AggieXtra Winter 2013

aggiextra

for members of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association • Always an Aggie. Connect for Life.

WINTER 2013 VOLUME 16 NO. 2

INSIDE: UC Davis honors eight distinguished alumni and friends PG. 2 Help make 2013 brighter for an alumni scholarship winner PG. 13

UC Davis celebrates eight distinguished alumni and friends

C Davis and the Cal Aggie Alumni Association will honor eight alumni and friends at its Alumni Awards Gala on Feb. 1 in San Jose. And the winners are ...

Jerry W. Fielder Award

Bob Morrison ’68, J.D. ’71 and Jan Morrison ’69 This award recognizes UC Davis alumni for service to and support of CAAA, the UC Davis Foundation and the campus. It was established in 1973 to perpetuate the lifelong interests of one of the university’s most supportive alumni, Jerry W. Fielder ’39, a year after he died.

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tockton residents BOB and JAN MORRISON are longtime supporters of UC Davis. Bob graduated in 1968 with a degree in rhetoric, and in 1971 with a law degree. Jan graduated in 1969 with an English degree. Bob and Jan’s children, LAURIE ’99, CRED. ’00, M.A ’09; and KEVIN ’01, also are graduates.

Bob, a prominent Stockton business attorney, retired in 2007. He became a CAAA board member in 1994 and served as president from 1998-2000. He was a UC alumni regent from 2000-2002. He’s been a member of the Davis Chancellor’s Club and served on

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2013 ALUMNI AWARDS GALA FRIDAY, FEB. 1 SAN JOSE CITY HALL ROTUNDA 200 E. SANTA CLARA ST., SAN JOSE BLACK TIE OPTIONAL RECEPTION: 5:30 P.M. DINNER AND AWARDS CEREMONY: 6:30 P.M. TICKETS: $125 FOR CAAA MEMBERS, AND $175 FOR NONMEMBERS WEBSITE: ALUMNI.UCDAVIS.EDU/ALUMNIAWARDS INFORMATION: JENNIFER THAYER AT 530-754-9098 OR JSTHAYER@UCDAVIS.EDU

800-242-GRAD PHOTO BY KARIN HIGGINS

By Wendy Weitzel The 2012 Alumni Awards Gala was at Jacuzzi Winery in Sonoma, Calif.

The 2013 event is Feb. 1 in San Jose.

www.alumni.ucdavis.edu

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Outstanding Alumna Award

Janice Eberly ’86 This award honors a UC Davis graduate who is in the midpoint of his or her career, and who has displayed outstanding achievement, promoted innovative change and made outstanding contributions professionally, to the community and to campus.

Bob and Jan Morrison continued the board of trustees for the UC Davis Foundation.

Jan is a retired teacher from the Stockton Unified School District. She’s been on the CAAA board of directors since 2007, is past chairwoman of the CAAA Scholarship Committee and is current chair of its San Joaquin County Scholarship Committee. She and Bob are strong advocates for student access to education and have endowed a scholarship through CAAA to support students from San Joaquin County.

The Morrisons have been active with the San Joaquin County CAAA chapter since 1975, helping found the North San Joaquin chapter in 1992. They enjoy UC Davis basketball and football games.

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ANICE EBERLY

was a rising star even before she became an Aggie and a university medalist. Today, she is the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s assistant secretary for economic policy. Eberly grew up in Fallbrook, and now lives in Evansville, Ill., and Bethesda, Md. She made history as the first female president at the state and national levels of the Future Farmers of America in the early ’80s.

As a UC regent in 1985-86, she was the University Medalist in 1986 when she graduated with a degree in agricultural economics. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, while serving as a junior economist in President George H. W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers. She previously served on the White House Council of Economic Advisers. She’s on leave from her posts as a professor of finance and Kellogg Endowed Chair at Northwestern University.

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Young Alumnus Award

John Bissell II ’08 This award honors someone who earned a degree from UC Davis in the last 10 years, and has made outstanding contributions professionally, to the community or to UC Davis.

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OHN BISSELL II

of Sacramento is founder and CEO of Micromidas, which converts wastewater sludge into petrochemicals and plastics. In 2008, Bissell and a team of UC Davis students entered this technology into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Annual P3 — People, Prosperity and the Planet — design competition and won the $85,000 grand prize.

Bissell graduated in 2008 with a degree in chemical engineering. He’s won several awards since, including the UC Davis Graduate School of Management Business Plan Competition, Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance’s VentureStart Program, and was named one of the Sacramento Business Journal’s top “40 Under 40” in 2010.

Distinguished Achievement Award

Martin Yan ’73, M.S. ’77 This award recognizes a UC Davis graduate whose professional, personal and community service accomplishments reflects exemplary achievement.

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he Chinese master chef is one of UC Davis’ most famous graduates, known for his 30 bestselling cookbooks and popular television series “Yan Can Cook,” broadcast worldwide. YAN, a native of Guangzhou, China, earned a bachelor’s degree in 1973 and master’s degree in 1977, both in food science. He lives in San Mateo County.

He said his career inspiration came while watching Julia Child on television when he was a college freshman. The fast-chopping chef returns to campus frequently to share his passion for fresh and healthy Asian food. His wit, skills and charitable works are renowned worldwide. He’s been recognized internationally for his culinary artistry, being a food and wine travel TV host and receiving honorary doctoral degrees from several culinary universities.

Recently, Yan helped secure gifts for the UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute of Wine and Food Science, and is working with Jiangnan University and the Confucius Institute in China to establish a Confucius Institute at UC Davis. His wife, SUSAN ’73, and son COLIN ’14, are also Aggies. Colin’s twin brother, DEVIN, attends UC Irvine.

www.alumni.ucdavis.edu

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Aggie Service Award

Ann Pitzer ’58 This award honors a graduate who has demonstrated exemplary Aggie pride and dedication to the university through time, energy, volunteerism and leadership, furthering CAAA or UC Davis.

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NN PITZER

graduated as valedictorian of her class when she earned her bachelor of science in home economics in 1958. She went on to earn a master’s from UC Berkeley. She is a retired software developer from Science Applications International Corp., and lives in La Jolla.

Since 1994, she has been trustee of the Pitzer Family Foundation, and since 2010, served on the UC Davis Foundation board of trustees. She also serves on the Student Affairs Development Leadership Council.

She established the Class of 1958 Scholarship, an endowed fund supported through gifts from her fellow graduates and their friends; and the Ann E. Pitzer Scholarship Fund, providing support for students with financial need and demonstrated academic achievement.

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Emil M. Mrak International Award

Jose Carmine Dianese, M.S. ’68, Ph.D. ’71 This award honors a graduate who is distinguished in his or her career or in service outside the United States.

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n 1970, JOSE CARMINE DIANESE

became the first Brazilian to earn a Ph.D. in plant pathology from UC Davis. He’s a professor emeritus at the University of Brasilia, in his hometown.

Dianese made significant contributions in the study of fungal biodiversity of the endangered Brazilian cerrado, the tropical savanna region that makes up 21 percent of the country’s land. Thanks to his research, there are more than 100 new fungal species identified in the area. His specialized expertise leads to frequent speaking invitations. He continued to advance UC Davis’ impact by acquiring funds to hire three Ph.D. plant pathologists from UC Davis to his program in Brazil.

In a career spanning more than 40 years, he directly trained 37 plant pathologists, 15 of whom went on to become university professors in Brazil, and one in Chile. The coursework he established graduated nearly 300 plant pathologists. Three of his students continued graduate work in plant pathology at UC Davis; two of them returned to Brazil, and one works in Germany.

Distinguished Friend of the University Award

Barbara Jackson This award recognizes a nonalum whose extraordinary service has advanced the university and made significant and lasting contributions to the campus. The honoree’s professional, personal, civic and philanthropic pursuits must reflect the high standards and values associated with UC Davis, CAAA and higher education.

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ARBARA JACKSON,

a longtime Davis resident, is a major philanthropic donor and volunteer for UC Davis. Her $5 million donation to UC Davis’ Center for the Arts campaign was, at the time, the largest gift for the arts in the capital region. The Mondavi Center’s main venue, Jackson Hall, is named after Jackson and her late husband, Turrentine, who was a UC Davis history professor.

Jackson holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Texas, Austin. She is a retired staff member from the UC Davis English department. She has been active in community activities, including University Farm Circle, Sutter Davis Hospital Auxiliary and the Embroiderers Guild of America. She is an award-winning costume designer, volunteered for local opera and theater groups, and managed the Mondavi Center gift shop.

Among her many posts are Friends of UC Davis Presents and Mondavi Center Advisory boards, and the UC Davis Foundation board. In 2008, she was awarded the UC Davis Medal, the highest tribute bestowed by the university.

www.alumni.ucdavis.edu

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TRAVEL

2013

Sketches of Lourdes, Southern Spain Fatima, and May 24 to June 5 The Way of $3,895 St. James ravel Moorish hill DATE:

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towns and marvel at Mediterranean beaches and Sierra Nevada mountains on this small group adventure through the regions of Andalucía and Castile-La Mancha.

Explore Ronda, home to Spain’s oldest bullfighting ring.

See the renowned wine cellars of Valdepeñas, and visit Cordoba’s Mezquita and Seville’s Alcázar palace. Finish with two days in Madrid.

This 11- night journey includes excursions, four deluxe accommodations, a meal plan and wine with dinner.

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DATE:

COST:

June 6–18 $4,069 (air incl.)

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eclared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Way of St. James is one of the oldest and most traveled pilgrimages in the world. Your destination is Santiago de Compostela, Spain, where the remains of St. James are believed to be buried. This tour also visits the inspirational sites of Lourdes, France, and Fatima, Portugal.

Scandinavian Odyssey June 25 to July 11 From $7,154, out of San Francisco DATE:

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rom the capitals of Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Oslo, to Norway’s fjord country, our small group encounters

Scandinavia at its best, on and off the beaten path. Begin in the Swedish capital with a city tour that includes visits to City Hall and the Vasa Museum. In Copenhagen, highlights include Rosenborg Palace.

Take an overnight ferry to Oslo and visit the Viking Ship Museum.

Villages and Vineyards of Italy DATE:

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Sept. 10–20 $4,495

elebrate Italy’s natural beauty, art, colorful piazzas and ancient architecture on this exclusive small group journey.

Experience the history, culture, culinary and winemaking traditions of this region’s best cities and landmarks.

Discover Florence, the heart of

For more details about our travel opportunities, please visit www. alumni.ucdavis.edu/2013trips.

Tuscany, and see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Savor regional specialties while you attend cooking demonstrations, sample local vintages and tour wineries. This program includes luxurious accommodations in three locations, an extensive meal plan and wine with dinner.

Vancouver to the waters of Lake Louise. See the Canadian Rockies and tour Banff and Jasper national parks, viewing the Columbia Icefield. The trip concludes with a two-day train ride through the twisting passes and valleys of western Canada.

China Connois- Symphony on seur and Tibet the Blue Danube DATE:

COST:

Sept. 10–25 $4,499

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iscover the treasures of China and Tibet with this 16-day, all-inclusive journey.

Begin in Beijing, and climb the Great Wall. Visit the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian, and travel to Chengdu for Sichuan food and giant pandas.

Journey to the holy land of 3 million Tibetan Buddhists: Lhasa, Tibet, and explore the Dalai Lama’s residence.

Visit the picturesque southern China countryside in Guilin, and conclude your tour in Shanghai. This popular trip sold out from 2003 to 2011.

Canadian Rockies DATE:

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Sep. 23 to Oct. 3 $3,299 (air incl.)

anada’s treasures await you, from the lights of

DATE:

COST:

Sept. 29 to Oct. 11 $3,895

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isit six countries and up to eight UNESCO World Heritage sites on this comprehensive 13-day journey showcasing the musical heritage of the European masters. Explore Prague and Kraków on a five-night river cruise down the Blue Danube, from Budapest, Hungary, to Passau, Germany. Experience the centers of music in some of Europe’s greatest cities and enjoy a program of classical music-themed performances and tours. Guided excursions include Bratislava’s medieval Old Town, imperial Vienna, the storybook village of Dürnstein and magnificent Melk Abbey. A Budapest pre-program option and Warsaw post-program option are offered.

P r i ce s a n d d a t es are su bj ec t to c h ang e. www.alumni.ucdavis.edu

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ALUMNI RECAP

100th Pajamarino

Parent and We Are Aggie Family Weekend Pride rally

Aggie Diner

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DATE:

Oct. 5

he event kicked off Homecoming weekend, celebrating the 100th year that students, alumni staff and community members greeted the train in downtown Davis.

DATES:

Oct. 26–28

arent and Family Weekend drew more than 900 visitors to campus. Highlights included lectures, tastes of alumnicrafted wines, pre-game tailgate lunch for more than 600 people, and a brunch.

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Oct. 31

tudent leaders came out to the Quad to support the donors who provided emergency funding to students in need.

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Nov. 14

tudents networked with alumni in a professional setting.

BELOW: Chuck Nichols ’83,’84, CAAA board president; Bill

Hollingshead ’60, a Cal Aggie Marching Band alumnus; his wife Dianne Hollingshead ’63; and CAAA Executive Director Rich Engel ’90, Cred. ’91, were in character for the 100th anniversary Pajamarino on Oct. 5 at the Davis Amtrak Station.

ABOVE: Parents Valeriano and

Ruby Palattao came up from South San Francisco to visit son Francis Val Palattao ’16 for Parent and Family Weekend.

BELOW: Alumni dine with students at Aggie Diner on Nov. 14.

ABOVE: Student Alumni

Association Directors Angelica Thornton ’13, left, and Sarah Ng ’15 show their Aggie pride at the 100th anniversary Pajamarino on Oct. 5.

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to the Cal A g g ie Alumn i A s s oc ia t ion

oin our Facebook page to receive reminders about CAAA events, learn about network groups in your area, or trips offered through Aggie Adventures. CAAA members have exclusive access to our LinkedIn group, offering direct connections to fellow alumni. Join either group by visiting alumni.ucdavis.edu/caaamembership.

Take a look at some of our newest member benefits and offers: • Receive a 30 percent discount on subscriptions through FlexJobs, offering a selection of telecommuting and freelance career opportunities • Enjoy a special meal at Buckhorn Steakhouse in Winters and save 15 percent • Support CAAA while you do your online shopping by uploading the Aggie Shopping Network browser button New benefits are added all the time. Check the CAAA website for the newest offers at alumni.ucdavis.edu/caaabenefits.

www.alumni.ucdavis.edu

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Rugby alumni reunion

CAAA Alumni Night at the Sacramento Kings

Saturday, Jan. 12 6 to 10 p.m.

LOCATION: Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center, UC Davis DATE: TIME:

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alling all rugby alumni: Join CAAA for double-header games at 1 and 3 p.m. on Russell Field, followed by dinner and Aggie camaraderie. To RSVP, visit www.alumni. ucdavis.edu/rugby2013.

Friday, Jan. 25 7 p.m.

LOCATION: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento DATE:

Happy hours

Feb. 16–23 LOCATIONS: Washington, D.C.; Boston; New York DATES:

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oin our alumni on the East Coast for a string of happy hours and alumni gatherings. To RSVP to any of these events and see the details, visit www.alumni. ucdavis.edu/rsvp.

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oin fellow Aggies as you watch the Sacramento Kings take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Parent event

Saturday, Feb. 9 Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center DATE:

LOCATION:

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isit campus and attend a special booking signing with faculty authors. The next afternoon, attend “Cirque Mechanics” at the Mondavi Center. Get details HERE.

Interview with an Aggie

Wednesday, Feb. 13 6 p.m.

LOCATION: Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center DATE: TIME:

Davis Network wine tasting

Wednesday, Feb. 6 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Our House restaurant, 808 Second St., Davis DATE: TIME:

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articipate in a mock interview with a student interested in your field and provide them with feedback on their résumé, attire and interview skills.

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njoy Aggie camaraderie, taste wines from one of our partners and learn about wine making while networking with local UC Davis graduates.

For more details about these events and others, please visit

www.alumni.ucdavis.edu/rsvp.

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Building fund:

Donors may designate funds to go to the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center Building.

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we approach 2013, it is time to reflect on 2012 and count our blessings. This is often a season when people choose to share their bounty with institutions that matter to them.

If you’ve considered making a gift to UC Davis, now is the time. While your contributions are always welcome, there are tax advantages to giving before the new year.

Here are a few programs at the Cal Aggie Alumni Association worthy of support: CAAA Endowed Scholarship Fund: Help make a UC Davis education more accessible for young scholars who will be the Aggie leaders of tomorrow. Learn more HERE. Donors may designate support for a specific region.

CAAA Alumni and Student Programs: Fund vital programming for alumni through CAAA chapters and networks, and award-winning Student Alumni Association programs such as Aggie Diner and Aggie Classrooms.

Aggie Classrooms: Danielle

Duarte ’04, helps students conduct a flag assembly at Alvin Dunn Elementary School in San Marcos. As a counselor at the school, she led third-graders in an Aggie Classrooms program, one of many CAAA alumni and student programs.

Walter A. Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center Building Fund: Support the structural integrity of the

Walter A. Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.

Contributions may be made online HERE. For details and more information about giving to CAAA, contact Janice Corbett, CAAA associate executive director, at 530-754-9903 or email jlcorbett@ucdavis.edu.

2011 scholarship and honors winners: The Cal Aggie Alumni Association awards scholarships

to students from California, Oregon and Washington. It’s been giving scholarships to UC Davis students since 1934, honoring their leadership qualities. Alumni from 28 regions review the scholarship essays, interview candidates and select finalists. CAAA distributes more than $50,000 each year in $1,000 to $4,000 one-time awards. Students selected as the top candidate from their region may be eligible for the $10,000 Blue and Gold Leadership Scholarship (given over two years).

www.alumni.ucdavis.edu alumni.ucdavis.edu

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PROGRAM

Profile Alumni Wine

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he UC Davis Alumni Wine program started as a way for the Cal Aggie Alumni Association to support our alumni winemakers and provide them with an opportunity to introduce their wines to fellow Aggies. These opportunities come in many forms, from events to wine tours to our wine club. There are many ways for large and small wineries to become involved.

WINE TOUR

Each year, the UC Davis Alumni Wine Program organizes a variety of wine tours to different regions of California. Our tours visit three to four wineries, and are led by our alumni winemakers, with behind-the-scenes access, providing a unique perspective into winegrowing and winemaking.

LECTURE SERIES

Our lecture series was created as a way to educate our alumni about the world of enology and viticulture but also as a complement to our wine tours. Generally led by our alumni winemakers participating in that quarter’s wine tour, these lectures vary in topic from winemaking basics to examining the zinfandel grape.

WINE CLUB

The new UC Davis Alumni Wine Club will launch in January. Each shipment will come from UC Davis alumni winemakers in the region our wine tour visits that quarter.

Alumni have the option to receive their wines monthly or quarterly.

WINE EVENTS

Each year, alumni winemakers share their wines with UC Davis alumni and friends at various events. Join us at our annual Alumni Awards Gala, at quarterly Vintage Aggies wine tastings, or at events like our parent welcomes. Wineries are invited to participate in as many or as few as they choose.

HOW WE GIVE BACK

CAAA supports UC Davis Alumni Wine program partners throughout the year through many marketing vehicles. These include exposure on our CAAA homepage and posting winery logos on our partners page. We create posters on each alumni winemaker as well as the winery, and promote wineries on our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We also profile winemakers in UC Davis Magazine and AggieXtra.

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For more information visit www.alumni. ucdavis.edu/ ucdavisalumni wineprogram or email alumni@ ucdavis.edu.

Special holiday price:

$25 (plus tax and shipping)

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he Aggie Pride Book features photos by UC Davis’ award-winning photographers. This full-color coffee table book has more than 160 photos showcasing UC Davis’ proud heritage, breathtaking campus, storied athletics and distinguished academics.

The book is broken into three sections: “The UC Davis Experience,” “Doing what Matters,” and “A Century of Tradition.”

There are quotes from former coach Jim Sochor, former state Superintendent of Schools Delaine Eastin, celebrity chef Martin Yan, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, and other well-known alumni.

The book is a wonderful display of the beauty of UC Davis as well as its contributions.

NETWORKING IN

The Aggie Pride coffee table book is a perfect gift for graduating students or anyone who loves UC Davis.

• Oversized hardcover book • More than 160 images • Beautiful full-color photos • Never-before seen shots

Click here to order

Limited quantity available

Greece

International Alumni Programs Officer Ginger Welsh ’95 enjoys a garden dinner in Athens, Greece, on Sept.

3 with UC Davis alumni affiliates at Harokopio University. Greece was one of six countries Welsh visited in August and September, connecting with eight UC Davis alumni networks and chapters throughout Europe and the United Kingdom.

Dining with her, clockwise from left, are Nikolaos Stoforos, Antonia Matala, Alexandros Butzbach, Yiannis Flerianos, Polymeris Koliagis, Pashalis Harizanis and his wife, Helen Theodoropoulos, Welsh, Professor Andreas Kyriakousis and George Theodoropoulos. UC Davis has 26 international alumni networks on six continents.

Participants support each other and university affiliates through outreach activities. www.alumni.ucdavis.edu

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PARENT

Profile Ted and Kathy Green Aggie blue and gold makes a family of Greens

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lumna KATHY GREEN ’81 and her husband TED ’82 say UC Davis has “always been part of our family history.”

The couple met here in 1980, and though they have lived in Southern California for the last 13 years, they have still always

supported the university.

Their connection to campus grew even stronger a couple of years ago, when daughter Katie ’14 was a senior at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. She was offered a UC Regents Scholarship and chose to attend UC Davis. Two years later, son Michael was named a Regents Scholar and chose to attend,

Ted, Michael, Kathy and Katie Green are all Aggies.

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making him the fourth Aggie in the family. He began his freshman year this fall.

Kathy and Ted explain that Katie came to love UC Davis on her own, not just because they were alums.

“She was attracted to the Northern California location, as well as the university’s status as a major research institution,” Kathy said.

Particularly inviting was the integrated studies honors program, which provides scholars with priority

enrollment and graduate-level library privileges to prepare them for research during upper division coursework.

In her third year, Katie is studying English and environmental science and management.

Michael also considered UC Davis’ merits outside of his parents’ alumni status.

One such attraction was the Division I baseball program.

While visiting his sister, he became familiar with campus and found opportunities to train with the current team. At an Orange County alumni event, he met UC Davis coach and alumnus Tony Schifano and a few former players. While visiting campus he also connected with Dean Winston Ko and Professor Neil Schore from the chemistry department.

For both students, events like Picnic Day and Decision Day gave them a true taste of life as an Aggie, from meeting current students and faculty to eating in the dining commons.

The Greens say UC Davis’ essential character is “a special place with exceptionally talented students, a welcoming culture, outstanding resources, and a safe and supportive community.” This character was central to Katie and Michael choosing Davis, despite offers from other UCs, including Berkeley, San Diego and Santa Barbara.

While their college choices were completely their own, the younger Greens followed in their parents’ footsteps by becoming active on campus.

Like her dad, Katie serves on the Residence Halls Advisory Board, as well as the Residence Halls Judicial Board and the Regents Scholars Society. Like her mom, she tutors students in writing at the Student Academic Success Center.

Following a strong family academic tradition, Michael followed Katie into the Integrated Studies Honors Program. Additionally, Michael is trying out for a walk-on position with the baseball team this spring.

“There are so many great things happening on campus

There are so many great things happening on campus which impact who our children will become.” which impact who our children will become,” the parents wrote in an email.

While the Greens take pride in their children’s accomplishments, they maintain that they are extra proud of Katie’s ability “to transfer skills and values that

were important to us at home and make them part of her life away from home.”

Last summer, the Greens moved from Rancho Palos Verdes to El Dorado Hills to be closer to aging parents and extended family.

Because of this, Michael’s transition to college is easier for the family than Katie’s freshman year was.

Kathy and Ted know that leaving home affects each student differently.

“As parents, we can support them with their struggles and challenges (whatever they may be), while reminding them how proud we are that they have worked so hard to attend UC Davis.”

As members of the Aggie Parents Association

and the Cal Aggie Alumni Association, the Greens encourage other parents to join and embrace their Aggie experience.

“It is a great way to learn more about campus because UC Davis is going to be such a big part of your child’s life.

Also, as proud parents, the T-shirts are really cool.”

Not every Aggie family has such an extensive history with the university. However, by staying connected and visiting Davis — which the Greens consider “one of the last true college towns in California” — all families can share in their students’ college experience for years to come.

— Sarah Hoover ’12

www.alumni.ucdavis.edu

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EMPLOYEE

Profile Wendy Weitzel Editor is an Aggie at heart

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endy Weitzel is the communications officer for the Cal Aggie Alumni Association.

She writes and edits content for AggieXtra, and produces the parent email newsletter In the Know, and the email news digest Aggie Connections. She writes stories for UC Davis Magazine and produces videos for the annual Alumni Awards. Her job also includes work on the CAAA website, handling social media and writing news releases.

Writing and editing are first nature for Weitzel, a longtime newspaper journalist.

The former managing editor of The Davis Enterprise still writes a popular column for the paper called Comings & Goings, tracking Davis stores and restaurants as they enter or exit the business scene.

She enjoys working on campus, “especially with the students,” she said. “It’s great to have such a resource of talented, enthusiastic interns here at CAAA.” But the highlight of her job so far was interviewing her high school idol, Janice Eberly, winner of the 2013 Outstanding Alumna Award. Weitzel traveled to Washington, D.C., in November to interview Eberly, who is assistant secretary for economic policy and

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chief economist in the U.S. Treasury department. (The video will be presented at the Feb. 1 Alumni Awards Gala).

The two women met as teens in Future Farmers of America. In 1983, Eberly was the first female national president for the organization, and visited Weitzel’s high school, Nevada Union in Grass Valley.

“She was so inspiring to girls in my generation in FFA,” Weitzel said. “She helped me practice for a speech contest and, as a thank you, I baked her cookies. When I brought the cookies to school, Jan was gone. I wrote her a letter and she wrote a long one back, and I saved it and a signed photo in my scrapbook.”

Weitzel said she knew her job at CAAA was a good fit when she was told Eberly was an alumni winner and she would meet her again.

She brought pages from her scrapbook to show Eberly – along with some belated cookies.

Though not technically an Aggie, Weitzel said she feels like one. She lived in Davis while she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Sacramento State, and while her future husband, Scott Wetzlich ’89, studied environmental toxicology at UC Davis. He’s a longtime

CAAA Communications Officer WENDY WEITZEL, left, interviewed JANICE EBERLY ’86, assistant secretary and chief economist in the U.S. Treasury Department, on Nov. 27 in Eberly’s Washington, D.C., office. Eberly is a 2013 Alumni Award winner. The two first met when Weitzel was in high school and Eberly was at UC Davis.

UC Davis staff member, managing a research lab at the veterinary school. They live in Davis with their two boys, ages 16 and 12.

The family loves to travel — especially on road trips.

Although they’ve been to Europe and beyond, their grandest adventure was in the summer of 2009, when they took six weeks to drive across the U.S. and back. They stuck to two-lane highways to get a better feel for America. For this trip as well as a 2012 trip

to Ireland, Weitzel posted stories and photos from their travels on a daily blog.

Besides keeping up with her family’s activities, Weitzel is on the board of Soroptimist International of Davis, a service organization working to improve the lives of women and girls. She also enjoys regular yoga, boot camp and other fitness classes, and belongs to her neighborhood’s book club.

Reach her at wlweitzel@ ucdavis.edu.

800-242-GRAD PHOTO BY PAT KUSKE

NOTICE TO MEMBERS kjh AFFINITY PROGRAMS Affinity Programs are agreements between CAAA and our business partners that offer services to our members. In addition to offering discounts to our members, affinity partners may also give a portion of their business to CAAA, which uses these funds to support UC Davis alumni programs. Your information is never given directly to an affinity partner. We always work through a third party to manage these mailings. Please read the following privacy information so that we may follow your directions on what product and service offerings you would like to receive. If you have contacted us in the past and your privacy preference has not changed, there is no need to contact us again.

YOUR RIGHTS You have the right to restrict what you receive from us. This includes sending you information about the alumni association, the university or other products or services. This form does not prohibit us from sharing your information when we are required to do so by law.

YOUR CHOICE You can restrict information sharing with affinity partners, but unless you say “NO,” you may receive product and service offerings provided by our affinity partners. Our affinity partners may send you offers to purchase various products or services that we have agreed they can offer in partnership with us.

TIME SENSITIVE REPLY You may decide at any time that you do not wish to receive product and service offerings provided by our affinity partners.

If you decide that you do not want to receive information from our partners, you may do one of the following: (1) Fill out, sign and send the proper form to us at the following address (you may want to make a copy for your records). The form can be found at alumni.ucdavis. edu/privacy.

(2) Send an email to: optout@ucdavis.edu.

(3) Call us at 800-242-4723.

CAL AGGIE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION UC Davis One Shields Ave. Davis, CA 95616

The AggieXtra is published by CAAA for its members and community.

PRESIDENT

Charles Nichols ’83, ’84 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Richard Engel ’90, Cred. ’91 ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Janice L.W. Corbett ’94

EDITOR Wendy Weitzel DESIGNER Michelle McKim ’89 COVER PHOTO Gregory Urquiaga CONTRIBUTORS

Karen Collins ’03, Adrienne Cheng ’13, Leslie Cory ’13, Jane Eadie, Rich Engel ’90, Becky Heard, Karin Higgins, Sarah Hoover ’12, Griffin Okamoto ’14, Nichole Silva, Jen Thayer ’02, Gregory Urquiaga, Wendy Weitzel, Ginger Welsh ’95

COMING BACK TO CAMPUS?

Drop by and see us: We’re in the Walter A. Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center — the building with the blue roof, next to the Mondavi Center. Heading east or west on Interstate 80, take the UC Davis exit and head north. Follow the signs to your campus home.

MAIL

Cal Aggie Alumni Association University of California One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616-8517 PHONE

530-752-0286 800-242-GRAD FAX: 530-752-3395 WEB: alumni.ucdavis.edu EMAIL: alumni@ucdavis.edu

To enrich the lives of alumni, students, families and friends worldwide, and develop lifelong ambassadors for UC Davis.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2012-14 CAAA board Charles Nichols

(President)

’83, ’84

’99, MBA ’06 (Executive Vice President/President-elect) Toni Alejandria ’08 Michael Campbell ‘68, M.S. ’82 William Cochran ‘73, Cred. ’74 Evelyn Cook ’89 Delaine Eastin ’69 Stacie Frerichs ’01 Britta Foster ’95, M.B.A. ’99 Donald Godbold ’78 Steve Inouye ’90, Cred. ’96 Stephen J. Meyer ’71 Jill Miller ’97 Jan Morrison ’69 Brent Sasaki ’94 Debby Stegura ’79 Scott Stevenson ’92 Brett Tank ’85 Debbie Travis Ed.D. ’08 Christina Tran ’95 George Walker ’68

Derek Wilson ’99 Robert Woods ’76

Ramak Siadatan

EX-OFFICIO

Past President Patrick Sherwood

Chancellor

‘86

Linda P.B. Katehi

Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations Shaun Keister Executive Director and Assistant Vice Chancellor Richard R. Engel ’90, Cred. ’91 Chair, UC Davis Foundation Director At Large Bruce Edwards ‘60 GSA Chair

Katie Kolesar

’11

ASUCD President Rebecca Sterling ’13 SAA President Amber McIntire

’14

www.alumni.ucdavis.edu

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