The Employee Spotlights blog shares the stories and work of just some of the outstanding UC ANR academics and staff who strive to make a positive impact in communities across California.
Two women standing outdoors on a path, smiling at the camera. One wears a light purple hoodie and has short dark hair; the other wears a dark jacket, sunglasses, and a colorful knit hat. Trees and buildings are softly blurred in the background.
International Year of the Woman Farmer
Logo courtesy of CA GROWN
In 2026, we are proud to celebrate, alongside the California Department of Food and Agriculture, CA GROWN and partners across the globe, the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Declared by the United Nations, this designation recognizes women’s vital role in agriculture and their tremendous contributions to every aspect of our food systems.
Be sure to visit the commemorative page at CA GROWN, and check back here throughout 2026 to read profiles of some of the women at UC ANR who support agriculture in California.
Max Fairbee spent his high school years moving around Southern California to cities like Covina, La Verne, Pomona and Apple Valley, hoping that his mother would find stability in the next place they'd call home.
Growing up in Ethiopia, Etaferahu Takele was faced with a dilemma: School or marriage? Those were the choices Takele's father gave her when she was 13 years old.
Agriculture makes up over 85% of Ethiopia's workforce and the journey into the field is not for the faint of heart, according to Oli Bachie, UC Cooperative Extension director for San Diego and Imperial counties.
Samuel Sandoval Solis joined UC ANR in September 2011 and currently works as a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in water resources management and professor at UC Davis.
