Noel-Nordfelt Animal Science Goat Dairy and Creamery offers unique educational opportunities in cheese making

Located off of Old Davis Road and nestled between the Center for Equine Health and the California Raptor Center is the Goat Teaching and Research Facility. Home to a herd of 90 goats, with breeds ranging from alpines, saaens and lamanchas to transgenic goats, the facility serves to educate UC Davis undergraduates on goat management skills. Additionally, a variety of goat-oriented research, conducted by professors and graduate students, takes place at the facility. 

“The main role for this facility is a teaching role for undergraduates and the well over 1,000 students that come in contact with the goats each year,” said Benjamin Rupchis, the manager of the goat facility. 

This January, the facility welcomed a brand new milking parlor and creamery, adding many new and exciting opportunities for students, researchers and the public. The Noel-Nordfelt Animal Science Goat Dairy and Creamery, approved and inspected by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CFDA), provides the equipment necessary to milk, produce and sell Grade A goat cheese products. Although the facility is overseen by the Animal Sciences Department, educational opportunities will be available for animal science, food science and animal science and management majors.

When asked about the main goals for the new parlor, Dan Sehnert, the coordinator of all animal sciences facilities on campus, said, “Education, for sure.” 

“It’s an opportunity for UC Davis students to work in a modern and up-to-date milking parlor and also have the opportunity to process the milk and make cheese” Sehnert said.

The ANS 49 course, which Rupchis teaches, offers an overview of goat management — and it will now include a section dedicated to cheese-making. The new parlor and creamery can be incorporated into the existing course, expanding the breadth of goat management. 

Internships will be available to students who are eager to learn even more about the process of cheese-making. The department hopes to add quarterly internships focused on the cheese-making process. Students will be able to start in the milking parlor and follow the process to the cheese-making room where the aging and packaging process takes place. This internship will be in addition to the kidding internship offered in Spring Quarter, a chance for students to individually raise a goat.

For the general public, UC Extension seminars on cheese-making will be offered. The department hopes to offer these courses to anyone who wants to learn the full process of cheese-making.

 “One of the aspects of this facility will be outreach opportunities,” Sehnert said. “We are thinking, several times throughout the year, [of] having cheese-making workshops for the public and students and bringing in specialists to offer that chance to learn about cheese-making.”

With all this cheese being produced, we can expect to see the cheese being offered at the meat lab and on-campus dining services. The meat lab is where meat and eggs produced at animal science facilities are currently being sold. Due to certification from the CDFA, dairy products produced at the creamery can be sold and consumed.

“First thing we would really like to do is produce goat cheese,” Rupchis said. “Before now, any of the milk produced hasn’t been able to be used and now we can sell the cheese through the meat lab and campus dining services.”

Chevre will be the main cheese produced initially since it has the shortest aging period. The public will soon be able to purchase all the key necessities of an incredible breakfast at the meat lab, all locally produced by UC Davis. 

The facility is still in the early stages of functioning as more milking and processing licenses are required to produce certified cheese. The first batch of goats to be milked is set for spring as the goats will be birthing soon. Jim Murry, the chair of the animal sciences department, hopes to see the full facility in production mode and offering all these educational opportunities within a year. 

“We are thinking it will take a year to get up and running, but, by next fall, we hope to start making cheese,” Murry said.

It is an exciting time at the goat teaching and research facility. As a top-ranked university for animal science, the parlor and creamery will add to the excellent educational opportunities that exist for UC Davis students. The animal science department strives to offer as many hands-on learning experiences to their students as it can. 

“There are many educational opportunities at the new facility and that’s what we are all about,” Murry said.

Written by: Alma Meckler-Pacheco — science@theaggie.org

Geometry professor funded for further studies in Lagrangian fillings of Legendrian knots

In the span of one month, Roger Casals Gutierrez, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, won two prestigious awards: the 2020 Sloan Research Fellowship by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Early Career Development Program. Out of the 20 Sloan Fellows named this year from UC campuses, Casals was the only professor from UC Davis.

Sloan Research Fellowships are awarded each year to 126 “outstanding young researchers in mathematics, chemistry, computer science, economics, computational and evolutionary molecular biology, neuroscience, ocean sciences or physics,” according to the UC Davis press release. Winners can spend their $75,000 earnings on any expense supportive of their research over a two-year period. The Sloan Research Fellowship website called these “early-career scholars” the “most promising scientific researchers working today” in the U.S. and Canada. 

CAREER awards support junior faculty who “perform outstanding research, are excellent educators and integrate outreach in their work,” according to the press release. Winners of CAREER awards earn $450,000 over the next five years as funding for themselves and also for undergraduate and graduate research, Casals said. 

Casals became a professor at UC Davis in July 2018. He earned his doctorate in geometry and topology, which is the study of geometric properties and spatial relations, from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Madrid, Spain. Prior to teaching at UC Davis, he worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University College London. 

“[Davis] has been really great,” Casals said. “I really like it.”

Motohico Mulase, a professor in the department of mathematics, interviewed Casals when he was being considered for hire. Mulase said Casals’ achievements were impressive and he liked his positive demeanor. 

“[Casals’ hiring] is considered to be worthwhile and is far rewarded,” Mulase said. “He’s indeed changing the scope of UC Davis in the quality of research and happiness. As you see him, he is a happy person.”

Even at this early stage of Casals’ career, he has already been published in the top three mathematical journals: Journal of the American Mathematical Society, Inventiones Mathematicae and Princeton University’s Annals of Mathematics.

“[Casals’] publication record is kind of amazing, since he’s only a few years out of Ph.D.,” Mulase said. “Any professor would be happy to be published in one, but he’s in all three.”

Casals’ area of research is contact geometry, which involves the shapes created by rays of light as they bounce off objects, called caustics. Examples of caustics are the bright curved shape that appears in a coffee cup when light is reflected on it, the pattern of light bouncing off ocean waves or the path of a car reversing into a parking space. By connecting this work to other fields, Casals has made discoveries about caustics and developed new tools to describe them. 

As a professor, Casals teaches classes, researches and performs duties for the math department, but his recent awards will now give him the funding to focus more on the research component of his work, which is the goal of the fellowship. 

“The Sloan allows me to, for the next two years, tackle harder problems,” Casals said. “I’m going to be very ambitious and try these other projects because now I’ll have the time to invest.”

With this award, Casals can  travel to conferences, meet with collaborators and work with students on research. 

“Sometimes you’re trying to face a very hard problem, like a conjecture that’s been open for many years,” Casals said. “It’s required for you to work on it for like seven, eight hours a day for like a year, and if you have to teach a class, well that’s very important as well, but sometimes it does not really allow you to focus fully on that [research].”  

Abigail Thompson, a math professor and the chair of the Mathematics Department, said via email that this award will give Casals a lot of extra time for his major projects. 

“It’s a great boost at this early stage in his career,” Thompson said. “The Sloan award is an incredible honor — we’re very lucky to have been able to attract Roger to our department.” 

One of the projects Casals wants to work on is studying Lagrangian fillings of Legendrian knots. Like flying string in space, these knots are the boundaries of surfaces. This research is important for studying energy level sets of the earth, moon and sun and where probes or satellites could be sent. 

“[We] are going to learn the possible energy level sets and spaces in which these knots live and the surfaces [we] are trying to create are important in understanding the geometry,” Casals said.

Fifteen percent of Sloan Research Fellowship winners have been from UC campuses.  Casals said he “felt pretty good” to be chosen as a winner, but also thinks that winning involved being “in the right place at the right time” in his career. 

Despite his great achievements, Casals does not often talk about these accolades in class. Tonie Scroggins, a graduate student in the department of mathematics and student in Casals’ topology class, said Casals is very humble. Casals does, however, talk about his research and what he teaches in seminars. 

“[Casals] is almost always working,” Scroggins said.

Casals has a great passion for mathematics and teaching, which clearly shows in his lectures, said Sienna Mengjia Yang, a fourth-year mathematics major currently in Casals’ euclidean geometry class, via email. 

“Taking his class is like watching a great Shakespeare opera,” Yang said. “You get to watch a great performance and enjoy the beauty of math. It is always great to see how his mind works and approaches different problems.”

Casals makes himself very available to help students fully understand the material. Yang said he is caring, understanding and patient. Shanon Rubin, a graduate student in the department of mathematics and student in Casals’ topology class, said it is important that Casals makes himself so available for students since his classes are challenging and demanding. 

“[Casals] expected a lot from the whole class,” Rubin said. “But, the harder he makes his class, the more he has to be in his office with the door open waiting for people to ask questions.” 

Rubin also noted that while homework assignments can be time-consuming and hard, Casals accommodates.

“It’s not a complaint, it’s just a fact,” Rubin said. “He makes it work, though, and balances it. If we need more time on something or less problems on the next homework, he’ll give it to us. It’s really demanding but at least he’s surprisingly very available.”

Since Rubin is a TA for Casals’ euclidean geometry class, he spends a lot of one-on-one time with him. At their weekly meetings, Casals briefs Rubin on what he should teach in the section, but also likes to talk about the advanced classes Rubin takes. Casals likes to tie in topics from those classes to show how they all relate, Rubin said.

“[Casals] definitely brings in the big picture,” Rubin said. 

Scroggins said she appreciates Casals’ enthusiasm for teaching and the jokes he makes in class. He recently compared toruses, which are donut-like shapes in geometry, to ice cream cones and joked about how many knots he has drawn in his work. 

“He [teaches] with a smile,” Scroggins said. “He said that there hasn’t been a day in the last seven years that he hasn’t drawn a knot.”

Written by: Margo Rosenbaum — science@theaggie.org

Yearly increases in average temperatures pose dangers to public health 

The effects of climate change can be seen around the world. But events, such as the fires raging in Australia and the Amazon rainforest and the loss of sea ice in the arctic, while impactful, do not directly affect individuals outside of the regions. This makes it difficult to contextualize how climate change will impact us. 

A comprehensive regional report on the Sacramento Valley clearly defines the changes we can expect to see while providing adaptation measures. The report is authored almost entirely by UC Davis researchers and professors as part of California’s fourth climate change assessment report. Information from various sectors is gathered to create a clear and concise review that addresses the most pressing climate impacts on Sacramento and the surrounding areas. 

Climate change is expected to increase the average temperatures in the region by 2.7 to 10.8 degrees Farenheit between the months of July and September. In addition to higher summer temperatures, heatwaves are expected to be more frequent and intense. Heatwaves are predicted to have both higher daytime and nighttime temperatures along with fewer cooling degree days, which are crucial during these periods of intense heat. 

In the water system, the greatest threat will be from droughts. As temperatures get hotter and weather extremes occur more often, the Sacramento Valley will be faced with the long term dangers of droughts. The water supply will be further weakened due to increases in population size. As Sacramento continues to grow and the water supply becomes unpredictable, the need for potable water will rise.  

“When you have population growth in any part of the state, that puts stress on water resources and is an underlying exacerbator,” said Hannah Safford, a researcher for the policy institute for energy, environment and the economy.

The impacts of these changes to the Sacramento Valley will be profound and felt across a wide range of sectors. When looking specifically at public health, many people are at risk. A higher number of extremely hot days will result in more frequent heat-related stress, illness and human mortality. 

Additionally, higher temperatures increase the rate of ground level ozone formation, a pollutant that poses many health risks when exposed to it. Once formed, ozone often stays in Sacramento due to the geography of the valley. 

 “The main air pollutant that causes harm to health is ozone and as temperature goes up the rate of ozone increases,” said Colin Murphy, a deputy director of the policy institute for energy, environment and the economy. “The central valley has the worst ozone and other types of air pollutants.”

The danger posed to public health will disproportionately affect already disadvantaged communities who lack access to crucial health care. The residential locations of lower-income communities often have higher rates of pollutants in the air, further putting these communities at a higher risk than those in affluent areas.

“Ozone tends to be a regional pollutant but the other pollutants such as particulates are at a much more local level and there is strong correlation between where the particulates are and disadvantaged communities,” Murphy said. 

Another major issue affecting disadvantaged urban areas are urban heat islands. These “islands” are areas with very few trees, little shade and buildings with surfaces that increase temperatures through absorbing heat and releasing it into the air. As temperatures increase in Sacramento due to climate change, temperatures in urban heat islands will rise even more. 

The threats to public health are also more significant in urban heat islands as the heat is inescapable. Urban heat islands can result in summer temperatures up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the regional average, according to the regional report. Additionally, the islands retain these high temperatures into the night, which poses dangers to residents without air conditioning as there are no periods in the day with a cooling effect. 

Action is already underway to reduce urban heat islands through the Sacramento Tree Foundation. One of the foundations main programs, NeighborWood, works to address inequity through planting more trees and increasing green spaces in urban heat islands. 

“NeighborWoods goes into communities that have been historically not as well canopied as other neighborhoods,” said Jordan Cherry, the Sacramento Shade coordinator. “They don’t have the same old growth urban tree canopy that provides so much benefit.” 

Another branch of the foundation, the Sacramento Shade Program gives 10 free trees to any customers of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. This program serves to bring more trees to Sacramento, which will not only reduce temperatures but also sequester carbon. 

In terms of drought prevention, Safford hopes to see a future where recycling and reusing water becomes the norm. As a more cost-effective way to obtain water than desalination, it can become an extremely beneficial technology for California to implement.

“If you can increase the amount of water you are recycling and reusing that would supply a lot more people with clean potable water,” Safford said. 

As groundwater reserves become spares and the amount of water from precipitation becomes highly variable, obtaining water through a dependable mechanism is crucial. With policy that promotes and advocates for recycling and reusing water, California can become more resistant to the threats posed to the water system. 

Climate change will also put stress on all sectors of society and the economy. Effective policies that work to reduce carbon emissions and make California greener are already underway, yet they will not stop the broader issue of climate change. Although it may seem like a never-ending problem, Safford reminds us that when the alternative is to do nothing, any action is extremely needed and beneficial. 

“You are left with two choices; you can try and do whatever you can or you can not,” said Safford. “But when the alternative is to just give up and not try at all, you must just try whatever possible.”

Written by: Alma Meckler-Pacheco — science@theaggie.org

USDA-ARS research lab provides opportunities for improving pollination health

The newly established bee research facility of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) opened its doors to the public on Jan. 7 at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Speakers commemorating this progressive step ranged from the USDA’s Pacific West Area Director to a former president of the California State Beekeepers’ Association.

USDA-ARS and UC Davis have had a long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship, according to Anita Oberbauer, the associate dean of agricultural sciences. She said that having this lab on campus will allow students to become more involved in research and outreach activities.

“The lab presence allows a partnership between researchers of UC Davis and the USDA-ARS to enable more rapid progress on some of the pressing issues facing bees,” Oberbauer said.

Among the speakers was Julia Fine, one of the two recently hired research entomologists working for the Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit with the USDA-ARS.

“The purpose of the lab, broadly, is to study honey bees and to evaluate different stressors to honey bees and ways to ameliorate the stressors in an effort to help increase the longevity of honey bee colonies,” Fine said. “So, we will be investigating stressors to honey bee health as well as trying to identify tools, techniques and management practices that beekeepers and growers can use to help their operations.”

Arathi Seshadri, the other newly appointed research entomologist in the unit, said although there are USDA-ARS facilities working globally to alleviate the problems of honey bees and other pollinators, the essentiality of pollination within California posed the need for a facility within the state. 

“California […] is a place where pollination is extremely important,” Seshadri said. “We will be working with the local stakeholders, the beekeepers, the almond growers and all of these other communities to understand, ‘What is going on? What is the need? And how can we help meet these demands?’” 

Fine said she hopes to find solutions that support both growers and beekeepers in their work, as the two occupations work closely together. With an emphasis on studying the lethal effects of environmental stressors on honey bee health, she sees the need to identify ways to mitigate pesticide stress. Fine’s initial interest in honey bees stemmed from their distinctive qualities and social structure. Studying the field of toxicology allowed her to combine her interests and passions into her work. 

“Honey bees are incredibly potent as pollinators,” Fine said. “They pollinate so many of the different fruits, veggies and nuts that you consume and they’re very critical to ensuring that you have consistent access to nutritious food.” 

Similar to Fine, Seshadri found her work in pollinator health to be a natural progression from her past experiences. After discovering topics related to plant pollination and reproduction while studying evolutionary biology, Seshadri began to work on insect behavior and honey bees as part of her postdoctoral degree.

“Plants and bees have evolved together,” Seshadri said. “There have been a lot of instances of how they have modified themselves to fit the needs of the plants, and plants in turn have adaptations that benefit the bees. So, bringing these two together, looking at how they work together and how we can improve that connection, is kind of a natural fit for me.”

Although Seshadri said she believes that there has been an increasing understanding of the importance of pollinators, specifically honey bees, she would like to emphasize the need for expanded awareness of the growing human influence on natural habitats.

“We are taking away a lot of the resources that the natural animal populations need, and, so, one of the big challenges that honey bees and other pollinators are facing is lack of natural habitat,” Seshadri said.

Due to the increasing scarcity of natural habitats, honey bees lack diet diversity and nesting resources. As a result, Seshadri advocates for people to plant flowers or other plants that actually offer pollen and nectar — such as wild flowers — as some horticultural varieties do not offer these essential resources. She also stresses the importance of minimizing the use of agrochemicals and pesticides for both local people gardening in their backyards and farmers trying to maintain their crop.

Although the study mainly focuses on honey bees, Seshadri said she believes that these honey bees can work as a model to improve the health of other pollinators as well.

“Given that humans [belong to a single species] on this planet and yet are doing the most damage for the Earth, there may be ways in which we can actually do something to sustain the Earth the way it is by thinking a little broader, not just what humans like and what is beautiful in our eyes,” Seshadri said. “If we go beyond and look at the ecosystem and the other organisms that are in the ecosystem, that will really help.”

Written by: Michelle Wong — science@theaggie.org