Richards named area director for UCCE in San Diego and Imperial counties
Chandra Richards became area director for UC Cooperative Extension in San Diego and Imperial counties on Nov. 1.
Richards originally joined UC ANR in 2021 as an agricultural land acquisitions academic coordinator II for San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
The East Coast native has lived in California for more than 15 years and is rooted in San Diego.
Prior to joining UC ANR, Richards was a conservation ecologist at the greater San Diego Resource Conservation District, where she led the agriculture, forest health and habitat restoration programs and supported climate-smart agriculture through planning, education and technical assistance. She also was a grant writer and project implementation leader.
She earned a Ph.D. in soil biogeochemistry from UC Berkeley and double B.S. degrees in chemistry and mathematics from Pennsylvania State University.
Richards is based in San Diego and can be reached at cmrichards@ucanr.edu.
Newell joins UC ANR Innovate's BioCircular Valley
Eli Newell joined UC ANR Innovate on Oct. 16 as a staff research associate for BioCircular Valley (BioCirV). He supports circular bioeconomy research and development for the North San Joaquin Valley.
Newell partners with growers, processors and UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors to collect and characterize organic byproducts from agriculture and food processing. He also collaborates with UC teams developing conversion pathways and digital tools that will guide investment in the industries and technologies that transform these waste streams into higher-value products.
Newell brings farming experience from Massachusetts and research expertise in circular systems, including developing soilless media and soil amendments from crop residues and source-separated urine, exploring black soldier fly as a protein source for poultry feed, and advancing nutrient recovery methods from aquaculture.
“I am extremely grateful to my mentors Rebecca Nelson, Charles Midega, Jesus Orozco and Eugene Won for these foundational collaborative research experiences,” said Newell. Most recently, his master’s research examined the environment for inclusive aquaculture development in Kenya’s Lake Victoria region, advised by Ndunge Kiiti.
“I am thrilled to join UC ANR and the BioCirV project,” said Newell. “BioCirV connects growers, processors and researchers to benefit the regional economy and environment. Such constructive relationships are really exciting to enable and build.”
“We are very glad Eli has accepted the role not only because of his grounding in agricultural systems but also for his passion for the project’s mission and his ability to hit the ground running,” said Fraser Murison Smith, UC ANR program manager for BioCirV.
Newell holds a master’s degree in global development and a bachelor’s degree in international agriculture and rural development, both from Cornell University.
Newell is based at the UCCE office in Merced and can be reached at enewell@ucanr.edu.
Woodke joins UCCE Central Sierra as Indigenous disaster resilience advisor
Robert (Bob) Woodke completed his Ph.D. in geography from UC Davis this summer and is now serving as the Indigenous disaster resilience advisor for UC ANR in the Central Sierra as of Sept. 2.
Woodke’s doctoral research was with pastoral women in Northern Senegal, building forages to combat animal death in the face of drought. He also completed a master’s degree in community development at UC Davis and spent two and a half years in the Peace Corps in the West African countries of Mali and Benin.
Woodke is interested in grassroots development, working with communities to meet their needs. According to Woodke, highlighting local ingenuity and rural/indigenous voices is vital in countering ineffective development and is central to his extension strategy. He is excited to understand and improve disaster resilience while building community-serving projects.
Originally from Humboldt County, Woodke is now based in Sonora and says he is “stoked to be in the beautiful Central Sierra and ready to engage with the community and have a good time.”
Woodke can be contacted at rlwoodke@ucanr.edu.
Schmidt joins UCCE as food systems advisor for Los Angeles, Ventura counties
Li Schmidt is a UC Cooperative Extension food systems advisor serving Ventura and Los Angeles counties as of Aug. 18.
Schmidt brings a diverse range of experiences to the position, including being a small-scale grower and founder of Cultural Roots Nursery, a plant nursery that produces culturally relevant foods for Asian diaspora communities.
Prior to joining UC ANR, Schmidt worked as a research-based podcaster and storyteller, covering food and agriculture issues in California. As a farmer and community educator, she created culturally responsive garden and farm workshops and curriculum geared towards young and beginning growers.
Schmidt also served on the farmer governance board at the California Farmer Justice Collaborative, where she organized and advocated for underserved farmers and ranchers on a statewide level.
As a graduate student, Schmidt worked at UC SAREP and is excited to return to UC ANR to support growers and food justice efforts in the counties she serves.
She holds a master’s degree in community development with a focus on sustainable food systems from UC Davis.
Li is based at the UCCE office in Ventura County and can be reached at lschmidt@ucanr.edu and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/li-schmidt-b01879321/.
Chávez hired as Indigenous food sovereignty advisor in San Diego, Riverside counties
Marisela Chávez is a Chicana environmental social scientist with a passion for work centered on Native and Indigenous ancestral foodways, biocultural heritage stewardship and social justice.
As a UCCE Indigenous food sovereignty advisor in San Diego and Riverside counties, Chávez is building an applied research and extension program in collaboration with Native American Tribes, Tribal communities and Tribal-serving organizations across Southern California.
Chávez has worked in conservation projects and conducted research across the Américas, from México to Brazil, to deepen her understanding of how food connects us; the relationships that are ingrained in all of the ways that food is produced, acquired, eaten and shared; and community-centered food sovereignty initiatives.
Most recently, her research in southern México focused on understanding how two Indigenous communities navigated climate change impacts on the production and availability of native crops and wild foods.
She earned a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, an M.A. in Latin American & Caribbean Studies from the University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. in Forest and Conservation Science from the University of Montana.
Chávez is based in San Diego County and can be reached at mvez@ucanr.edu.