Professor Cameron Carter of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Associate Professor Li Tian of the Department of Plant Sciences have been appointed co-directors of the Cannabis and Hemp Research Center.

“I am thrilled to have two leaders representing our university’s expertise in agriculture and medicine, which are essential cornerstones of the center’s research,” Vice Chancellor of Research Prasant Mohapatra said in a Jan. 30 news release in announcing the center’s first leadership appointments.

UC Davis established the Cannabis and Hemp Research Center last year based on recommendations from a multidisciplinary work group that identified several research needs that the university was uniquely positioned to address.

“UC Davis is filling an important gap in the knowledge related to cannabis and hemp production, policy, use and testing through the center’s research, and these academic leaders will play a critical role in our global impact,” Mohaptra said.

Read more about Carter and Tian in the Jan. 30 news release.

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The Master of Science in Environmental Policy and Management, or EPM, program, housed in the John Muir Institute of the Environment and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has a new faculty chair and a new director:

• Mark Lubell, the new faculty chair, is a professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, and director of the Center for Environmental Policy and Behavior. He studies cooperation problems and decision-making in environmental, agricultural and public policy. Field research topics include water management, sustainable agriculture, adaptive decision-making, climate change policy, local government policy, transportation behavior, plant disease management, invasive species, and policy/social network analysis.
• David Bunn returns to UC Davis (he’s a graduate and former employee) as the EPM director, after having served since 2015 as director of the state Department of Conservation. He holds three UC Davis degrees (Bachelor of Science in wildlife biology, Master of Science in international agricultural development and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Group in Ecology). His previous positions at UC Davis included associate director of the International Programs Office (now Global Engagement) in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and international project manager at the One Health Institute in the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Read more about Bunn in this article by Lisa Howard on the Office of Research website.

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Hendry Ton, a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, has been named UC Davis Health’s associate vice chancellor for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, after having served since 2017 as the health system’s interim associate vice chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion. He reports to Renetta Garrison Tull, vice chancellor of  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and has a dotted-line reporting relationship with David Lubarsky, vice chancellor of Human Health Sciences and UC Davis Health CEO.

In his new role, Ton manages and directs health equity, diversity and inclusion programs and initiatives across UC Davis Health, including the School of Medicine, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, Medical Center and Practice Management Group, in collaboration with the UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Office of Campus Community Relations.

Ton is also associate dean for faculty development and diversity in the School of Medicine, and oversees the Center for Reducing Health Disparities, where he is the director of education.

Ton, who presents nationally on cultural competence, education and system change, has authored a training program that teaches health care leaders how to make culturally and linguistically appropriate system changes across their organizations. Actively involved in connecting underserved communities with quality health care, Ton is the founding medical director of the Transcultural Wellness Center of Asian Pacific Community Counseling, a community clinic that serves the mental health needs of Sacramento’s diverse Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

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Dean Michael Lairmore of the School of Veterinary Medicine says Dori Borjesson “will leave a big impact behind” when she departs July 20 to become the new dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University.

“During her tenure as chair of the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, she led strategic initiatives to renew faculty ranks, improve administrative policies, and expand research programs in basic sciences and translational medicine,” Lairmore said in a message to the school.

In addition to her roles as a professor and chair, Borjesson works as a clinical pathologist and is actively engaged in clinical service and research. She served as the inaugural director of the Veterinary Institute for Regenerative Cures from 2015 to 2019 and continues to direct the Clinical Regenerative Medicine Laboratory.”

She is a multiple-degree alumna of UC Davis. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master in Preventive Veterinary Medicine degrees and completed a residency in clinical pathology at the school and a Ph.D. in comparative pathology at the Center for Comparative Medicine.

Read Washington State University's news release on Borjesson's appointment.

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