As we wrap up or have wrapped up some of the perennial activities of an academic year, it is always a good practice to reflect on the service of those who by their service on committees, keep ANR humming along. It is with a great deal of gratitude that I recognize the service of two particularly critical committees, the Peer Review Committee (PRC) and the Program Council (PC).
Every year, academic personnel put together dossiers for review under the Merit and Promotion process. A group of peers meet to review these dossiers and assess the merits of the evidence presented. The committee then deliberates with the Vice Provost and makes recommendations to the Vice Provost, Associate Vice President, and Vice President. It is a challenging task to review so many dossiers and to carefully examine them. This is not a popularity contest. It is a rigorous review. I wish to thank the members of the PRC for their continued efforts to recognize the scholarly contributions of their peers.
The members of the PRC include:
Karina Diaz-Rios, Greg Ira, Michael Jones, Shannon Klisch, Igor Lacan, Brooke Latack, Andy Lyons, Chris McDonald, Franz Niederholzer, Tapan Pathak, Niamh Quinn, Lorrene Ritchie, Yana Valachnovic, and Zheng Wang.
Similarly, the Program Council (PC) meets monthly, throughout the year to provide guidance and feedback to the Vice President. I chair the PC and work with the PC members to conduct a series of shared governance efforts. Some of these efforts include the biannual position call and the annual budget call. The position call reviews specialist and adviser position proposals put forward by counties, Research Extension Centers (RECs), and campuses. Each proposal is reviewed for its merit, its impact on the system, and how the position will impact ANR and the people of California. This is not a simple process and requires careful examination of each proposal. The recommendations are used to determine which positions should be advertised. This work positions ANR to continue to lead in California's communities.
The annual budget call requires unit leaders to put forward requests, with appropriate justifications for temporary monies to support positions, programs, and units. The PC reviews these requests and makes recommendations to the Vice President. This too is not a small task. Both of these efforts add a significant amount of service time for PC members.
The members of the PC include:
Rob Atwill, Dennis, Baldocchi, Isgouhi Kaloshian, Anita Oberbauer, Stacy Philpott, Darren Haver, Daniel Obrist, Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, Helen Dahlke, Josh Davy, Jennifer Sowerwine, Tom Turini, Steven Worker, Dustin Blakey, and Marcel Horowitz. As ex-officio members, Joni Rippee and Tu Tran. As support staff: Kit Alviz and Katherine Webb-Martinez.
Again, I want to thank each member of these committees, along with the many, many service committees that you serve on. I realize and recognize that these are often jobs that occur behind the scenes. However, I want you to know that I am truly grateful for the service that goes into making ANR work.