LOOK FOR IT:  The UCDEA Emeriti Survey of the first four UCD colleges/schools was launched on February 23. It will come to your email, but some have reported that it went into a folder other than their primary email folder, so look for it. The first ever (we believe) survey of UCD emeriti by the UCDEA starts with the cooperation of the Deans of the College of Letters and Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Law, and School of Veterinary Medicine.  We are trying to learn what emeriti would like from their colleges/schools/departments and the UCDEA as well as what activities they maybe interested in organizing or participating in. Deadline for submitting the survey is March 14. UCDEA will work with the Deans of the colleges/schools to do the analysis in April and hopefully have feedback to the emeriti by May, and hopefully, an activity as well.  Please join us in helping shape UCDEA and your relationship with your colleges/schools/departments.

BRAIN FOOD:  The last Brain Food Talk of this year is Kay Dewey April 8, 2024. We have begun planning next year’s Brain Food series, hoping to organize 6-7, with lite lunches, in partnership with the UCD Retiree Center. Please feel free to volunteer to do a Brain Food talk or suggest a topic/person. Contact Lydia P Howell: lphowell@ucdavis.edu

EA/RA TOUR:  The UCDEA/UCDRA joint tour of the Museum of Science and Curiosity in Sacramento is being rescheduled, as a result of a conflict with the MOSAC schedule.  More on this soon.  The event will be subsidized by both organizations. For those in Davis, a bus has been reserved. Registration will be required, through the UCD Retiree Center (see upcoming newsletter).

CHANCELLOR’S LUNCH:  April 12 Chancellor May relaunches the annual Chancellor’s lunch for all emeriti, at the Conference Center. Registration required (see upcoming newsletter).

ENDOWMENT – NEW GRANTS:  The January Executive Committee meeting appointed a special committee to consider proposals to use the UCDEA endowment. The February meeting approved a proposal to expand the Brain Food Talks series and add lite lunches (co-funded with the Retiree Center).  The Executive Committee also approved a proposal by the special committee to set up an UCDEA grants fund, offering two grants a year of up to $5,000 to fund emeriti research, workshops, or special conferences at UCD (not travel to conferences). The protocols for this grant program will be established and offered in 2024-25 for the first time. The special committee included FE Curry, Suad Joseph, Robert Flocchini.  

SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH HOUSING INSECURITY:  The UCDEA Fund Raising Committee has launched its campaign to support students with housing insecurity (through Aggie Compass)  click here.

MANUAL:  UCDEA Manual updates: https://emeritiassociation.ucdavis.edu/ucdea-manual

MENTORSHIP: The January Executive Committee proposed setting up a “mentorship” program for current emeriti to be available to faculty considering retirement to discuss the process of retirement and the aftermath.  This will be developed in partnership with the Retiree Center. More on this in future columns.

WEBPAGE:  The Communications and Outreach Committee (Klea Bertakis and Suad Joseph) have been actively updating the website with the marvelous assistance of Sachi Milind Nandedkar. We thank Retiree Center Director Juliane Crowley for releasing some of Sachi’s time to help with the updates.  The COC committee will soon send out another invitation to emeriti who would like to share they activities and stories to be posted on the webpage.  Request will come to you via email and the Retiree Center Newsletter. 

VOLUNTEER:  UCDEA is always welcoming emeriti volunteers who would like to join committees and engage in projects. Let us know if you would like to volunteer for a committee or activity.  Join us!!

JOIN UCDEA:  https://ucdavis.imodules.com/s/1768/rd18/index.aspx?sid=1768&gid=2&pgid=4999&content_id=3509