Region Matters

January 14, 2014 Vol. 4, Issue 7

CRC Friends and Colleagues,

It's been another busy week at CRC! We hope you enjoy this week's newsletter. Please be sure to send us any news or developments you would like to be included in our Region Matters newsletter.

In This Issue

CRC News and Announcements

Upcoming Events

CRC News and Announcements

Publication Opportunities

Grant Opportunities

Job Opportunities

CRC News and Announcements

CCEP Director Mindy Romero Giving a Talk Today at University of California Center, Sacramento

Today, Mindy Romero, Director of the CRC's California Civic Engagement Project, will present on population change and California's future electorate at the University of California Center, Sacramento. A new policy brief from the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP) will be released during this event. Mindy will present the brief's findings involving projected changes in the future age and racial composition of U.S. and California voters through election year 2040.

Click here for more information.

CRC Co-Sponsored Events

"Linking Knowledge with Action for Sustainability"

Presented by Professor William C. Clark, Harvard University

Date: January 14, 2014

Time: 5:00 - 6:30 PM

Place: Multi-purpose Room, Student Community Center, UC Davis

Part of the ASI Distinguished Speaker Series, this event is co-sponsored by The Center for Regional Change. It is free and open to the public.

Click here for more information.

"Access and Affordability: A Student and Faculty Perspective."

Presented by UC Davis Professor Ann Stevens, Chair of the Study Group on Accessibility and Affordability, Professor and Chair of Economics and Director of the Center for Poverty Research.

Date: January 22, 2014

Time: 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

Place: MU II, Memorial Union

Professor Stevens will be joined by a panel including the Provost and UC Davis students. This event is part of Provost's Forums on the Public University and the Social Good series and is co-sponsored by The Center for Regional Change. It is free and open to the public.

Click here for more information.

Regional Change in the News

Using Maps to Move Towards Environmental Justice

Check out this recent blog post from Environmental Justice in Action. Makara Rumley of Greenlaw writes about the Metro Atlanta Equity Atlas, which is a tool that collects data and hundreds of maps to illuminate eight key areas of community well-being - including demographics, economic development, education, environment, health, housing, public safety and transportation. The Equity Atlas helps policymakers understand the multitude of issues affecting neighborhoods in order to encourage equitable policies, development, and planning.

"California has Worst Poverty in Nation when Housing Costs are Considered"-San Jose Mercury News

A new way of measuring poverty reveals California has by far the biggest share of people in economic despair, eclipsing states such as Mississippi and Louisiana, when housing and other costs are factored.

The alternative yardstick, known as the supplemental poverty measure, found nearly 2.8 million more people are struggling across the country than the traditional benchmark shows.

Click here to read the entire article.

Upcoming Conferences and Events

Call for American Public Health Association Session Proposals

The 2014 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting will be hosted in New Orleans, LA. The theme is "How Where you Live Affects Your Health and Well-being." Abstracts for the Environment Section are due by February 14 and the full session proposals are due by January 24.

Click here for more information on the event and submitting a proposal.

Center for Collaborative Research for an Equitable California (CCREC) Grad Student & New Scholar Training Institute

Dates: August 22-24, 2014

Location: UC Santa Cruz

CCREC is holding a three-day intensive training opportunity to introduce graduate students and early career scholars to theories, methods, ethics, and democratic aspects of collaborative research. Through seminars, roundtables, and hands-on workshops, participants will develop skills and knowledge to begin engaging in equity-oriented community-based collaborative research. CCREC anticipates opening registration in February and is working on creating a registration website.

For more information, click here.

Resources for Change

Participatory Action Research: How to Create an Effective PAR Project

Participatory action research (PAR) involves the community targeted for research or intervention as partners in all phases of the project, from planning to implementing outcomes. Principal Investigators Association's Participatory Action Research from A to Z: The Ultimate Guide, is a 70-page guide designed to help researchers understand the ins and outs of PAR projects, learn how to develop meaningful relationships with the target community, ensure research quality, implement key communication strategies, develop products appropriate for the community and much more.

For more information on the guide, click here.

Job Opportunities

Junior Specialist, UC Davis Center for Regional Change

Jonathan London, Department of Human Ecology, seeks a junior specialist to assist with an interdisciplinary project focused on ecosystem services in urban systems, home gardening, and lead exposure in Sacramento. The applicant will be responsible for assisting in the social science component of this project. This will require: analyzing surveys with home garden program participants, conducting interviews with home garden program participants, transcribing interviews, entering surveys, transcripts, and related research data into a qualitative analysis program, and developing coding framework for the data analysis. This position will also assist in the sampling of soil lead in residential yards as part of the bio-physical research team. The applicant will be expected to engage with study participants (many of whom are part of low income communities and communities of color) and be able to articulate the goals of the research project to a wide range of audiences, including academic and local community groups. The applicant will be an active member of a collaborative and interdisciplinary research project (including social and bio-physical scientists) and must possess the flexibility to work both as a team member and independently.

Requirements: Bachelor's degree in social science major or related field required. Experience with qualitative research methods, including computer-based qualitative research data entry and analysis is required. Knowledge and experience working closely with Sacramento non-profit organizations focused on issues surrounding environmental justice and urban agriculture is desired but not required. This is a half time (50% time) position: the applicant is expected to work 20 hours per week. Applicant must have access to reliable transportation in order to travel to research sites in Sacramento, CA. The position is based on the UC Davis campus.

Position closes on January 31, 2013 or until position is filled.

Salary: $ 17,688-$18,864 annually; commensurate with experience. Generous benefits package.

Application: Submit a letter of interest, CV, and contact information for 3 references to

Dr. Jonathan London at jklondon@ucdavis.edu.

Executive Director of Community-Campus Partnerships for Health

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health seeks an accomplished leader in community-academic partnerships and health/ public health to serve as its Executive Director beginning on September 1st. With CCPH operating in a virtual environment, the person can be located anywhere in the U.S.

Posting closes on February 24, 2014.

Click here to view the entire job posting.

Community Organizer for Community Water Center in Visalia, CA

The Community Water Center (CWC) acts as a catalyst for community-driven water solutions through organizing, education and advocacy. The Community Organizer (CO) will be a key member of the CWC's program staff, providing support in organizing and trainings for environmental justice campaigns around drinking water issues in low-income communities and communities of color. Specific areas of responsibility include community organizing, outreach and education as well as supporting local community leadership development in water planning and outreach efforts.

Posting will remain open until filled.

Click here to view the entire job posting.