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Weekly Updates
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June 26th, 2012 Vol. 2. Issue 28
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Dear Colleagues and Friends of the Center for Regional Change,
The Center's Weekly Updates will be on hiatus for the coming month of August, and will be back in September to kick-off the fall season. In the meantime, please refer to our main website for the latest information about CRC news and activities, as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Dave Campbell
Acting Director, Center for Regional Change
 
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CRC Activities
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Don't forget to attend the last Mutual Housing tour for the summer season on Wednesday, August 29th from 10-11am in North Highlands. Recently opened, the Highlands community features several sustainable designs, spans approximately 1,800 square feet, and was granted the Community Development Award by the Sacramento Housing Alliance. The tours aim to spread the word about the importance of stable housing to working families. To learn more about this event, click here.
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Regional Change in the News
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 A Stockton man recently tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV), marking the first appearance of the virus in the San Joaquin Valley. To date, the California Department of Public Health reports seven human cases of WNV in five counties. In total, there are twenty-two counties throughout the state with confirmed WNV activity, including counties as far north as Placer County and as far south as Riverside County. For up-to-date news about WNV and recommended management practices, click here.
Officials in San Bernadino County are considering using eminent domain to buy up underwater homes from struggling homeowners. The County hopes this plan will allow homeowners to lower their monthly payments and impact the county's foreclosure rates, some of the highest in the nation. The idea has sparked controversy, although other states are considering similar plans. To read more, click here.
Results were released Monday from a water quality test in the city of Easton just seven miles out of downtown Fresno. What this test found was that 70 percent of the wells tested had at least one contaminant that exceeded safe drinking water limits. Among the contaminants found was DBCP, a pesticide banned in the U.S. since the late 1970's. As many as 2 million Californians rely on private wells for water, but many don't realize the need to perform quality tests. For more about this, click here.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is celebrating their 20 years of work on environmental justice by releasing a series of videos entitled "Working Together for Environmental Justice." The videos detail the stories of those who have worked in this field, and some of the lessons they've learned along the way. The videos feature a mix of federal and local government officials, as well as students and community leaders. To watch the first video in the series, click here.
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| Special Reports on Regional Change | |
 A new study by the IRRC Institute finds that college and university endowments in the United States lag in sustainable investments, defined by investment in environmental, social and corporate-governance (ESG). These results come as a dramatic change in college and university endowment history, as many took a leading role in addressing social and environmental considerations, like several 1970's anti-apartheid campaigns. The study is one of the most comprehensive analyses of ESG investment to-date, and finds that many of these endowments lack transparency on ESG practices. To read this report in-full, click here.
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| Upcoming Events |
On Thursday, August 9th the UC Sacramento Center will host Professor Michael Rios as he presents "The Changing Landscape of Latino Communities in California and Beyond." The presentation will discuss California's growing Latino population, and the impact this group has on policy and planning practices in urban, suburban, and rural locations throughout the state. To register for this event, click here.  Join the UC Davis Health System as they present their free summer concert on Thursday, August 16th from 5:30-8PM. The event is sponsored by the UC Davis Health System Community Advisory Board and Shriners Hospitals for Children of Northern California. Kids activities start at 5:30PM and the concert starts at 6PM. For directions to the event, click here.
The California Levee Vegetation Research Program (CLVRP) is pleased to announce their upcoming 2012 Levee Vegetation Research Symposium in Sacramento from Tuesday, August 28th to Thursday, August 30th. The symposium brings together researchers and stakeholders to discuss new research in the field of flood system levees on both a national and international level. To find out more about this event, click here. |
| Request for Proposals & Call for Papers | The National Bureau of Economic Research is issuing a call for papers for their 2013 Universities' Research Conference. Papers should focus on the topics of poverty, inequality, and social policy. Deadline for applying is Thursday, November 1st. To apply, click here.
The Soros Justice Fellowships, a part of the Open Society Justice Initiative, is issuing grants to projects  aimed at reforming the U.S. criminal justice system. Both Advocacy and Media Fellowships are available to projects that meet one or more of the eligibility criteria. Application deadline is Wednesday, October 17th. For more about the application process, click here.
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Fellowships and Employment Opportunities
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Harder+Company Community Research is seeking a Research Assistant in their Davis office to provide support on a diverse array of team-based research projects. The Research Assistant will be responsible for literature reviews; planning and assisting with focus groups; conducting interviews; entering, coding, and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data; administering surveys; using SPSS; and assisting with the preparation and editing of reports. For more information, click here.
Sacramento Area Congregations Together (ACT) is seeking a Community Organizer in the Sacramento region. Applicants should have a passion for justice and supporting grassroots leaders in building a multi-cultural, multi-faith community, and have experience working with communities of color. For more information, click here.
The California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) is hiring a policy intern to help shape the center's policy agenda through research, and support the center's 2012 legislative activities. For more information, click here.
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