Tuesday Morning Notes

June 17, 2008

2008 FACULTY CONFERENCE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN:

Registration for the 2008 Faculty Conference, August 19-21, at the Omni Tucson National Resort (2727 West Club Drive, Tucson) is now open and the deadline to register is Friday, July 25. The registration page (http://cals.arizona.edu/registration/FC2008/) includes a tentative agenda and options for poster sessions, seminars on wheels (Biosphere 2, BIO5, Campus Agricultural Center, McClelland Park) and a place to request pre- or post-conference meetings. For questions or further information, contact a Planning Committee Co-Chair (Mike Ottman, Jan Norquest, Dan McDonald) or support staff (Sandra Saad, Steven Crofts).

FOCUS ON PROGRAMS:

San Pedro River Wet/Dry Mapping - This year marks the 10th anniversary since wet/dry mapping efforts began along the San Pedro River in 1999. Last year a total of 120 miles of the river were mapped in the U.S. and Mexico. Previous maps can be accessed online at www.azconservation.org and http://www.srnr.arizona.edu/nemo/review/wd_SanPedro_AllYears24x30.pdf. These efforts are coordinated jointly through The Nature Conservancy, Community Watershed Alliance, BLM, CONANP (Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas), Arizona NEMO, and others. Teams of scientists and local volunteers will walk the rivers of Arizona on June 21 to map where the rivers run wet – and dry. Annual mapping of perennial surface waters aids water managers in understanding our river systems at the driest time of year. For more information contact: Mary McCool 520.609.2738 - Benson area), or Holly Richter (520.432.1141 - Sierra Vista & Lower San Pedro areas).

Arizona NEMO provides information to help communities protect their water resources and to educate land-use decision makers about the impacts of non-point source water pollution, and helps to improve water quality by developing realistic watershed-based plans to achieve water quality standards and protection goals for watersheds across Arizona. For more information about the NEMO Wet/Dry Mapping project, contact Kristine Uhlman 520.792.9591, x51).

INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY SURVEY RESULTS – Week 3 of 7:

Specific Extension Web applications. RESULTS: Respondents were moderately (50% totally competent or can figure it out, Arizona Delivers) to highly (76% totally competent or can figure it out, Extension Calendar) confident in using selected Extension database driven sites. A newer and limited use site (Volunteer Tracking) had a lower rate - 29% totally competent or can figure it out. Users of the SharePoint collaboration tool had mixed responses, with 31% feeling totally competent or can figure it out, but 40% totally lost or needing more training. CONCLUSIONS: More training and/or online help is needed for the Volunteer Tracking site and for users of SharePoint. RECOMMENDATIONS: Work to implement the training or help suggested in the Conclusion. Consider using non-UA tools for document collaboration instead of SharePoint.
UA provided Web conferencing – Breeze. RESULTS: 44% of respondents reported being totally confident in or could figure out how to use the Breeze system. CONCLUSIONS: Although Extension personnel have been given extensive training and support regarding Breeze, a disappointingly low number of respondents felt comfortable in using it. This could be due to complications in configuring desktop microphones, and the lapse in time some may have between Breeze meetings and training. RECOMMENDATIONS: Continued trainings should be offered in Breeze.
UA provided blogs, podcasts, RSS feeds. RESULTS: All three of these tools were rated at or below average in terms of user confidence. CONCLUSIONS: Blogs, podcasts, and RSS feeds are hardly new, but are apparently unfamiliar to respondents. RECOMMENDATIONS: Since these are common Internet tools and have value for disseminating information, we recommend general presentations on what they are and how they may be useful. How-to trainings will be on an individual basis and will involve other experts on campus.

This is part of a 7 week series to provide results of the Information and Technology Needs survey. The complete summary document is available upon request. To request the document or ask questions, contact Sheila Merrigan (520.626.6543) or Robert Armstrong (520.621.3872).

NEW PUBLICATION:

A new publication is available on the genetics of bark beetles titled "Lack of Genetic Differentiation in Aggressive and Secondary Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) from Arizona" by Christopher Allender, Karen Clancy, Tom DeGomez, Joel McMillin, Scott Woolbright, Paul Keim and David Wagner.

James A. Christenson, Ph.D.
(jimc@cals.arizona.edu)
Associate Dean and Director
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Forbes, Room 301
Tucson, Arizona 85721
520/621-7205
520/621-1314 FAX

TMN submittal: http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/tuesday/submittal_form.html