help our kids stay in school, earn their high school diplomas and prepare them for college and the workforce is the best thing we can do to ensure Solano County’s economic success,” said Michael Ammann, Solano EDC president. He cited the hundreds of volunteer services hours that local business employees provide for youth programs, and noted that the Solano EDC monthly breakfast meeting featuring early childhood issues this year was attended by over 150 business people.
The 100 Best competition is one element of the Alliance’s Grad Nation campaign, a 10-year initiative to mobilize all Americans to take action in their communities to end the high school dropout crisis and prepare young people for college and the 21st century workforce. More than 7,000 students drop out each school day in the U.S., resulting in 1.3 million young people a year. To help decrease these numbers, the Alliance is more committed than ever to recognizing communities – regardless of size, location or history – that are taking real action to help more young people stay in school and graduate on time.
“100 Best is an essential building block of an inspiring national movement that gives everyone a chance to ensure every young person graduates,” said Powell. “These winning communities refuse to let the challenges they face be the determining factor in the lives of their children and youth. Instead, they are helping to build an infrastructure of assertive, successful and dynamic young people that are the future of this country.”
100 Best Communities Map for 2010
100 Best Communities Fast Facts for 2010
Solano County' Nomination Package for 2010
About 100 Best
First held in 2005, 100 Best honors communities large and small, rural and urban, that are making progress to help young people achieve their potential, which includes earning a high school diploma, securing a good job, and playing an active, productive role in America’s economic vitality. This year, more than 350 communities in 50 states registered online for the 100 Best distinction at www.americaspromise.org/100best.
Being a 100 Best community not only demonstrates commitment to local young people; the award fosters local pride, bolsters economic development and shines the spotlight on the people and programs that are building better communities. The competition also facilitates the sharing of best practices among communities nationwide regarding education, access to health care, reading score improvement, youth service and pre-school enrollment, among many other areas.
About America’s Promise Alliance
America’s Promise Alliance is the nation’s largest partnership organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. Through the collective power of our partner network, we raise awareness, support communities and engage in nonpartisan advocacy to ensure that young people receive more of the fundamental resources they need to graduate high school prepared for college, work and life. Building on the legacy of our Founding Chairman General Colin Powell, the Alliance believes the success of our young people is grounded in the Five Promises—caring adults; safe places; a healthy start; an effective education; and opportunities to help others. For more information about America’s Promise Alliance, visit www.americaspromise.org.
About ING
ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance, and retirement services to over 85 million residential, corporate and institutional clients in more than 40 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 115,000 people, ING is dedicated to setting the standard in helping our clients manage their financial future.
In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, and financial planning. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves nearly 30 million customers across the nation.
ING’s diversity management philosophy and commitment to workplace diversity, diversity marketing, corporate citizenship and supplier diversity fosters an inclusive environment for employees who support a distinctive product and service experience for the financial services consumer. For more information, visit www.ing.com/us.
About the ING Foundation
The ING Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in communities where ING operates and its employees and customers live. Through charitable giving and employee volunteerism, the foundation focuses on programs in the areas of financial literacy, children’s education, diversity, and environmental sustainability. For more information, visit www.ing-usafoundation.com.
Posted: Sept. 21, 2010
Solano County Named One of the Nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People By America’s Promise Alliance and ING
The efforts of Solano County civic and community leaders were honored today when America’s Promise Alliance announced the county had been named a winner of the Alliance’s 100 Best Communities for Young People.
Its 2010 recognition marks the fourth win for Solano County in the competition, and earns the county the distinction of being the only community in California to be a four-time winner.
“Every time America’s Promise has been given a glimpse of Solano County, they have been impressed with what they see,” said Supervisor John Vasquez. “We are blessed with so many people and organizations dedicated to helping our kids get a healthy start, learn and succeed in school, and become productive members of our workforce and community.”
The 100 Best designation recognizes those communities that make youth a priority by implementing programs that help keep children in school and prepare them for college and the 21st century workforce. The competition is open to all communities that make children and youth a priority, including small towns, large cities, counties and school districts. In addition to enhancing local educational opportunities, most winning communities have taken steps to facilitate improved access to health care for its young people, encourage youth civic engagement and supply developmental resources that create better places for young people to live and grow.
The entire 2010 list of 100 Best Communities for Young People and their accomplishments can be found at www.americaspromise.org/100Best.
“Through its innovative and far-reaching programs, Solano County is taking bold and effective steps to help their young people graduate and lead healthy, productive lives,” said Marguerite W. Kondracke, America’s Promise Alliance president and CEO. “Solano County serves as an example to inspire and educate other communities across the nation to tackle the challenges facing their city and children, and to implement initiatives that give them the essential resources they need to succeed in life.”
Solano County was named one of the nation’s 100 Best because of the county’s deep commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable youth. Despite economic and social challenges, Solano County continues to sustain effective community collaboratives and a range of innovative programs to address the community’s needs.
For example, the 100 Best reviewers noted that the Solano Kids Insurance Program, which aims to provide health insurance for every child, has a current success rate of more than 90 percent, and that Solano County also provides 3,000 “Kits for New Parents” each year with DVDs and books on childhood development.
The 100 Best panel also recognized the county for its pre-Kindergarten academies for children lacking preschool, its renovation of a children’s visiting area at the local state prison, its establishment of the Matt Garcia Youth Center, its programs to increase the number of healthy babies born to high-risk mothers and its Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) programs, whose 530 cadets performed over 7,400 hours of community service, to name just a few of the proactive activities addressing the many challenges preventing children and young adults from reaching their full potential.
“The 100 Best designation tells the rest of the country that every community in Solano County is committed to helping our children have the best chance in life we can provide,” said Solano County Library Foundation Executive Director Dilenna Harris. The Library Foundation acted as the lead partner in compiling information for the 2010 Solano County “100 Best Communities” application.
On September 21, 2010, Solano County and the other winners spanning 37 states were recognized at a ceremony in front of the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Each of the winning communities was formally recognized with a designation on a map of the U.S., illustrating the geographic and demographic diversity of the winning 100 communities. In addition to the 100 Best distinction, Solano County and the other top communities will receive two road signs identifying the city as one of 100 Best, as well as a trophy to be presented to local officials later this year.
Alliance Chair Alma Powell and President and CEO Marguerite W. Kondracke revealed the list of winners during the national celebration. They were joined by Rhonda Mims, president of the ING Foundation and senior vice president, ING’s Office of Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs and Twilight’s Kellan Lutz, who both share a passion for the development of young people.
“ING is committed to children’s education and to the advancement of education initiatives that prepare them for successful futures,” said Mims. ”Our support for 100 Best demonstrates our goal of honoring communities like Solano County that produce real, measurable results for improving the lives of young people.”
The commitment of ING and other corporate sponsors to helping fulfill the “5 Promises” for young people (caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, an effective education, and opportunities to help others) is reflected locally in the active support for youth program provided by businesses large and small across Solano County.
“We know that supporting quality preschool and youth programs that help our kids stay in school, earn their high school diplomas and prepare them for college and the workforce is the best thing we can do to ensure Solano County’s economic success,” said Michael Ammann, Solano EDC president. He cited the hundreds of volunteer services hours that local business employees provide for youth programs, and noted that the Solano EDC monthly breakfast meeting featuring early childhood issues this year was attended by over 150 business people.
The 100 Best competition is one element of the Alliance’s Grad Nation campaign, a 10-year initiative to mobilize all Americans to take action in their communities to end the high school dropout crisis and prepare young people for college and the 21st century workforce. More than 7,000 students drop out each school day in the U.S., resulting in 1.3 million young people a year. To help decrease these numbers, the Alliance is more committed than ever to recognizing communities – regardless of size, location or history – that are taking real action to help more young people stay in school and graduate on time.
“100 Best is an essential building block of an inspiring national movement that gives everyone a chance to ensure every young person graduates,” said Powell. “These winning communities refuse to let the challenges they face be the determining factor in the lives of their children and youth. Instead, they are helping to build an infrastructure of assertive, successful and dynamic young people that are the future of this country.”
100 Best Communities Map for 2010
100 Best Communities Fast Facts for 2010
Solano County' Nomination Package for 2010
About 100 Best
First held in 2005, 100 Best honors communities large and small, rural and urban, that are making progress to help young people achieve their potential, which includes earning a high school diploma, securing a good job, and playing an active, productive role in America’s economic vitality. This year, more than 350 communities in 50 states registered online for the 100 Best distinction at www.americaspromise.org/100best.
Being a 100 Best community not only demonstrates commitment to local young people; the award fosters local pride, bolsters economic development and shines the spotlight on the people and programs that are building better communities. The competition also facilitates the sharing of best practices among communities nationwide regarding education, access to health care, reading score improvement, youth service and pre-school enrollment, among many other areas.
About America’s Promise Alliance
America’s Promise Alliance is the nation’s largest partnership organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. Through the collective power of our partner network, we raise awareness, support communities and engage in nonpartisan advocacy to ensure that young people receive more of the fundamental resources they need to graduate high school prepared for college, work and life. Building on the legacy of our Founding Chairman General Colin Powell, the Alliance believes the success of our young people is grounded in the Five Promises—caring adults; safe places; a healthy start; an effective education; and opportunities to help others. For more information about America’s Promise Alliance, visit www.americaspromise.org.
About ING
ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance, and retirement services to over 85 million residential, corporate and institutional clients in more than 40 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 115,000 people, ING is dedicated to setting the standard in helping our clients manage their financial future.
In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, and financial planning. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves nearly 30 million customers across the nation.
ING’s diversity management philosophy and commitment to workplace diversity, diversity marketing, corporate citizenship and supplier diversity fosters an inclusive environment for employees who support a distinctive product and service experience for the financial services consumer. For more information, visit www.ing.com/us.
About the ING Foundation
The ING Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in communities where ING operates and its employees and customers live. Through charitable giving and employee volunteerism, the foundation focuses on programs in the areas of financial literacy, children’s education, diversity, and environmental sustainability. For more information, visit www.ing-usafoundation.com.
Posted: Sept. 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Renovation begins at Suisun's Marina Shopping Center
By Ian Thompson | DAILY REPUBLIC | September 17, 2010 15:37
SUISUN CITY - After years of sitting neglected next to Highway 12, the first phase of work to completely renovate the Marina Shopping Center has gotten under way.
Work crews from Pellarin Enterprises are reconfiguring the parking lot and will soon put in new landscaping. Pellarin bought the shopping center three years ago.
This first phase will also include putting in several small pedestrian plazas to encourage more foot traffic and allow customers of the restaurants to dine outside.
A redesigned entry sign is in the process of going up. The upper half will announce the larger retail tenants while the lower half will be for restaurants.
This spring, the Redwood City-based developer will start remodeling the shopping center buildings' facades to make the businesses more noticeable to motorists on Highway 12.
The corner businesses will have their roofs elevated to give them a tower appearance.
Leasing plans call for filling the shopping center with a mix of local small community businesses and larger anchor retail businesses.
The shopping center is the oldest one in Suisun City and slowly lost half its tenants over the years.
All of the remaining tenants such as Cardwell Uniforms, the Marina Market and the churches will stay, said Claude Pellarin, co-owner of Pellarin Enterprises.
Pellarin plans to cluster all of the current community-based tenants such as Meals on Wheels and the Eagle Lodge in the northwest section of the center while the rest will be leased to more traditional retail.
The work is 'very, very exciting,' Suisun City Manager Suzanne Bragdon said.
She said she's pleased Pellarin Enterprises is moving forward with its renovation plans.
'We are thrilled that the new owners are so energetic and are willing to do whatever is needed to make this a gateway project,' Bragdon said.
The project 'dovetails in well with that is going on Main Street,' Suisun City Assistant Planner John Kearns said. The changes such as the plazas will make the shopping center more pedestrian-friendly, according to Kearns.
For more information about the Marina Shopping Center and leasing opportunities, call 339-9600.
Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or ithompson@dailyrepublic.net
Description:
http://www.dailyrepublic.com/lingo_news/busi_business/marina919/marina_updat
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Description: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/images/slide_show_blank.jpg
Gabe Thorn, with Pellarin Construction, does surveying work at the Marina Shopping Center in Suisun City Thursday morning. The center is undergoing an extensive renovation. Photo by Brad Zweerink
SUISUN CITY - After years of sitting neglected next to Highway 12, the first phase of work to completely renovate the Marina Shopping Center has gotten under way.
Work crews from Pellarin Enterprises are reconfiguring the parking lot and will soon put in new landscaping. Pellarin bought the shopping center three years ago.
This first phase will also include putting in several small pedestrian plazas to encourage more foot traffic and allow customers of the restaurants to dine outside.
A redesigned entry sign is in the process of going up. The upper half will announce the larger retail tenants while the lower half will be for restaurants.
This spring, the Redwood City-based developer will start remodeling the shopping center buildings' facades to make the businesses more noticeable to motorists on Highway 12.
The corner businesses will have their roofs elevated to give them a tower appearance.
Leasing plans call for filling the shopping center with a mix of local small community businesses and larger anchor retail businesses.
The shopping center is the oldest one in Suisun City and slowly lost half its tenants over the years.
All of the remaining tenants such as Cardwell Uniforms, the Marina Market and the churches will stay, said Claude Pellarin, co-owner of Pellarin Enterprises.
Pellarin plans to cluster all of the current community-based tenants such as Meals on Wheels and the Eagle Lodge in the northwest section of the center while the rest will be leased to more traditional retail.
The work is 'very, very exciting,' Suisun City Manager Suzanne Bragdon said.
She said she's pleased Pellarin Enterprises is moving forward with its renovation plans.
'We are thrilled that the new owners are so energetic and are willing to do whatever is needed to make this a gateway project,' Bragdon said.
The project 'dovetails in well with that is going on Main Street,' Suisun City Assistant Planner John Kearns said. The changes such as the plazas will make the shopping center more pedestrian-friendly, according to Kearns.
For more information about the Marina Shopping Center and leasing opportunities, call 339-9600.
Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or ithompson@dailyrepublic.net
Description:
http://www.dailyrepublic.com/lingo_news/busi_business/marina919/marina_updat
e%20copy.jpg
Description: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/images/slide_show_blank.jpg
Gabe Thorn, with Pellarin Construction, does surveying work at the Marina Shopping Center in Suisun City Thursday morning. The center is undergoing an extensive renovation. Photo by Brad Zweerink
Fairfield Ford on track for early opening
By Sarah de Crescenzo | Daily Republic | September 19, 2010 22:20
FAIRFIELD - The first of two anticipated local dealerships will open ahead of schedule this week with Fairfield Ford in the Fairfield Auto Plaza.
Friday is the date for the reopening of the business, which closed nearly two years ago, by the Price Simms Dealer group.
Adam Simms, co-owner with partner Tom Price, plans to oversee the day-to-day operations in Fairfield, serving Ford customers who have been without a local service and sales presence since the 2008 shutdown, he said.
'We're in the process of hiring around 150 new employees and we're going through training on computer systems, processes for the company and cultural orientation,' Simms said. 'We're also in the process of building up our inventory both on the new and used cars side....
'There are 13,000 Ford owners who have had to travel outside of the area to get service done,' Simms said. 'We're looking forward to providing a location for convenient service in the area.'
Work begins this week on the second dealership Price Simms plans to open: a new Mercedez-Benz dealership, also in the Auto Plaza.
Simms expects to hire 100 employees for that location.
FAIRFIELD - The first of two anticipated local dealerships will open ahead of schedule this week with Fairfield Ford in the Fairfield Auto Plaza.
Friday is the date for the reopening of the business, which closed nearly two years ago, by the Price Simms Dealer group.
Adam Simms, co-owner with partner Tom Price, plans to oversee the day-to-day operations in Fairfield, serving Ford customers who have been without a local service and sales presence since the 2008 shutdown, he said.
'We're in the process of hiring around 150 new employees and we're going through training on computer systems, processes for the company and cultural orientation,' Simms said. 'We're also in the process of building up our inventory both on the new and used cars side....
'There are 13,000 Ford owners who have had to travel outside of the area to get service done,' Simms said. 'We're looking forward to providing a location for convenient service in the area.'
Work begins this week on the second dealership Price Simms plans to open: a new Mercedez-Benz dealership, also in the Auto Plaza.
Simms expects to hire 100 employees for that location.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
I-80 frontage road reopens
Finally, I-80 frontage road reopens
http://www.dailyrepublic.com/story.php?id=101.7
A freeway frontage road and a key link in Solano County's bike system should open by early October after being closed for 12 years because of landslides. Workers have spent the summer repairing the pavement on two miles of McGary Road in the hills between Fairfield and Vallejo at a cost of $2.5 million…. McGary Road is hardly a superstar among Solano County roadways. It is two narrow lanes and runs a mere 3.6 miles, from Red Top Road near Cordelia Villages in Fairfield to the Hiddenbrooke subdivision in Vallejo. Fairfield closed the two miles within its borders in 1998 and county traffic didn't grind to a halt. Yet McGary Road provides the only frontage road to this section of Interstate 80 in case accidents block the freeway. It provides Fairfield residents the most direct route to reach Lynch Canyon Open Space, with its nine miles of hiking trails. For bike riders, the road has particular significance. With the two miles of McGary Road closed, cyclists going from Fairfield to Vallejo faced long detours. They could take frontage roads along Interstate 680 to Benicia and then take Lake Herman Road to Vallejo. Or they could take a potentially harrowing ride on narrow Highway 12 through Jameson Canyon toward Napa and take Highway 29 to Vallejo. Or, rather than see a relatively short journey turned into a long one, some people simply slipped their bikes under the locked gate and took McGary Road anyway, despite the damaged pavement…. Plus, for long-distance cyclists, it is the missing link in the route between San Francisco and the Lake Tahoe/Reno area…. Trouble started for McGary Road after heavy rains of the 1990s exacerbated ancient, underground slides and got the hillsides in the area moving. Pavement on McGary Road and adjacent I-80 heaved up dramatically in 1998. The state continually repaired the freeway, but Fairfield was unwilling to bear the constant expense needed to smooth out fissures on its road. The city initially closed McGary Road to auto traffic only and let cyclists continue to use it. Then, in August 1998, a cyclist riding there at night got into an accident that reports at the time attributed to road conditions and died. Fairfield put up the gate. A few years ago, the state Department of Transportation put in two giant drains a couple of hundred feet deep into the hills near McGary Road and pumped water out. The agency wanted to at least slow the slides tearing up I-80 and keep this major link in the region's transportation system from closing. If the move succeeded for the freeway, it would also succeed for McGary Road. Meanwhile, local cyclists through such forums as the Solano Transportation Authority Bicycle Advisory Committee lobbied for the reopening of McGary Road. By 2006, the giant Caltrans drains had halted pavement deterioration on McGary Road enough that Fairfield was willing to rebuild and reopen the road. It would then de-annex the road and turn it over to Solano County for maintenance. But it had to find the money. Fairfield, working with the county and the STA, started stitching together various funding sources to raise the necessary $2.5 million. The final piece fell into place when the project got $1 million in federal stimulus money. In addition, Solano County decided to repave the section of McGary Road that has remained open beyond Fairfield's borders, a task it has been doing in recent days. That means the entire length of McGary Road will look new….
http://www.dailyrepublic.com/story.php?id=101.7
A freeway frontage road and a key link in Solano County's bike system should open by early October after being closed for 12 years because of landslides. Workers have spent the summer repairing the pavement on two miles of McGary Road in the hills between Fairfield and Vallejo at a cost of $2.5 million…. McGary Road is hardly a superstar among Solano County roadways. It is two narrow lanes and runs a mere 3.6 miles, from Red Top Road near Cordelia Villages in Fairfield to the Hiddenbrooke subdivision in Vallejo. Fairfield closed the two miles within its borders in 1998 and county traffic didn't grind to a halt. Yet McGary Road provides the only frontage road to this section of Interstate 80 in case accidents block the freeway. It provides Fairfield residents the most direct route to reach Lynch Canyon Open Space, with its nine miles of hiking trails. For bike riders, the road has particular significance. With the two miles of McGary Road closed, cyclists going from Fairfield to Vallejo faced long detours. They could take frontage roads along Interstate 680 to Benicia and then take Lake Herman Road to Vallejo. Or they could take a potentially harrowing ride on narrow Highway 12 through Jameson Canyon toward Napa and take Highway 29 to Vallejo. Or, rather than see a relatively short journey turned into a long one, some people simply slipped their bikes under the locked gate and took McGary Road anyway, despite the damaged pavement…. Plus, for long-distance cyclists, it is the missing link in the route between San Francisco and the Lake Tahoe/Reno area…. Trouble started for McGary Road after heavy rains of the 1990s exacerbated ancient, underground slides and got the hillsides in the area moving. Pavement on McGary Road and adjacent I-80 heaved up dramatically in 1998. The state continually repaired the freeway, but Fairfield was unwilling to bear the constant expense needed to smooth out fissures on its road. The city initially closed McGary Road to auto traffic only and let cyclists continue to use it. Then, in August 1998, a cyclist riding there at night got into an accident that reports at the time attributed to road conditions and died. Fairfield put up the gate. A few years ago, the state Department of Transportation put in two giant drains a couple of hundred feet deep into the hills near McGary Road and pumped water out. The agency wanted to at least slow the slides tearing up I-80 and keep this major link in the region's transportation system from closing. If the move succeeded for the freeway, it would also succeed for McGary Road. Meanwhile, local cyclists through such forums as the Solano Transportation Authority Bicycle Advisory Committee lobbied for the reopening of McGary Road. By 2006, the giant Caltrans drains had halted pavement deterioration on McGary Road enough that Fairfield was willing to rebuild and reopen the road. It would then de-annex the road and turn it over to Solano County for maintenance. But it had to find the money. Fairfield, working with the county and the STA, started stitching together various funding sources to raise the necessary $2.5 million. The final piece fell into place when the project got $1 million in federal stimulus money. In addition, Solano County decided to repave the section of McGary Road that has remained open beyond Fairfield's borders, a task it has been doing in recent days. That means the entire length of McGary Road will look new….
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
County to hold open houses for underutilized properties
Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:18:36 -0500
A series of open houses will give potential real estate investors an opportunity to check out five underutilized County-owned properties being considered for potential sale, lease, redevelopment or exchange. The properties are located at 1945/1935 Kidder Ave. in Fairfield, 231 N. First St. in Dixon, 228 Broadway St. in Vallejo and 444 Alabama St. in Vallejo.
A series of open houses will give potential real estate investors an opportunity to check out five underutilized County-owned properties being considered for potential sale, lease, redevelopment or exchange. The properties are located at 1945/1935 Kidder Ave. in Fairfield, 231 N. First St. in Dixon, 228 Broadway St. in Vallejo and 444 Alabama St. in Vallejo.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
UC Davis RESEARCH FUNDS TOP $678 MILLION
University of California, Davis
September 14, 2010
RESEARCH FUNDS TOP $678 MILLION
The University of California, Davis, received almost $679 million in research funds in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010. The total is a record for the campus and double what it was a decade ago.
"I congratulate the UC Davis faculty, staff and students on another record-breaking year. UC Davis continues to build on its strengths and create new opportunities to advance our quality of life, whether in biomedical research, agriculture, the environment or engineering,"
said Chancellor Linda Katehi. "We have enormous potential to build on these achievements and rise to even greater heights of distinction, scholarship and service."
UC Davis has seen a steady rise in research funding over the past decade, from $298 million in 2000-01, noted Vice Chancellor for Research Barry Klein.
"UC Davis researchers excel across a wide range of fields, making discoveries that will have a lasting impact on our quality of life,"
Klein said.
Katehi has made expansion of UC Davis' research enterprise a key goal in her vision for the campus. Three recent reports have underscored that goal and recommended next steps: the faculty "blue-ribbon"
committees reports on research and technology transfer; and a report from the Washington Advisory Group, led by Eric Bloch, former director of the National Science Foundation.
All three recommended steps UC Davis can take to build on existing strengths, expand basic research and forge collaborations with industry that help move UC Davis research findings from the laboratory to the marketplace for the betterment of humankind.
Examples of grants awarded to UC Davis faculty in the past year
include: $75 million over five years from the U.S. Agency for International Development to establish a network to detect and prevent diseases moving from wildlife to people; $125,000 from the charitable arm of the National Football League for research on new ways to repair knee injuries; a $4.4 million contract from the National Science Foundation to design a complex physics project in a South Dakota mine that will investigate fundamental questions about the nature of the universe, which may ultimately impact everything from communications to medical treatment; and nearly $12 million over two years to support a range of studies on the causes of autism at the UC Davis MIND Institute.
Almost two-thirds of the total -- $437 million -- came from the federal government, up from $329 million last year. The second largest amount, $60 million, came from the state of California, down from $113 million last year.
Other major sources of research funds included: businesses, $44 million; other institutions of higher education (principally subcontracts on other grants), $36 million; other UC campuses or the UC Office of the President, $23 million; foundations, $8.8 million; charities, $27 million; and other government sources (states other than California, cities and counties), $20 million.
The largest single source of federal funds was the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, principally the National Institutes of Health, which provided $258 million, an increase of more than $60 million over the previous year. The National Science Foundation awarded $64 million, up from almost $50 million last year. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture provided $36 million, up about $4 million.
Other federal award totals:
* Department of Energy, $19 million
* Department of Defense, $19 million
* State Department, $15 million
* Department of the Interior, $11 million
* Departments of Education, $3.5 million
* Department of Justice, $2.3 million
* Department of Commerce, $1.4 million
* Department of Transportation, $590,000
* National Foundation for the Arts and Humanities, $300,000
All federal sources provided increased funding over the previous year.
Research funds awarded to the UC Davis School of Medicine from all sources totaled $211 million, up from $175 million the previous year.
The School of Veterinary Medicine also saw a jump in funds to $109 million from $71 million.
Other unit totals:
* College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, $108 million
* College of Biological Sciences, $62 million
* College of Engineering, $58 million
* Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, College of Letters and Sciences, $29 million
* Office of Research, $50 million (on behalf of interdisciplinary Organized Research Units such as the Bodega Marine Laboratory and the California National Primate Research Center)
* Division of Social Sciences, College of Letters and Science,
$13 million
* Division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies, College of Letters and Science, $2 million
* University Extension, $12 million
* Division of Graduate Studies, $5.3 million
* School of Education, $4 million
The 2009-10 UC Davis research fund total includes from grants and contracts awarded to the university to support research, including grants from philanthropic foundations. It does not include private gifts, which are reported separately. Following nationally accepted guidelines, grants from philanthropic foundations also may be counted toward philanthropic totals. However, they are counted only once for university accounting purposes.
Much of the money awarded for research goes to salaries and wages of UC Davis employees, ranging from professors who are partly paid out of grants for time that they spend doing research, to adjunct faculty, technical staff, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students who are paid or receive stipends from grants and contracts.
Research awards include both the direct costs of research, such as salaries and laboratory supply costs, and "indirect" costs that are awarded by agencies to fund research infrastructure, such as upkeep and utility costs for research laboratories. Grants and contracts are awarded with strict conditions that typically bar use of the funds for purposes other than research.
Research funding totals were calculated on the basis of dollars transferred to the university during the 2009-10 fiscal year. Some agencies commit to funding multiyear projects but only actually fund one year at a time. In those cases, the grant is counted in annual increments in the year received. If the funding agency provides all of the funds up front, the funds are counted in the first year of funding but not in subsequent years.
According to a survey by the National Science Foundation, UC Davis ranked 17th in the nation in university research and development expenditures and fourth among University of California campuses in fiscal year 2007-8 (the most recent year for which figures are available).
Stimulus funds
UC Davis researchers were awarded $104 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act during fiscal year 2009-10. The largest single ARRA-funded project was $14.2 million to construct a center for research on respiratory diseases at the California National Primate Research Center.
Most ARRA awards funded grant proposals that were already pending or under review at federal granting agencies. While ARRA contributed to UC Davis research funds in 2009-10, some of these proposals may have been funded without ARRA support.
About UC Davis
For more than 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world.
Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 32,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $600 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science. It also houses six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.
Media contact(s):
* Andy Fell, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-4533, ahfell@ucdavis.edu
------------------------------------------------
Our full UC Davis directory of media services and 24-hour contact information is available at.
------------------------------------------------
Need information from campus news archives? The UC Davis News Service database contains past (and current) UC Davis news stories dating to 1991. Go to
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To unsubscribe, please send an e-mail message to newsservice@ucdavis.edu.
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UC Davis News Service
One Shields Avenue
Davis, California 95616-8687
newsservice@ucdavis.edu
Phone: (530) 752-1930; Fax: (530) 752-4068
September 14, 2010
RESEARCH FUNDS TOP $678 MILLION
The University of California, Davis, received almost $679 million in research funds in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010. The total is a record for the campus and double what it was a decade ago.
"I congratulate the UC Davis faculty, staff and students on another record-breaking year. UC Davis continues to build on its strengths and create new opportunities to advance our quality of life, whether in biomedical research, agriculture, the environment or engineering,"
said Chancellor Linda Katehi. "We have enormous potential to build on these achievements and rise to even greater heights of distinction, scholarship and service."
UC Davis has seen a steady rise in research funding over the past decade, from $298 million in 2000-01, noted Vice Chancellor for Research Barry Klein.
"UC Davis researchers excel across a wide range of fields, making discoveries that will have a lasting impact on our quality of life,"
Klein said.
Katehi has made expansion of UC Davis' research enterprise a key goal in her vision for the campus. Three recent reports have underscored that goal and recommended next steps: the faculty "blue-ribbon"
committees reports on research and technology transfer; and a report from the Washington Advisory Group, led by Eric Bloch, former director of the National Science Foundation.
All three recommended steps UC Davis can take to build on existing strengths, expand basic research and forge collaborations with industry that help move UC Davis research findings from the laboratory to the marketplace for the betterment of humankind.
Examples of grants awarded to UC Davis faculty in the past year
include: $75 million over five years from the U.S. Agency for International Development to establish a network to detect and prevent diseases moving from wildlife to people; $125,000 from the charitable arm of the National Football League for research on new ways to repair knee injuries; a $4.4 million contract from the National Science Foundation to design a complex physics project in a South Dakota mine that will investigate fundamental questions about the nature of the universe, which may ultimately impact everything from communications to medical treatment; and nearly $12 million over two years to support a range of studies on the causes of autism at the UC Davis MIND Institute.
Almost two-thirds of the total -- $437 million -- came from the federal government, up from $329 million last year. The second largest amount, $60 million, came from the state of California, down from $113 million last year.
Other major sources of research funds included: businesses, $44 million; other institutions of higher education (principally subcontracts on other grants), $36 million; other UC campuses or the UC Office of the President, $23 million; foundations, $8.8 million; charities, $27 million; and other government sources (states other than California, cities and counties), $20 million.
The largest single source of federal funds was the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, principally the National Institutes of Health, which provided $258 million, an increase of more than $60 million over the previous year. The National Science Foundation awarded $64 million, up from almost $50 million last year. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture provided $36 million, up about $4 million.
Other federal award totals:
* Department of Energy, $19 million
* Department of Defense, $19 million
* State Department, $15 million
* Department of the Interior, $11 million
* Departments of Education, $3.5 million
* Department of Justice, $2.3 million
* Department of Commerce, $1.4 million
* Department of Transportation, $590,000
* National Foundation for the Arts and Humanities, $300,000
All federal sources provided increased funding over the previous year.
Research funds awarded to the UC Davis School of Medicine from all sources totaled $211 million, up from $175 million the previous year.
The School of Veterinary Medicine also saw a jump in funds to $109 million from $71 million.
Other unit totals:
* College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, $108 million
* College of Biological Sciences, $62 million
* College of Engineering, $58 million
* Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, College of Letters and Sciences, $29 million
* Office of Research, $50 million (on behalf of interdisciplinary Organized Research Units such as the Bodega Marine Laboratory and the California National Primate Research Center)
* Division of Social Sciences, College of Letters and Science,
$13 million
* Division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies, College of Letters and Science, $2 million
* University Extension, $12 million
* Division of Graduate Studies, $5.3 million
* School of Education, $4 million
The 2009-10 UC Davis research fund total includes from grants and contracts awarded to the university to support research, including grants from philanthropic foundations. It does not include private gifts, which are reported separately. Following nationally accepted guidelines, grants from philanthropic foundations also may be counted toward philanthropic totals. However, they are counted only once for university accounting purposes.
Much of the money awarded for research goes to salaries and wages of UC Davis employees, ranging from professors who are partly paid out of grants for time that they spend doing research, to adjunct faculty, technical staff, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students who are paid or receive stipends from grants and contracts.
Research awards include both the direct costs of research, such as salaries and laboratory supply costs, and "indirect" costs that are awarded by agencies to fund research infrastructure, such as upkeep and utility costs for research laboratories. Grants and contracts are awarded with strict conditions that typically bar use of the funds for purposes other than research.
Research funding totals were calculated on the basis of dollars transferred to the university during the 2009-10 fiscal year. Some agencies commit to funding multiyear projects but only actually fund one year at a time. In those cases, the grant is counted in annual increments in the year received. If the funding agency provides all of the funds up front, the funds are counted in the first year of funding but not in subsequent years.
According to a survey by the National Science Foundation, UC Davis ranked 17th in the nation in university research and development expenditures and fourth among University of California campuses in fiscal year 2007-8 (the most recent year for which figures are available).
Stimulus funds
UC Davis researchers were awarded $104 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act during fiscal year 2009-10. The largest single ARRA-funded project was $14.2 million to construct a center for research on respiratory diseases at the California National Primate Research Center.
Most ARRA awards funded grant proposals that were already pending or under review at federal granting agencies. While ARRA contributed to UC Davis research funds in 2009-10, some of these proposals may have been funded without ARRA support.
About UC Davis
For more than 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world.
Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 32,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $600 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science. It also houses six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.
Media contact(s):
* Andy Fell, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-4533, ahfell@ucdavis.edu
------------------------------------------------
Our full UC Davis directory of media services and 24-hour contact information is available at
------------------------------------------------
Need information from campus news archives? The UC Davis News Service database contains past (and current) UC Davis news stories dating to 1991. Go to
-------------------------------------------------
More university news and an experts directory:
-------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, please send an e-mail message to newsservice@ucdavis.edu.
-------------------------------------------------
UC Davis News Service
One Shields Avenue
Davis, California 95616-8687
newsservice@ucdavis.edu
Phone: (530) 752-1930; Fax: (530) 752-4068
Solano County earns eighth GFOA Certificate of Excellence
Solano County earns eighth GFOA Certificate of Excellence
Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:12:32 -0500
For the eighth consecutive year, Solano County has earned a Certificate of Achievement in Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association.
The award is for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009. "The certificate of excellence continues to be our standard," said Auditor-Controller Simona Padilla-Scholtens.
“Our tradition of earning this annual seal of approval reflects the day-to-day professionalism of this office in preparing financial statements and reports that are reliable and transparent.”
Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:12:32 -0500
For the eighth consecutive year, Solano County has earned a Certificate of Achievement in Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association.
The award is for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009. "The certificate of excellence continues to be our standard," said Auditor-Controller Simona Padilla-Scholtens.
“Our tradition of earning this annual seal of approval reflects the day-to-day professionalism of this office in preparing financial statements and reports that are reliable and transparent.”
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