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�鶹ӳ�� our College

A founding college of the University, we have a long tradition of excellence in teaching, research and engagement programs that benefit the health and economic vitality of �鶹ӳ��. We offer programs in:

• agriculture, horticulture, rangeland & veterinary sciences
• biochemistry & molecular biology
• children, youth & families
• community & economic development
• health & nutrition
• natural resources & environmental science

First-generation Ph.D. student Christina T. Igono presents, wins award at international conference of soil scientists

Igono's award-winning research conducted at Experiment Station facilities

Ashley Andrews

This scientist is on fire, earning first place in the conference's graduate student poster contest for her research on prescribed burns and soil fertility. Photos courtesy Christina T. Igono.

"I didn’t choose to study environmental and soil science but rather, this major chose me," Igono said.

Christina is a first-generation student. Following her passion for soil science, soil ecology and natural resources, she's earning her doctorate degree in Environmental Science from our College. In exploring her calling here, Christina said she has encountered constant challenges, support and opportunities to learn, grow and be better in all that she does.

And it all started when she was an undergraduate biology student in Alabama.

"I was just a desperate broke freshman student seeking a job on campus when I got the opportunity to work as a laboratory technician in a soil science lab," she said. "This part-time job quickly became a passion."

She realized she loved working in the lab and with its equipment, discovering things she never knew about soil. That feeling told her she was on the path to her career.

Love is a fire

"Besides being a student athlete playing soccer," Christina said, "I knew I had found another passion, and that was being an environmental soil scientist."

California and �鶹ӳ�� scientists study nitrogen pollution in dryland watersheds

Large research project conducted in California will shed light on dryland watershed pollution worldwide

Claudene Wharton

Nitrogen pollution, largely from burning fossil fuels, industrial agriculture and wildfire can reduce drinking water quality and make air difficult to breathe.

Thanks to a $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, we will soon have a better understanding of how much nitrogen arid ecosystems can absorb before they produce negative effects. The study is being conducted by scientists at ; �鶹ӳ��; and .

The three-year research project will allow Homyak; Erin Hanan, fire ecologist with the �鶹ӳ��, who is leading the study with Homyak; and collaborators at UC Santa Barbara to monitor how three dryland ecosystems in southern and central California process nitrogen, and to gauge saturation levels. From this information, they can then build models to help predict what may happen in the future and what we might do to mitigate detrimental impacts to our water quality and air.

“If we can get a better understanding of how nitrogen cycles through these drier watersheds, we can build models to help us predict what will happen under increased nitrogen loads and in a warmer, drier future,” said Hanan, who is also an assistant professor in the College , and a researcher with its . “Dry ecosystems represent a third of Earth’s total land surface, so understanding how they respond to pollutants is important.”

Photo Gallery | 4-H across the state

Snapshots of 4-H clubs throughout �鶹ӳ��

For more than 90 years, Extension has administered a 4-H program in �鶹ӳ��, part of one of the largest youth organizations in the U.S. Many 4-H alumni have become elected state officials, legislators and teachers, contributing greatly to the state and their communities.

4-H is a learn-by-doing life-skills program that teaches youth communication, self-concept, team-building, problem-solving, decision-making, self-responsibility, conflict resolution, aspiration-building, goal-setting, community leadership and career development. The youth learn through projects, in or after school, in a variety of subjects ranging from animal science to nutrition, leadership, public speaking, horticulture and other science and technology programs. Through these projects and interactions with other youth and leaders, 4-H youth learn how to make good choices, feel good about themselves, think critically and become leaders.

Take a look at the photos below to see what's happening at some of the 4-H clubs throughout the state.

Hannah Alfaro

Free home radon test kits will be available at multiple locations in �鶹ӳ�� Jan. 1- Feb. 29. Photo by the �鶹ӳ�� Radon Education Program.

January is National Radon Action Month, and  is offering free short-term radon test kits to �鶹ӳ��ns from Jan. 1 through Feb. 29. Radon test kits are available at Extension offices and partnering locations, as well as at free presentations, statewide.

Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that is colorless, odorless and tasteless. It comes from the ground and can accumulate in homes, raising the risk of lung cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates 21,000 Americans die each year from radon-caused lung cancer, killing more people than secondhand smoke, drunk driving and house fires.

In �鶹ӳ��, one in four homes tested show radon concentrations at or above the EPA action level. According to experts, living in a home with radon concentrations at the action level poses a risk of developing lung cancer similar to the risk posed by smoking about half a pack of cigarettes a day.

Hannah Alfaro

Robert Washington-Allen uses virtual and augmented reality technology to study �鶹ӳ�� dryland systems. Photo by Robert Moore.

�鶹ӳ�� welcomes Robert Washington-Allen to the Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources as an associate professor, graduate program director for the department and Range Club advisor.

Along with teaching and advising, Washington-Allen researches the sustainability of drylands using innovative technologies, including drones, laser scanning, ground-penetrating radar, virtual and augmented reality tools, geographic information systems, and remote sensing. His research focuses on the past, present and future sustainability of drylands at both local and international scales, with a particular interest in �鶹ӳ��’s drylands.