IN THIS COLUMN

• Mikael Villalobos, Office of Campus Community Relations
• Rahim Reed, Office of Campus Community Relations
• Fadi Fathallah, Global Affairs
• Lovell “Tu” Jarvis, Global Affairs
• Dario Cantù, Global Affairs
• Anne Jones, Office of the Provost
• Sonja Colbert, Offices of the Chancellor and Provost, and Information and Educational Technology
• Susan Rivera, Department of Psychology, MIND Institute and Center for Mind and Brain

---

Mikael Villalobos, associate chief diversity officer, has been named interim associate vice chancellor for the Office of Campus Community Relations, part of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. DEI Vice Chancellor Renetta Garrison Tull made the announcement.

In leading the Office of Campus Community Relations, or OCCR, he succeeds one of his mentors, Rahim Reed, who retired at the end of June. See Dateline’s Rahim Reed retirement story.

Villalobos completed his undergraduate work at UC Davis — double-majoring in art studio and art history — and later earned a doctorate in educational leadership from the UC Davis School of Education.

He has been a staff member for almost 28 years, starting as a clerk and program advisor in health education. He worked next in educational outreach, first with the Early Academic Outreach Program as a regional outreach coordinator and assistant director, and then as educational partnership manager in the Academic Preparation Program. In 2006, Reed recruited him to lead diversity education training in the Office of Campus Community Relations; after serving in an interim capacity two years, he was appointed administrator of the Diversity Education Program. He became associate chief diversity officer in 2014.

“Mikael, one of the early team members of OCCR, has dedicated his entire career to DEI work at UC Davis,” Tull said. “He leads our diversity and inclusion instruction core, and has oversight of several key projects, serving as both a campus and a UC-wide leader in this space for several years.

“During the past year, he has taken an even stronger lead on working with departments across campus to make systemic improvements in DEI by helping them to focus efforts on implementing the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, and by coaching leaders through their own DEI training.”

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will launch a national search later this year to fill Reed’s post on a permanent basis.

---

 

Global Affairs Vice Provost and Dean Joanna Regulska announced the following leadership changes:

• Fadi Fathallah left his post as associate vice provost of global education and services to become chair of the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. “He has been instrumental in the development of our Global Learning Hub, which launched in 2019 to expand a myriad of global and international experiences for our students as a part of our goal of Global Education for All,” Regulska said in her announcement. Fathallah’s portfolio also included Services for International Students and Scholars, or SISS. “During a very complex immigration environment over the last several years,” Regulska said, Fadi’s leadership supported SISS’ expanded ability to meet the needs of a growing number of international students and scholars and provide them with a sense of community at UC Davis.” Regulska has divided Fathallah’s portfolio as follows: Keisha Liggett-Nichols, Global Affairs chief of staff, oversees the SISS team; Michael Lazzara, associate vice provost, oversees Global Professional Programs and the UC Davis Arab Region Consortium, or UCDAR; and Nancy Erbstein, associate vice provost, oversees the Global Learning Hub.
• Lovell “Tu” Jarvis, professor emeritus in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, has retired from his role as the executive director of the UC Davis Chile Life Sciences Innovation Center, or UC Davis Chile. He has been succeeded by Dario Cantù, professor of systems biology and the Louis P. Martini Endowed Chair in Viticulture, who had been serving as the center’s academic director. “During his tenure as executive director, Tu has contributed to the development of Chile’s national agricultural sector, generated meaningful projects in water management, forged linkages between Lake Tahoe and the Northern Patagonian lakes, and continued his service on the Chile California Council, thereby contributing to the development of an extension program for fruit cultivation, among many other initiatives,” Regulska said in her announcement.

— Global Affairs

---

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan is pleased to announce that Anne Jones has joined UC Davis as assistant executive vice chancellor and chief of staff in the Office of the Provost. In this position, she succeeds Karl Mohr, who retired at the end of June.

Jones, who took up her new post June 1, has more than 30 years of experience in education, including significant leadership positions on two UC campuses and at the UC Office of the President. Most recently, she served for nearly four years as assistant vice chancellor and chief of staff in the Division of Student Affairs at UC Berkeley, working closely with campus administrative units and the deans of the schools and colleges to support students’ holistic success.

Previously, she was chief of staff to former Executive Vice President and Provost Aimée Dorr in the UC Office of the President. She has served also as associate dean for Academic Programs and director of Education Programs in University Extension, and as director of Teacher Education and assistant dean of Graduate School of Education, both at UC Riverside.

Noting that Jones stood out among “an exceptionally deep pool of talented colleagues who applied for the position,” Croughan praised her strong leadership skills; professional emphasis on teamwork, collaboration, and mutual respect; long experience with UC; and deep commitment to advancing the university’s mission of excellence in education, research, and public service. Croughan added, “Her experience and accomplishments working across organizational boundaries to advance university-wide priorities will be invaluable as we continue our work together to realize UC Davis’ strategic plan.”

Jones’ relationship with UC goes well beyond her leadership positions. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA, a master’s degree in education from UCLA, and a doctorate in educational leadership from UCLA and UC Irvine. In addition, her father is a retired professor from UCLA, her brothers are both alums (UCSD and UCLA), two of her children are alums (UCR and UCSD), and her husband is an alum (UCI and UCLA). “I have been on a UC campus more or less continuously since I was nine years old!” she exclaimed.

“I am more than thrilled to have the opportunity to serve in this new role at UC Davis,” Jones said. “There is so much important work being pursued here on behalf of faculty and students, California, and the world. And the university truly deserves its reputation for offering a warm, welcoming, and supportive environment to all members of its community.”

— Craig Buckwald, writer and media advisor, Office of the Provost

---

Sonja Colbert, executive officer of business and technology in the Offices of the Chancellor and Provost, has been named chief operating officer of Information and Educational Technology. The move is effective Oct. 15, but she will concurrently serve in both roles until then.

The announcement came from Viji Murali, chief information officer and vice provost, IET; Anne Jones, assistant executive vice chancellor and chief of staff, Office of the Provost; and Karl Engelbach, associate chancellor and chief of staff, Office of the Chancellor. “Sonja brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise with more than 30 years of leadership experience in the public and private sectors,” they said. “In addition to OCP, Sonja served over the past 15 years in various UC Davis roles in Aggie Square, Shared Services Organization, IET and Capital Asset Accounting.”

In light of Colbert’s appointment, the Offices of the Chancellor and Provost and IET are exploring collaboration on administrative processes. This collaboration may provide opportunities to address OCP and IET staffing needs to ensure strategic priorities are achieved during this challenging budget time.

---

Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra recently appointed psychology professor Susan Rivera to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, which advises the Department of Health and Human Services on autism research, services and policy. Her term runs for three years.

Rivera, an expert on neurocognitive development, is chair of the Department of Psychology and also serves on the faculty of the UC Davis MIND Institute and Center for Mind and Brain,

Read more in this news release from UC Davis Health.

---

Dateline UC Davis welcomes news of appointments of various kinds for faculty and staff, for publication in Org Chart (formerly titled Transitions). Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.