UC Davis and Arab Region (UCDAR) Consortium
(Previously BCBCB Consortium)
Founder and Coordinator
DR. SUAD JOSEPH, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
The UCDAR Consortium (previously the BCBCB Consortium) was founded in 2001 by Dr. Suad Joseph, Distinguished Research Professor, University of California, Davis. The UCDAR Consortium members include the American University of Beirut (AUB), the American University in Cairo (AUC), the American University of Sharjah (AUS), Birzeit (BZ), Lebanese American University (LAU), and University of California, Davis (UC Davis). The Consortium encourages partnerships between the universities, and pursues interdisciplinary collaborative research projects across all fields of inquiry as well as bilateral and trilateral initiatives. UCDAR is housed in Global Affairs at UC Davis.
UCDAR Consortium Chronology
This chronology documents the many relationships and meetings that have contributed to the development and success of the UCDAR Consortium.
1999-2001
Dr. Suad Joseph convened a meeting of the Presidents and Provosts of the American University of Beirut (AUB), the American University in Cairo (AUC), and Lebanese American University (LAU) to lay the ground work for the BCBC initiative. This was done in Dr. Suad Joseph’s capacity as Director of the UC Education Abroad Program (UC EAP) at AUC in cooperation with UC EAP Director John Marcum.
July 2001
The first official BCBC meeting was held in Beirut, Lebanon from July 6 – 8, 2001. Presidents, Provosts, and Deans of AUB, AUC, LAU, and key faculty (approximately 75 participants total) met in Beirut hosted by AUB and LAU. The UC team of seven, led by Dr. John Marcum, included representatives from four University of California campuses: Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara. The meeting resulted in a memorandum of agreement signed by AUB, AUC, and LAU Presidents to work with UC on collaborative projects. Six project areas were identified to be co-funded by AUB, LAU, and UCEAP. The meeting was organized by Dr. Suad Joseph.
The delegation from AUB included President John Waterbury; Provost Peter Heath; Dean Khalil Bitar of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences; Dean Ibrahim Hajj of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture; Dean George Najjar of the Olayan School of Business; Dr. Nadia El Cheikh, Acting Director for the Center for Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies; Dr. Abla Sibai, Professor of Health Sciences; and Dr. Ray Jureidini, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
The delegation from AUC included Provost Earl Sullivan; Dean Fadel Assabghy of the Faculty of Sciences and Engineering; Dean Nicholas Hopkins of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; and Dean Amr Mortagy of Business, Economics and Communications.
The delegation from LAU included President Riyad Nassar; Provost Nabeel Haidar; Dean of Abdallah Sfeir, School of Engineering; Dean Wassim Shahin, School of Business; Dr. Mona Khalaf, Director of the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW); Dr. George Nicolas, Director of Sponsored Programs; Dr. Walid Moubark, chair of the Department of Social Sciences; and Social Science Professor Irma Ghosn.
The delegation from the University of California campuses included Dr. Osman Galal, School of Public Health, UCLA; Dr. Suad Joseph, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Women’s Studies, UC Davis; Ms. Ann Kerr, Fulbright Visiting Program Coordinator, International Student Orientation Program (ISOP), UCLA; Dr. John Marcum, Director University Office, Education Abroad Program; Dr. Dwight Reynolds, Director, Center for Middle East Studies, UCSB; Dr. Gail Harrison, Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, UCLA; and Dr. Mostafa Foda, Engineering, UC Berkeley.
On Saturday July 7, 2001, the participants split into four disciplinary groups and six thematic groups. The disciplinary groups were Social Science and Humanities; Business; Science and Engineering; and Public Health. The thematic groups were Environmental Studies; Middle East Studies; Gender Studies; Global Studies; Migration; and Health Consequences of Population Changes.
The Social Science and Humanities disciplinary group discussed organizing conferences and visiting lecturers with the goal of developing collaborative research projects. The need for a workshop on teaching and doing research in the Middle East was discussed. Dr. Nicholas Hopkins of AUC and Dr. Fawaz Traboulsi of LAU were appointed to plan the workshop.
The Science and Engineering disciplinary group discussed several possible collaborative initiatives. These included linking web sites or creating a collaborative web page, creating mailing lists, sharing library resources, sharing subscriptions to electronic journals and databases, sponsorship of courses offered at AUB, LAU, and AUC by visiting faculty from outside the region, joint publication of a Science/Engineering journal to publish papers of topical-regional interest, access to experimental facilities for joint research projects, and joint activities in programs available at all universities.
The Business disciplinary group discussed collaborative initiatives. Topics of interest included family and entrepreneurial businesses, government and business, stock market studies and research, free trade, comparative management systems, and doing business in the Middle East. The Business Disciplinary Group agreed to hold small workshops in the fall to discuss these topics.
The Public Health disciplinary group discussed inventories of research done at AUB, UC, and AUC. Topics discussed concerned health services and its alignment with the university agenda, collaboration between faculties at AUB, faculty development needs and how UC collaboration could help, data of regional interest to publish, grant structure and issues of reporting requirements, and keeping an inventory of available data. Topics for collaboration were discussed which included health consequences of population change and lobbying for another thematic group to keep the discussion going.
Of the thematic groups, the Middle East Studies group discussed language programs and systematizing the teaching of Arabic among the consortium universities, developing collaborative research initiatives including databases and cooperation among faculty, and developing more collaborative Education Abroad Programs. Decisions reached by the Middle East Studies Thematic Group included Dwight Reynolds taking leadership on Arabic Language coordination and AUC taking leadership on a website for Collaborative Initiatives. Dr. Walid Moubarak and Dr. Dwight Reynolds were given the role of following up on the discussions that took place.
The Gender Studies thematic group discussed establishing communication between the Institute for Gender & Women’s Studies (IGWS) at AUC, the IWSAW at LAU, and UC women’s studies programs and institutes, and creating a database of research on gender. They also discussed the founding of a women’s studies program at AUB. Decisions reached by the Gender Studies Thematic Group included integrating databases on gender scholars, doing a 4-day workshop on women and gender studies in the US and Middle East at LAU, and developing a web page for the four-university gender consortium.
The Globalization Thematic Group discussed the limits of globalization, the role of the state, the relationships of globalization processes, international markets, international migration and the effects on local cultures, and world trade and markets. Decisions reached by the Globalization Thematic Group included identifying faculty interested in globalization and organizing a conference on Middle East coping with globalization.
A plenary discussion was held following the meetings of the Thematic Groups. Topics discussed were creating a website for the consortium to cover the disciplinary and thematic groups, producing electronic journals, funding for consortium conferences, and creating a consortium coordinating committee. Dr. Suad Joseph was appointed coordinator of this committee.
In addition, collaborative initiatives history and goals were discussed. Each university presented its priorities. Collaborative priorities and potential collaborative initiatives were identified. Small groups were organized to discuss collaborative priorities. By the end of the meetings, the various universities had agreed upon guiding principles for future institutional collaboration. Six projects were organized as a result of the meeting: environmental studies, gender studies, Middle East studies, migration studies, and health consequences of population change. Possible collaborative initiatives discussed were student exchanges, faculty exchanges, research collaborations, supporting Middle East studies, and educating the U.S. on Middle East issues.
Following the three days of meetings, a statement of institutional intent was signed and released containing five principles of institutional collaboration agreed upon by President John Waterbury of AUB, President Riad Nassar of LAU, and Provost Tim Sullivan of AUC. These principles were: 1) to compose a letter of intent for institutional collaboration to expand possibilities of collaborative research and student exchange; 2) to work together when possible to attain external funding for research in mutual areas of interest; 3) to take advantage of the economy of scale in areas such as library development, funding visiting scholars, joint conferences, scholarly journals, faculty exchange, and co-organization of specific courses; 4) to create closer links by frequent exchanges of information; 5) and to pursue opportunities for student exchange.
A follow-up meeting was planned for the Middle East Studies Association Meetings in San Francisco, November 2001.
November 2001
The BCBC Steering Committee met on November 18, 2001 at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco, in conjunction with the Middle East Studies Association annual meeting. Provosts, deans, and faculty from each university were present including: Dr. Osman Galal of UCLA; Dr. Earl Sullivan of AUC; Dr. Ann Kerr of UCLA; Dr. Gail Harrison of UCLA; Dr. Suad Joseph of UC Davis; and Dr. Dwight Reynolds of UCSB. The meeting was organized by Suad Joseph. A person from each university was responsible for reporting the developments at their campus regarding Collaborative Initiatives since July.
September 2002
The AUB/AUC/LAU/UC Women and Gender Studies Collaborative Initiatives Workshop was held on September 13-14, 2002 at the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, Lebanon. Attendees from the UC included Dr. Suad Joseph and Dr. Omnia El Shakry from UC Davis, and Dr. Sondra Hale from UCLA. Attendees from LAU included Dr. Mona Khalaf, Dr. Najla Hamadeh, Dr. Myriam Sfeir Murad, Dr. Sami Baroudi, and Dr. Anita Nasser. Attendees from AUB included Dr. Lamia Shehadeh, Dr. Nadia El Cheikh, Dr. Soha Safieddine, Dr. Sossie Balian, and Dr. Ray Jureidini. Attendees from AUC included Dr. Hania Sholkamy.
The first day of the workshop started with a welcome by Dr. Mona Khalaf and Dr. Nadia El-Cheikh. Then programmatic histories and objectives were discussed, each team presenting on the background and aims of their institutional programs. Dr. Nadia El-Cheikh presented from AUB, Dr. Cynthia Nelson and Dr. Martina Rieker presented from AUC, Dr. Mona Khalaf presented from LAU, and Dr. Suad Joseph, Dr. Sondra Hale, and Dr. Omnia El Shakry presented from UC.
After a break, the development of women and gender studies curricula was discussed which focused on minors, majors, MA programs, course development, mainstreaming, training faculty, recruiting and training students, internships, culturally specific courses, institutionally specific academic programming, funding women and gender studies programs, student exchange programs, student initiated work across the region, faculty exchange, websites, and teaching tools.
On the following day September 14, 2001, discussion turned to research which focused on situated research in women and gender studies, collaborative research, evaluating research for faculty merits, publishing, research funding, policy oriented research, faculty exchange, new disciplines, challenging disciplinary paradigms, interdisciplinary, historical perspectives to gender research, challenging institutional obstacles to gender research, challenges for junior faculty and researchers, recruiting, mentoring, supporting and funding junior researchers, and involving students in research.
After lunch, applied work and gender practices were discussed involving gender training, gender teaching, community outreach and development, funders, getting the university and community to take gender research and training seriously, working with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), working with government and international agencies, and policy oriented work.
The workshop ended with the discussion and planning of collaborative work, and a summary of the previous days' discussions. The discussion was initiated by Suad Joseph.
November 2002
Sixty faculty from AUB, AUC, LAU, UCB, UCLA, UCSB, and UC Davis participated in a one-day BCBC workshop offered in conjunction with the Middle East Studies Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Faculty worked on all six project areas identified in Beirut in 2001: water; gender; Middle East studies; humanities and Arabic studies; and public health. The agenda for the day included: an introduction and background to BCBC; development of partnership project ideas; preparation of preliminary project group proposals, and project groups presentations including a fundraising plan. The workshop was organized by Suad Joseph.
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Present at the meeting from the Water Project Group *** were: Co-Facilitator Mutasem El-Fadel of AUB; Co-Facilitator Bassam Younis of UC Davis; Nicholas Hopkins of AUC; Sharif el Musa of AUC; Fuad Hashwa of LAU; Scott Scooper of UCSB; and William Hoffman of AUB.
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Present at the meeting from the Gender Project Group *** were: Co-Facilitator Suad Joseph of UC Davis; Co-Facilitator Mona Khalaf of LAU; Cynthia Nelson of AUC; Nancy Gallagher of UCSB; Cynthia Anthony of AUC; Nelly Hanna of AUC; Nadia el Cheikh of AUB; and Sondra Hale of UCLA.
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Present at the meeting from the Middle East Studies Project Group were: Co-Facilitator Juan E. Campo of UCSB; Co-Facilitator Sami Baroudi of LAU; Larry Michalak of UCB; Graeme Bannerman of LAU; Michael Reimer of AUC; Walid Kazziha of AUC; Dan Tschirga of AUC; Emad Shahin of AUC; and Hayat Alvi of AUC.
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Present at the meeting from the Humanities and Arabic Studies Project Group were: Co-Facilitator Nariman Al-Warraki of AUC; Co-Facilitator Stephen Humphreys of UCSB; Nadia Harb of AUC; Jehan Allam of AUC; Nabila El-Assyouti of AUC; Emily Gottreich of UCB; Samira Aghacy of LAU; Ann Kerr of UCLA; Garay Menicucci of UCSB; Nuha Khoury of UCSB; and Margaret Larkin of UCB.
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Present at the meeting from the Public Health Project Group *** were Osman Galal of UCLA and Nicholas Hopkins of AUC.
March 2003
The BCBC work groups met on March 21, 2003 in the University of Santa Barbara Multi Cultural Center. Faculty were in attendance from AUC, LAU, UCLA, UCSB, UC Davis, and UC Davis University Outreach & International Programs (UOIP). Both the Water Group and the Gender Group developed preliminary proposals for external funding. The meeting was co-funded by UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, and the UOIP. It was coordinated by Dr. Suad Joseph.
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Water and Environment Group participants included: facilitator Scott Cooper from UCSB; Mutasem El-Fadel from AUB; Bassam Younis from UC Davis; Nicholas Hopkins from AUC; Sharif el Musa from AUC; Fuad Hashwa from LAU; William Hoffman from AUB, Ann Kerr from UCLA; and Osman Galal from UCLA.
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Women and Gender Group participants included: facilitator Suad Joseph from UC Davis; Nancy Gallagher from UCSB; Garay Menicucci from UCSB; Nuha Khoury from UCSB; Mona Khalaf from LAU; Cynthia Nelson from AUC; Cynthia Anthony from AUC; and Helen Rizzo from AUC.
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Arabic Language Group participants included: facilitator Jehan Allam from AUC; Nariman Naili al Warraki from AUC; Nadia Harb from AUC; and Nabila Al Assiouti from AUC.
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Osman Galal of UCLA represented the Public Health Group and Nuha Khoury of UCSB represented the Humanities Group.
The schedule of the events included: an introduction from Suad Joseph; presentations from the November 2002 meeting; and work group planning sessions. The various project groups assembled, developed proposals, and planned for raising funds.
On the following day, the Center for Middle East Studies of the University of California, Santa Barbara held its’ fifth annual Middle East Studies Regional Conference. The all-day event was held at the UCSB Multicultural Center. Two of the BCBC work groups participated in panel discussions: theWomen and Gender Working Group and the Water and Environment Working Group.
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Those involved with the Women and Gender Working Group panel were Chair Suad Joseph of UC Davis and discussants Cynthia Nelson of AUC, Mona Khalaf of LAU, Nadia el Cheikh of AUB, Sondra Hale of UCLA, Nancy Gallagher of UCSB, Garay Menicucci of UCSB, and Omnia El Shakry of UC Davis.
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Those involved with the Water and Environment Working Group panel were Chair Scott Cooper of UCSB and discussants Sharif Elmusa of AUC, Mutasem El Fadel of AUB, Fouad Haswa of LAU, Bassam Younis of UC Davis, and Salem A. Thawaba of the University of Arkansas. The BCBC Water and Environment Working Group session focused on: 1) issues with the management of water quantity; 2) issues with the management of water quality; and 3) linkages between coastal watersheds and nearshore marine environments, coastal contamination, tourism, and fisheries.
April 2003
The BCBC Women and Gender Group met at UC Davis to continue the development of a Gender Project Proposal. The meeting was attended by AUC, UCLA, UOIP (Dennis Dutschke), and UC Davis. This meeting was funded by a UOIP Seed Grant and organized by Suad Joseph.
June 2003
The BCBC Women and Gender Group met in Beirut, hosted by LAU, and attended by 50 faculty from AUB, AUC, LAU, UC Davis, and UCLA. The conference/workshop was co-funded by UC Davis UOIP and LAU. The co-organizers were Dr. Suad Joseph (UC Davis) and Dr. Mona Khalaf (LAU).
April 2004
The BCBC Women and Gender Group met at UC Davis. Participants attended from AUC, Birzeit, and UC Davis to develop a new strategic plan. The meeting was organized by Dr. Suad Joseph.
May 2004
A 3-day proposal writing workshop for faculty at the American University of Beirut was attended by approximately 60 faculty members. Trainers included Suad Joseph, Dr. David Szanton (UCB), Dr. Carl Keen (UC Davis), Dr. Dan Werthimer (UCB), and Dr. Mary Kate Morris (UCB). The workshop was organized by Suad Joseph.
Summer 2004
Dean Fuad Hashwa, LAU, visited UC Davis, where he met Dean Enrique Lavernia and Vice Provost William Lacy to pursue the Water Group project.
January – March 2005
UC Davis Professor Fadi Fathallah spent a one-quarter sabbatical at AUB working on musculoskeletal disorders among full-time homemakers and migrant agricultural workers. This research was conducted in collaboration with Professors Rima Habib and Iman Nuwayhid from AUB Faculty of Health Sciences. Dr. Fathallah gave lectures on Health and Safety Research in California Agriculture and yearly (2005-2011) guest lectures on occupational health. These were organized by Dr. Fadi Fathallah, with the work continuing in 2007 and 2008.
February 2005
An Iraq Agricultural Higher Education and Development (AHEAD) meeting was held at AUB. Professor Fadi Fathallah gave four lectures on UC Davis agricultural engineering research, curricula, and outreach. These lectures were organized by Dr. Fadi Fathallah.
Summer 2005
Dean Fuad Hashwa, LAU, visited UC Davis, where he met Dean Enrique Lavernia and Vice Provost William Lacy to pursue the Water Group project.
September 2005
A discussion of the Water Project was held at the UC Davis Fall Chancellor's Conference. Meeting participants included: Dean Neal Van Alfen; Dean Enrique Lavernia; Associate Dean Jim Hill; Associate Dean Karen McDonald; Vice Provost William Lacy; Dr. Dennis Dutschke; Dr. Nicole Ranganath; Mr. Mohammad Mohanna; Mr. Majid Rahimian; Dr. Gretchen Kalonji; and Suad Joseph. The event was organized by Suad Joseph.
Fall 2005
Birzeit University officially joined the consortium in the fall of 2005, and the name became the UCDAR Consortium, an acronym for AUB/AUC/LAU (in Beirut)/UC Davis/BZU).
January 2006
Dr. Joseph Jabbra, the new President of LAU, asked Suad Joseph to introduce him to the Dean of Agriculture for consultation about their new school of agriculture in South Lebanon. UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Science (CAES) Associate Dean Jim Hill met with President Jabbra in Washington, D.C. in May 2006.
March – April 2006
Dr. Suad Joseph visited Lebanon and Egypt where she met with President JohnWaterbury (AUB), President Joseph Jabbra (LAU), and Provost Tim Sullivan (AUC). Together they agreed to fund a representative to come to UC Davis to build on the UCDAR water and gender initiatives.
May 2006
Associate Dean Jim Hill (UC Davis) visited the American University in Cairo and met with Provost Tim Sullivan and Dr. Richard Tutwiler. Dr. Hill's April visit to Beirut to meet with AUB President John Waterbury and LAU President Jabbra had been postponed because of the July/August war. These meetings were organized by Dr. Hill.
September 2006
The Deans and Associate Deans of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Engineering, and the Vice Provost of the UC Davis University Outreach and International Programs, UOIP Program Officers and UC system-wide representatives met to advance the UCDAR Water Project at the Granlibakken lodge near Lake Tahoe.
November 2006
Dr. Nadim Farajallah from AUB, Dr. Richard Tutwiler from AUC, Dr. Fuad Hashwa from LAU and Dr. Simon Kuttab from BZU visited UC Davis for one week. They met with the Deans, Provosts, Vice Provosts, and other key faculty. The visit was organized by Suad Joseph with a collaboration of Deans, UOIP, and Kais Menoufy, CEO Delegata, Sacramento.
Between January 2007 and March 2007
The UCDAR Water Project was conducted under the direction of two Principal Investigators from UC Davis, Dr. Richard Snyder and Dr. Wes Wallender.
March 2007
The UC Davis Chancellor and faculty delegation visited Egypt for the UCDAR Consortium Conference. Attendees included Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, AUC President David Arnold, AUB Provost Peter Heath, LAU President Joseph Jabbra, Birzeit University President Nabil Kassis and key Deans, Vice Chancellors, Vice Provosts, and faculty. At this meeting they signed a comprehensive UCDAR Consortium agreement of cooperation. The event was organized by: Dr. Suad Joseph, Dr. William Lacy and Dr. Robert Kerr of UOIP, and AUC President David Arnold.
Between March and October 2007
Dr. Pierre Zalloua, LAU, College of Biological Sciences and Anthropology co-coordinated and developed the DNA Project.
October 2007
Dr. Richard Snyder and Dr. Suad Joseph organized the Water Project Group meeting at UC Davis. It was attended by Dr. Richard Snyder and Dr. Wes Wallender from UC Davis, Dr. Nadim Farajallah from AUB, Dr. Richard Tutwiler from AUC, and Dr. Jean Chatila from LAU.
October 2007
Dr. Pierre Zalloua visited UC Davis to advance the Water Project.
December 2007
The UCDAR Steering Committee met in Cairo. The meeting was attended by Dr. Suad Joseph from UC Davis, Dr. Helene Sadr from AUB, Dr. Richard Tutwiler from AUC, Dr. Irma Ghosn from LAU, Dr. Ziad Mimi from Birzeit, and other key faculty from AUC. The meeting was organized by Suad Joseph.
January 2008
AUC Dean of Engineering Medhat Haroun visited the UC Davis School of Engineering. His visit was organized by UC Davis Provost Enrique Lavernia and Dr. Suad Joseph.
February 2008
The "Gender and Modernities Workshop in the Middle East & South Asia” was held at AUC with Dr. Nevidita Menon from Delhi University and Dr. Martina Rieker from the American University in Cairo.
June 2008
At the invitation of LAU Dean Fuad Hashwa, UC Davis College of Biological Sciences Dean Ken Burtis visited LAU as a reviewer for the graduate program in molecular biology.
June 2008
The Arab Families Working Group provided proposal writing workshops at AUB for graduate students and non-governmental organizations.
July 2008 – March 2011
Professor Fadi Fathallah serving as UCEAP Study Center Director at AUC, presented several lectures about opportunities at UC Davis and its programs in the departments of Mechanical Engineering and Electronics Engineering, and the Biotechnology Graduate Program. Dr. Fathallah facilitated the link between AUC students and UC Davis researchers in biotechnology. Beneficiaries included AUC PhD student Reem Al Olaby who conducted doctoral research on hepatitis C virus at the UC Davis School of Medicine. Dr. Fathallah fostered the relationships between Dr. Richard Tutwiler, Director of the Desert Development Center at AUC with Dr. Stephen Everhart, Associate Dean of the UC Davis Business School, and with Dr. Ruihong Zhang from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. This lead to a collaborative endeavor to construct an anaerobic digester at AUC and the exploration of other alternative energy sources in Egypt. Dr. Fathallah organized a 3-day visit of Professor Pierre Zalloua (LAU) to AUC as a Distinguished Visiting Professor. This led to further collaborations between LAU, AUC, and UC Davis biotechnology programs. Fadi Fathallah and Richard Tutwiler (AUC) received a small grant from AUC Office of Research to look at musculoskeletal disorders among AUC agricultural and ground maintenance workers.
October 2008
Professor Pierre Zalloua from LAU Faculty of Science visited UC Davis for one week, giving the Storer Lecture *** and meeting with key research partners. His visit was hosted by the College of Biological Sciences with co-organizers Dean Kenneth Burtis and Dr. Suad Joseph.
January 2009
Dr. Suad Joseph organized a visit for Dr. Medhat Haroun, Dean of Engineering from AUC to visit UC Davis. Dr. Haroun met with UC Davis faculty and administrators including Dr. Bassam Younis, civil and environmental engineering professor; Dr. Karen McDonald, associate dean of the College of Engineering; Dr. Wesley Wallender, land, air, water resources professor; Dr. Frank Yaghmaie, Director of the Northern California Nantechnology Center; Dr. Steve Grattan, land, air, water resources professor; Dr. Richard Walters, xxx; Dr. Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, xxx; Dr. Jamal Tuqan, xxx; Dr. Neal Van Alfen, dean of college of agricultural and environmental sciences; Dr. Michael Parrella, associate dean of college of agricultural and environmental sciences; Dr. William Lacy, vice provost of University Outreach and International Programs; and Dr. Robert Kerr, Director of International Programs.
March 2009
The Arab Families Working Group provided proposal writing workshops in Cairo for faculty, graduate Students, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
April 2009
Professor Hani Sayed, incoming Chair of the Department of Law, School of Public Affairs and Global Policy from AUC visited UC Davis for one week to develop action plans for future collaborations. His visit was hosted by the UC Davis Martin Luther King Jr. School of Law, and co-organized by Dr. Beth Greenwood, Director of International Programs at the UC Davis School of Law and Dr. Suad Joseph.
April 2009
Provost Lisa Anderson from AUC exchanged plans for a graduate school of education with Dean Harold Levine, UC Davis School of Education. Dean Levine extended an invitation to Provost Anderson to visit Davis to pursue further collaborations.
June 2009- June 2010
UCDAR Coordinator, Suad Joseph, worked with the Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development, in Qatar, to develop proposals for collaborations with UC Davis on family studies.
October 2009
The UCDAR Water Project group participated in a Middle East Irrigation Outreach Program Workshop in Beirut where they met to finalize a funding proposal. Participants attended from AUB, AUC, LAU, Zagazig University, University of Jordan, UC Cooperative Extension and UC Davis. The Principal Investigators were Dr. Richard Snyder, Dr. Wes Wallender, and Dr. Khaled Bali from UC Davis. The workshop was co-organized by Richard Synder and Suad Joseph.
October 2009
UCDAR Coordinator Suad Joseph organized a return visit of Dr. Pierre Zalloua from LAU to UC Davis to further discuss collaborations around DNA research. .
November 2009
UCDAR Coordinator, Suad Joseph, met with the Acting Dean from the School of Education at AUC, Dr. Samiha Peterson to discuss collaborations.
December 2009
The Arab Families Working Group hosted a proposal writing workshop for faculty, graduate students, and NGO’s at Birzeit University in Palestine.
December 2009
A proposal writing workshop for faculty of Zayed University was held in Dubai. The event was coordinated by Suad Joseph on behalf of the Arab Families Working Group.
December 2009
UCDAR Coordinator, Suad Joseph, met with Mr. Faris Saeed in Dubai to consider developing a UC Davis Center in Dubai focusing on Environmental Studies.
January 2010
Arab Families Working Group hosted a proposal writing workshop as one of the Vice Provost’s New Faculty Workshops at UC Davis.
April 2010
Dr. Suad Joseph traveled to Qatar to explore opportunities for collaborations with UC Davis and other UCDAR partners. Dr. Joseph met with representatives from the Doha International Institute for Family Studies & Development (DIIFSD) and key leaders from Qatar University including: the President; the Vice President for the Office of Research; the Social & Economic Survey Research Center; and faculty. She had additional exploratory discussions with the Qatar Foundation President, the Executive Director of Research of the Qatar National Research Fund, numerous branches of the Qatar Foundation, and various government agencies.
June 2010
Mr. Faris Saeed, CEO and Dr. Fabiana Tessele of Diamond Developers visited UC Davis for one week. They met with Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi, Interim Provost Enrique J. LaVernia, Vice Chancellor for Research Barry Klein, Deans and faculty of Division of Social Science, Engineering, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and Graduate School of Management. During this visit Mr. Saeed proposed a UC Davis Dubai Center for Environmental Studies, focusing initially on training professionals in waste management and water treatment. At this point, he envisioned the center evolving into a college. He offered to provide the land and start-up costs. During this visit he learned about UC Davis plans to develop West Village, a model zero net energy community. Their UC Davis visit was co-hosted by: Dean George R. Mangun, of the College of Letters and Science; Ms. Victoria Austin, assistant director of Institute of Social Sciences; and Distinguished Professor Suad Joseph.
September 2010
Dean Bruce White, UC Davis College of Engineering, agreed to be Lead Dean on the Davis Dubai Center for Environmental Studies, working with Faris Saeed.
September 2010
Mr. Faris Saeed of Diamond Developers initiated a $250,000 commitment to the UC Davis Middle East/South Asia (MESA) Studies program. The donation included a commitment to donate $50,000 annually to the program.
September 2010
Dean Stephen Everhart, AUC School of Business and Dr. Richard Tutwiler, Director of Desert Development Center at AUC continued their work with Dr. Ruihong Zhang from UC Davis and developed a biogas project. Dr. Joseph met Dr. Everhart and Dr. Tutwiler in Cairo in 2009 to follow up.
November 2010
Dean Harold Levine, UC Davis School of Education, met with Dean Samiha Peterson, AUC Graduate School of Education, and with Dr. Suad Joseph in San Diego to discuss collaborations. Dean Levine planned a February 2011 trip to Cairo which was postponed due to the Egyptian revolution.
December 2010
Dr. Suad Joseph provided a proposal writing workshop for graduate students, staff, and faculty at Birzeit University in Palestine. This was provided on behalf of the Arab Families Working Group.
June 2011
Dr. Suad Joseph provided a proposal writing workshop for graduate students at LAU in Beirut. This was provided on behalf of the Arab Families Working Group.
June 2011
Professor Bryan Jenkins, faculty at the UC Davis School of Engineering hosted a lunch with business leaders from Abu Dhabi.
July 2011
Mr. Atef Idriss, UC Davis Food Science alumnus and founder of MEFOSA (MENA Food Safety Associates) met with Dr. Suad Joseph in Beirut to explore potential collaboration with UC Davis on food safety and value chains. Dr. Joseph introduced Mr. Idriss to UC Davis faculty: Dean Jim Hill, Associate Dean for International Programs for the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Dr. Glen Young of Food Science and Technology, and Dr. Fadi Fathallah from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Drs. Hill, Young, Fathallah, and Joseph met to consider a range of collaborations. The conversations continued with Mr. Idriss via email over the next eight months. Mr. Idriss was invited to visit UC Davis, and planned a trip for spring 2012.
July 2011
The UCDAR Consortium applied to the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) in Italy for funding of the Water Project Proposal: “Cross-Border Cooperation within the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), Mediterranean Sea Basic Joint Operational Programme." This effort was organized by Dr. Richard Snyder.
July 2011
Meetings were held in Beirut to build establish relationships to address the impacts of salt on vascular health. Participants included: Dr. Kamal Badr, Founding Dean of the Lebanese American University School of Medicine and Professor of Medicine AUB (Nephrology and Hypertension); Associate Dean for Medical Education; Associate Chair for Medical Education, Department of Internal Medicine; Director, Vascular Medicine Program at AUB; and Dr. Suad Joseph. Dr. Suad Joseph contacted Dean Claire Pomeroy, UC Davis School of Medicine, who introduced Associate Dean Kamal Badr to three faculty from the UC Davis Department of Nutrition: Department Chair Carl Keen, Professor Francene Steinberg, and Professor David McCarron.
July 2011
Professor Fadi Fathallah from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at UC Davis visited the Universite Saint-Esprit de Kaslik (USEK) in Lebanon on behalf of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences International Programs Office to explore potential collaborations between UC Davis and other UCDAR Consortium partners. Dr. Fathallah met with the Dean of Agriculture, the Associate Dean of International Programs, and the Director of Public Relations.
August 2011
Mr. George Khalaf, Director of Middle East and North Africa Synergos in Beirut asked Suad Joseph to introduce him to UC Davis faculty who might be interested in working collaboratively on a US AID project for social entrepreneurship. Dr. Joseph introduced Mr. Khalaf to two faculty from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management: Dean Steve Currall and Professor Wilson Agatstein.
October 2011
Former LAU Dean Fuad Hashwa invited UC Davis School of Biological Sciences Dean Kenneth Burtis to Beirut to conduct an external review of LAU’s Bachelor of Science Program in Biology, School of Arts and Sciences. This was the second external review mission for Dr. Burtis at LAU.
Former Dean Hashwa (LAU) and Former Dean Ken Burtis (UC Davis) organized discussions for potential student exchanges between their universities.
December 2011
Dr. Suad Joseph coordinated and presented a proposal writing workshop for graduate students at LAU. This was provided on behalf of the Arab Families Working Group.
Dean Samiha Peterson, AUC Graduate School of Education, met with Suad Joseph in Washington, D.C. to discuss re-initiating collaborations with the UC Davis School of Education, after the Egyptian revolution. In addition, Dr. Samiha Peterson requested that Dean Harold Levine, UC Davis School of Education identify reviewers for tenure dossiers at AUC.
March 2012
Dr. Suad Joseph introduced Vice Chancellor Harris Lewin to LAU Interim Dean Pierre Zalloua regarding mitochondrial DNA research.
May 2012
The Arab Families Working Group provided proposal writing workshops for graduate students in Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine.
April 2012
Mr. Atef Idriss, Middle East Food Safety Associates of Beirut, visited UC Davis. During his 3-day visit which focused on food safety and post-harvest issues, he met with: Dean Neal Van Alfen; Vice Chancellor Harris Lewin; Dr. Fadi Fathallah; Dr. Jim Hill; Dr. Marita Cantwell; Dr. Matthew Agastein; Dr. Carl Keen; Dr. Carl Winter; and Dr. Bart Wiener. He visited the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Sciences, the Olive Center, the Child Family Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Synergos. The visit was coordinated by Professors Glen Young and Suad Joseph.
November 2012
Mr. Faris Saeed, Mr. Wassim Adlouni and Mr. Phil Dunn from Diamond Developers came to UC Davis where they met with Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi, Vice Provost William Lacey, Vice Chancellor for Research Harris Lewin, Vice Chancellor John Meyer, Dean George R. Mangun, Dean Enrique Lavernia, Associate Dean Karen McDonald, and faculty and staff from the colleges of engineering, agriculture and environmental sciences, and letters and sciences. These included: Dr. Roger Boulton, Dr. Omnia El Shakry, Dr. Fadi Fathallah, Mr. Ben Finkelor, Dr. Rima Habib, Ms. Shayma Hassouna, Dr. Jim Hill, Dr. Jan Hopmans, Dr. Byran Jenkins, Ms. Katherine Kerline, Dr. Richard Kiehl, Dr. Sashi Kunnath, Ms. Karen McDonald, Dr. Flagg Miller, Ms. Maureen Miller, Dr. Susan Miller, Dr. Adam Moule, Dr. Ahmet Palazoglu, Dr. Raul Piedrahita, Dr. Rosane Oliveira, Dr. Noha Radwan, Dr. Anna Scaglione, Dr. Marc Schenker, Dr. Jocelyn Sharlet, Dr. Pieter Stroeve, Dr. Tamara Swaab, Dr. Baki Tezcan, Dr. Spyros Tseregounis, Dr. Jerry Woodall, and Dr. Bassam Younis. They met with students of Middle East/South Asia Studies: Amanda Batarseh, Israa Abdel-Fattah, Amy Riddle, Caroline McKusick, Hakeem Naim, Saliem Shehadeh, and Kevin Smith. Mr. Saeed and Chancellor Katehi signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a UC Davis Sustainable Engineering Research Center and a Social Research Center in Dubai.
December 2012
The Arab Families Working Group provided proposal writing workshops in Cairo for graduate students in Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine.
January-December 2013
Chancellor Katehi appointed a committee chaired by Distinguished Professor Suad Joseph to plan her visit to Dubai, UAE and Doha, Qatar for November of 2013 and to develop a master agreement with Diamond Developers in Dubai. Committee members included Professor Bryan Jenkins, Executive Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration Cindy Kiel and Executive Director, Research Administration Ahmad Hakim-Elahi. The committee developed exhibits for the proposed UC Davis Sustainable Engineering Research and Training Center and the Social Research and Training Center for the Sustainable City. A meeting of the presidents of the UCDAR Consortium was planned for Dubai in November as well. Diamond Developers offered to be the local host and the invitations were extended and accepted by UCDAR presidents from American University of Beirut, American University in Cairo, Lebanon American University and Birzeit University. The original November timing was postponed to March 2014.
March 2013
The Arab Families Working Group provided proposal writing workshops in Cairo for graduate students and junior scholars in Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine.
September 2013
The Arab Families Working Group provided proposal writing workshops in Cairo for junior faculty at Egyptian Public Universities.
December 2013
Suad Joseph hosted discussions with Dr. Malak Zaalouk, AUC, School of Education, about possible collaborations with the UC Davis School of Education.
February 2014
SRTP - Diamond Developers and UC Davis signed a master collaboration agreement for Sustainability Research and Training Program.
March 2014
UCDAR Presidents Meeting - A meeting of UCDAR Consortium Presidents, Provosts, and Deans in Dubai was held to explore collaborative opportunities generated by the Sustainability Research and Training Program, and other programs. The UC Davis delegation included Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi, Vice Chancellor for Research Harris Lewin, Vice Provost for International Programs William Lacy, Drs. Bryan Jenkins and Suad Joseph.
Representatives from UC Davis and American University of Beirut met at AUB to explore collaborative opportunities. The UC Davis delegation included Chancellor Linda Katehi and Dr. Suad Joseph. They met with President Peter Dorman, Provost Ahmad Dallal, and AUB engineering, medical, and social science deans and faculty.
October 2014
UCDAR Steering Committee - Lisa Anderson, President of the American University in Cairo, welcomed the Steering Committee Members to AUC for a UCDAR meeting. The Steering Committee heard reports on the following Sustainability Research and Training Program areas: research grants; indices of sustainability; and online curriculum. AUB/AUC/LAU announced a joint diploma on Green Technology.
January 2015
Hosting - LAU School of Medicine Dean Youssef Comair and Associate Dean Elias Aboujoudi, as well as LAU Dean of Graduate Studies, Pierre Zalloua visited UC Davis. Their meetings included conversations with representatives from the UC Davis School of Medicine to explore opportunities for student exchanges and partnerships to address global health issues. They also discussed the possibilities of dual graduate degree programs.
February 2015
SRTP - Dr. Suad Joseph traveled to the United Arab Emirates. She met with Mr. Faris Saeed and Mr. Wassim Adlouni in Dubai to discuss developments in the Sustainability Research and Training Program (SRTP). She met with President Bjorn Kjefve of the American University of Sharjah (AUS). Subsequently, Chancellor Katehi (UC Davis), and Presidents Dorman (AUB), Hindi (Birzeit), Jabbra (LAU), and Anderson (AUC) all agreed and invited AUS to join the Consortium.
March 2015
UCDAR Steering Committee - The Steering Committee met via teleconference to discuss SRTP activities. The SC members also discussed the UCDAR Chancellors and Presidents meeting, the invitation from the Steering Committee to AUS to join the BCBC Consortium, and priority areas for collaborative research initiatives including public health, food security, nutrition; citizenship; energy, water, and the environment; the crisis of higher education.
May 2015
UCDAR Steering Committee - The UCDAR Consortium partners renewed the Agreement of Cooperation (AOC) on May 18, 2015. The AOC is in effect until 2020.
June 2015
UCDAR Steering Committee - The Steering Committee met via teleconference. The Steering Committee received an update on the SRTP program, and members were invited to a soft launch of The Sustainability City in Dubai in October, 2015.
July 2015
Hosting - Chancellor Bjӧrn Kjerfve from the American University of Sharjah visited UC Davis. He met with administrators and faculty including: Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi; Vice Chancellor of Research Harris Lewin; Provost Ralph Hexter; Dean Paul M. McNeil; Associate Dean Shyhtsun Felix Wu; Dr. Shauna Oh, Executive Director of the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute; and Dr. Bryan Jenkins, Co-Director of the Sustainability Research and Training Program. He was hosted by Dr. Suad Joseph.
UCDAR Steering Committee - The steering committee met via teleconference. Dr. Nesreen Ghaddar of AUB and Dr. Ted Purinton of AUC were thanked for their years of service to the Consortium and their service on the SRTP Scientific Advisory Committee. New members: Dr. Hala Muhtasib, Interim Associate Provost and Professor of Cell Biology at the American University of Beirut; Dr. Ehab Abdel Rahman, Vice Provost for Research and Acting Director of Yousef Jameel Science and Technology Research Center, American University in Cairo; and Dr. Khaled Assaleh, Interim Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies, American University of Sharjah, were introduced and welcomed.
September 2015
UCDAR Steering Committee - The Steering Committee met via teleconference to prepare for the October 14-15, 2015 meetings in Dubai. In addition, the SC members discussed three concept notes for potential collaboration including gender studies; Syrian refugees; and citizenship. The members also received an update on the SRTP program.
October 2015
SRTP: Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi presented at the Eco-Cities World Summit in Abu Dhabi on topics of “Leadership and Education” and “Education for Tomorrow’s Ecocitizens.” Dr. Suad Joseph and Dr. Tim Rogmans of Diamond Developers presented an academic session on the SRTP.
UCDAR Presidents & Steering Committee - Diamond Developers hosted a delegation in Dubai of Chancellors, Presidents, and UCDAR Steering Committee members from all six of the universities. Those present participated in the soft launch of The Sustainable City, shared information regarding sustainability research and training activities, and discussed collaborative initiatives.
- The UC Davis delegation included: Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi; Vice Chancellor and CFO David Lawlor; Vice Provost of Global Affairs Joanna Regulska; Distinguished Professor Suad Joseph; and Professor Bryan Jenkins.
- The AUB delegation included President Fadlo Khuri and Interim Associate Provost Hala Muhtasib.
- The AUC delegation included Provost Sherif Sedky and Vice Provost for Research Ehab Abdel-Rahman.
- The AUS delegation included Chancellor Bjӧrn Kjerfve, Interim Vice Provost Khaled Assaleh, and Professor Nawar Al-Hassan Golley.
- The BZU delegation included President Abdul Latif Abu Hijleh and Vice President Henry R. Jaqaman.
- The LAU delegation included President Joseph G. Jabbra and Professor Fuad A. Hashwa.
- The Diamond Developers participants included Mr. Faris Saeed, CEO; Mr. Wassim Adlouni, Executive Director; and Dr. Tim Rogmans, consultant.
March 2016
UCDAR Steering Committee – The Steering Committee met via teleconference to explore potential collaborative initiatives and receive updates on the SRTP programs. In addition, preparations for an April Gender & Women’s Studies Workshop in Beirut were made with liaisons from the six universities. The agenda for the workshop was to explore the establishment of a Gender & Women’s Studies Consortium and explore potential collaborative research initiatives.
April 2016
Gender & Women - The UCDAR Gender & Women’s Studies Workshop convened at LAU’s Institute of Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW) in Beirut. The participants included Dr. Suad Joseph, Founder and Chair of the UCDAR Consortium; Dr. Charlotte Karam, Associate Professor, Organizational Behavior & Director of the KIP Project in Gender and Sexuality at AUB; Dr. Nadia Cheikh, Interim Associate Provost & Professor, Department of History and Archeology at AUB; Ms. Zeina Mhaidly, Project Coordinator, KIP Project on Gender and Sexuality at AUB; Dr. Nawar Golley, Professor, English Department & Coordinator of the Women’s Studies Minor at AUS; Dr. Natalie Honein Shihadi, Adjunct Professor, English Department at AUS; Dr. Eileen Kuttab, Director, Institute of Women’s Studies & Associate Professor, Sociology at BZU; Dr. Lina Abirafeh, Director, Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW) at LAU; Myriam Sfeir, Assistant Director, Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW) at LAU; and Dr. Martin Rieker, Director, Institute for Gender & Women’s Studies at AUC (by phone). After sharing information regarding their academic backgrounds and research interests, the members agreed to formally establish a UCDAR Gender & Women’s Studies (G&WS) Consortium. The members agreed to start with the six universities and possibly expand to other universities when ready. The members also agreed that the goal of the G&WS Consortium would be to focus on conceptual work and develop research together. The first project discussed and agreed to was a project for Mapping Gender & Women’s Studies Theoretical Frameworks in the Arab Region. They determined the focus would be to map gender and women’s studies programs, and design the interventions needed to address the gaps in each university’s program.
UCDAR Steering Committee - TheUCDAR Consortium Steering Committee met via teleconference. Dr. Joseph provided a report on the G&WS Consortium workshop, a report on the SRTP Round III Results, and a report on possible SRTP Round IV funding. Members also discussed pursuing a collaborative research proposal from AUC on sustainability issues.
May 2016
Gender & Women - The UCDAR G&WS Consortium met via teleconference to further discuss the project for Mapping G&WS Theoretical Frameworks in the Arab Region. The members agreed to focus on teaching, which would concentrate on a mapping of the gender studies programs in the Arab region. This included institutions that did not have official programs, as the Mapping included G&WS courses. The Mapping would start with the five UCDAR institutions and then broaden to the entire region. G&WS members also discussed the mapping of G&WS research in the Arab Region as a second option. The consensus was around looking specifically at historical events/moments over the last 45 years and categorizing them by themes.
UCDAR Steering Committee - The UCDAR Steering Committee met via teleconference. Dr. Joseph provided a report on the Diamond Developers Fellowships in Sustainability for Graduate Studies at UC Davis. Diamond Developers is offering a competitive fellowship which will fund graduate PhD scholarships in sustainability-related fields for students the Arab region. The full grant for the program was $5 million over a 7-year period. Steering Committee members also discussed the AUC Water-Energy-Food Nexus initiative as a collaborative UCDAR proposal. The SC members agreed on the importance of the issue and to pursue funds for it. Dr. Joseph asked each of the Steering Committee members to identify one expert in this field to be their university’s lead researcher on the project. These researchers would meet for several months through online video conference to craft the proposal and submit it for funding.
July 2016
UCDAR Steering Committee - The UCDAR Steering Committee met via teleconference. Dr. Hani Sewilam presented and led a discussion about the Water-Energy-Food Nexus (WEF Nexus). He agreed to chair the committee which will develop a proposal. Other members are: Dr. Mohamad Abiad, Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty Agricultural and Food Sciences, AUB; Dr. Mustafa Ibrahim Mustafa Khamis, Professor, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, AUS; Dr. Ahmed Abu-Hanieh, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics, Birzeit University; Dr. Hussein Hassan, Assistant Professor of Food Science and Technology, LAU. UC Davis faculty include: Dr. Bryan Jenkins, Professor and Chair, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering; Dr. Stephen Kaffka, Director of the California Biomass Collaborative and Extension Specialist, Department of Plant Sciences; Dr. Khaled Bali, Irrigation Water Management Specialist, Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center; Dr. Daniele Zaccaria, Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources. The UCDAR WEF Nexus proposal will be multi-disciplinary and focus on technical, economic, and social approaches to address the problem. Dr. Joseph provided updates on the Gender and Women Studies Consortium, and the Diamond Developers Doctoral Fellowship Program.
September 2016
Gender & Women - The Gender & Women’s Studies Group met via skype to discuss a draft proposal titled, “Transforming Higher Education in the Arab Region: Creating New Gender Equality Frameworks for Teaching and Scholarship.” The draft proposal includes three components: (1) Mapping the Gender and Women’s Studies Landscape in the Arab Region; (2) Mapping and Analyzing Scholarship and Discourses on Gender in the Arab Region; (3) Building and Enhancing Women and Gender Studies Programs, Scholarship, and Networks in the Arab Region to Promote Gender Equality and Justice. The group discussed the editing and contributing process and had an initial conversation about funding sources.
WEF Nexus - Representatives from the UCDAR Consortium and from UC Davis met via skype to discuss the elements of a joint proposal on the WEF nexus. The outcome was the development of an initial concept paper to start to develop a proposal.
October 2016
WEF Nexus - The Water-Energy-Food Nexus group met via skype to discuss the status and proposed work packages for the joint proposal, “Minimizing the Losses of Water, Energy and Food throughout the Agriculture and Supply Chain Processes,” in preparation for the Steering Committee meeting in Beirut in November.
November 2016
UCDAR Steering Committee - The UCDAR Steering Committee met in Beirut to share updates on collaborative initiatives and discuss potential new projects. The Gender & Women’s Studies Group and the Water-Energy-Food Nexus group presented draft projects for Steering Committee input. The Steering Committee also discussed ideas for a new collaborative initiative on health.
Feminism and STEM - The Gender & Women’s Studies Group met in person in Beirut to workshop the draft proposal, “Transforming Higher Education in the Arab Region: Creating New Gender Equality Frameworks for Teaching and Scholarship.” The group discussed additional feedback and added details to the workplan, outputs, and dissemination plans. The group also discussed a possible collaborative project on Women and STEM and provided feedback on a draft concept note. The Gender & Women’s Studies Group members provided contacts and input for a proposal on Women and STEM to be submitted for the UC Davis Global Affairs seed grant program.
December 2016
Feminism and STEM - Dr. Suad Joseph submitted a proposal for the UC Davis Global Affairs seed grant competition, entitled, “Feminism & Stem: Launching UC Davis & Arab Region Collaborations.”
SRTP – December 14-21, Dr. Bassam Younis conducted field research at The Sustainable City in Dubai.
WEF Nexus - Dr. Bryan Jenkins submitted a proposal for the UC Davis Global Affairs seed grant competition, entitled, “UC Davis and Arab Region Research and Training Partnership: Minimizing Water, Energy and Food Losses in the Food Supply Chain.”
January 2017
Feminism and STEM - The Gender & Women’s Studies Initiative met via online conferencing to plan next steps on finalizing the collaborative proposal, “Transforming Higher Education in the Arab Region: Creating New Gender Equality Frameworks for Teaching and Scholarship.”
WEF Nexus - The WEF group met in person in Cairo (with some participants joining via skype) to discuss next steps and individual country projects for the proposal, “Minimizing the Losses of Water, Energy and Food throughout the Agriculture and Supply Chain Processes.”
February 2017
Feminism and STEM - A seed grant was awarded by UC Davis Global Affairs for the project, “Feminism & STEM: Launching UC Davis & Arab Region Collaborations.”
WEF Nexus - A seed grant was awarded by UC Davis Global Affairs for “UC Davis and Arab Region Research and Training Partnership: Minimizing Water, Energy and Food Losses in the Food Supply Chain.” PI Dr. Bryan Jenkins, Dr. Hani Sewilam (AUC), and Dr. Suad Joseph met via skype to discuss implementation of the project. The WEF group met via skype to discuss input into a matrix of partner needs and capacities to support the project, “Minimizing the Losses of Water, Energy and Food throughout the Agriculture and Supply Chain Processes.” RWTH Aachen University in Germany also joined the project.
March 2017
Mapping Knowledge Production - The Gender & Women’s Studies met via skype to gather final comments and feedback on the draft gender mapping proposal and to discuss potential funders and timeline for reaching out to funders.
SRTP – Two Sustainability Research and Training Program teams conduct resident and staff interviews at The Sustainable City in Dubai. Visiting faculty included Dr. Alan Meier and Dr. Sarah Outcault from UC Davis and Dr. Richard Tutwiler, Nermin Dessouky, and Dr. Zayed from the American University in Cairo.
UCDAR Steering Committee - The Steering Committee met via skype to discuss updates to the UCDAR projects.
April 2017
UCDAR Steering Committee - The Consortium (previously called BCBCB) was renamed UC Davis and Arab Region (UCDAR) Consortium by the Steering Committee. The BCBCB name has been used since its founding, referring to the first letter of each of the locations of first five universities in the Consortium (Beirut, Cairo, Beirut, California, Birzeit). The Steering Committee determined that his is a timely moment to change the name so that it fully reflects the identity and value of this collaboration. The new name is also significant because of the meaning of “dar” in Arabic. The new name is descriptive of the Consortium and also evokes the idea of universities coming together.
WEF Nexus - The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Committee met via skype to discuss next steps on the joint proposal and potential dates and content for the workshop at UC Davis. RWTH Aachen University in Germany will also be collaborating with UCDAR on this project.
May 2017
WEF Nexus - The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Committee met via skype to discuss next steps on the joint proposal and potential dates and content for the workshop at UC Davis.
June 2017
Feminism & STEM - UCDAR continued to develop the Feminism andSTEM Project. UCDAR gathered information from UC Davis and partnering universities on STEM faculty who are committed to integrating feminism and gender into their work.
Mapping Knowledge Production - UCDAR continued to develop the Gender & Women’s Studies Mapping Project. The Gender & Women’s Studies Committee is finalizing a proposal for funders and has prepared a concept paper to circulate among funders in the Arab region to support a regional workshop.
Refugee Mental Health - UCDAR began to formulate a new project on Refugee Mental Health in collaboration with Dr. Patrick Marius Koga, professor in UC Davis Public Health Sciences. UCDAR identified confirmed project leads from the five partnering universities.
WEF Nexus - The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Committee met via skype to discuss next steps on the joint proposal and potential dates and content for the workshop at UC Davis.
July 2017
Feminism & STEM - UCDAR met with representatives of the UC Davis ADVANCE Program and Feminist Research Institute (FRI) to discuss current challenges in supporting women in STEM and feminist STEM research. UCDAR gathered insights from the ADVANCE and FRI partners to inform the UCDAR Feminism & STEM Project.
Refugee Mental Health - UCDAR worked closely with Dr. Patrick Marius Koga, professor in UC Davis Public Health Sciences, to develop a research and capacity-building program to improve access and quality of mental health care for refugees in the Middle East/North Africa region. The team, which included Dr. Koga, Dr. Joseph, Francesca Wright, and Jolynn Shoemaker, developed the first draft of a template proposal for the project.
WEF Nexus - The Water-Energy-Food Committee had a small planning group skype to discuss next steps in the collaboration.
August 2017
Feminism & STEM - UCDAR refined the Feminism and STEM Project. It was divided into two sub-projects, one focusing on Gender and STEM Education and the other on Gendering Mental Health for Refugee and Vulnerable Populations. UCDAR reached out to both UC Davis and partner university faculty to participate. A workshop will be hosted at UC Davis in winter/spring 2018 with a second workshop in fall 2018.
Global Affairs - UCDAR director and staff participated in the Global Affairs retreat at UC Davis.
Refugee Mental Health - UCDAR recruited UC Davis faculty and faculty from the partnering universities to include additional expertise in the Refugee Mental Health Project. The project will include multi-disciplinary, STEM, and gender expertise.
WEF Nexus - The UCDAR Water-Energy-Food Nexus Workshop at UC Davis was rescheduled for January 2018. A background paper and draft agenda were developed for the workshop. Dr. Bryan Jenkins, Chair and Professor of the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, is the PI for the project.
September 2017
Gendering STEM Education – The Feminism and Stem workgroup redefined their work to apply feminist theory to an examination of the assumptions within STEM disciplines. Scholars were recruited for the project. UC Davis faculty included: Dr. Suad Joseph; Dr. Colleen Bronner, Lecturer, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Dr. Natalia Caporale, Lecturer of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences; Dr. Adela de la Torre, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs; Dr. Tina Jeoh, Associate Professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering; Dr. Mona Monfared, Lecturer PSOE, Molecular and Cellular Biology; Dr. Diane E. Ullman, Professor of Entomology. Faculty participants from partnering universities included: Dr. Rola Khishfe, Associate Professor, Department of Education, AUB; Dr. Martina Rieker, Director, Institute for Gender and Women's Studies, AUC; Dr. Hanan Sabea, Associate Professor of Anthropology, AUC; Dr. Rania Siam, Professor of Microbiology; Chair of the Biology Department, AUC; Dr. Ghada Karaki, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering, Birzeit University.
Mapping Knowledge Production - A conference call for the Gender Mapping Project was scheduled to discuss the proposal/concept for funders.
TRMH - The working title for the mental health/refugee project was developed: Transformative Mental Health for Refugees: Training for Professionals (TRMH). Dr. Koga and Dr. Joseph continued to work on the content of the draft maximal proposal and circulated it among the UCDAR partnering faculty for feedback. In addition to Dr. Koga and Dr. Joseph, the partnering faculty include: Dr. Fouad Mohamed Fouad, Assistant Research Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, AUB; Dr. Mariette Awad, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, AUB; Dr. Kate Ellis, Assistant Professor of Psychology, AUC; Dr. Rita Giacaman, Professor of Public Health, Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University; Dr. Carmel H. Bouclaous, Assistant Professor, Gilbert & Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, LAU; Dr. Raquel E Aldana, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Diversity; Professor of Law at UC Davis.
SRTP - UC Davis Extension completed an online course on Urban Farming for use by Diamond Developers and The Sustainable City in Dubai as a part of the Sustainability Research and Training Program.
UCDAR Steering Committee - The UCDAR Steering Committee met by conference call. Several new Steering Committee members joined, as former members ended their terms. The current Steering Committee members are: Dr. Lina Choueiri, Associate Provost and Professor of English Language, Department of English, AUB (replacing Dr. Hala Muhtasib); Dr. John Swanson, Professor and Associate Provost for Special Projects, AUC; Dr. Mohamed El-Tarhuni, Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, Professor, Electrical Engineering, AUS (replacing Dr. Khaled Assaleh); Dr. Faisal Awadallah, Professor of Transportation Engineering, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Birzeit University (replacing Dr. Henry R. Jaqaman); Dr. Fuad A. Hashwa, Professor of Microbiology & Biotechnology, Coordinator of EU-Erasmus+ Exchange Program, Coordinator, Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs, LAU.
October 2017
Gendering STEM Education – First face to face workshop was confirmed for March 9, 10, 11, 2018 at the International Center, UC Davis.
TRMH - The Transforming Refugee Mental Health workgroup met via conference call. Project workshop was scheduled for March 7, 8, 9, 2018 at UC Davis pending Global Affairs Seed Grant.
WEF Nexus - The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Project workshop was scheduled for January 10-12, 2017. An agenda and preliminary list of UC Davis faculty were developed. Dr. Andre Daccache, Assistant Professor and Dr. Jill Brigham, Executive Director of the Sustainable Wine & Food Processing Center at took the lead on organizing this workshop on behalf of Dr. Bryan Jenkins, PI for the UCDAR WEF project.
November 2017
Gendering STEM Education - On November 14, 2017, the first meeting of the UC Davis faculty interested in the Gendering STEM Education project was convened. The meeting included: Dr. Suad Joseph, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies; Director, UCDAR; Dr. Linda Bisson, UC Davis ADVANCE Associate Director, and Policy and Practices Review Initiative Co-Director, Professor and Maynard A. Amerine Endowed Chair, Viticulture and Enology; Dr. Colleen Bronner, Lecturer PSOE, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Dr. Natalia Caporale, Lecturer PSOE of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences; Dr. Adela de la Torre, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs; Dr. Mona Monfared, Lecturer PSOE, Molecular and Cellular Biology; Dr. Sarah McCullough, Associate Director, Feminist Research Institute; Cesca Wright, UCDAR Analyst, Global Affairs; Jolynn Shoemaker, UCDAR Analyst, Global Affairs; Eman Fuad Ateyeh, UCDAR Gendering STEM Education Student Assistant. In preparation for that meeting, a preliminary list of resources on gender and STEM education was developed by UCDAR. A preliminary list of STEM terms and concepts to be examined with gender frameworks was also developed. A revised Gendering STEM Education draft proposal was developed and circulated to the UC Davis participants for feedback.
TRMH - The Transforming Refugee Mental Health project submitted a seed grant proposal to Global Affairs with support from Dr. Lars Berglund, Senior Associate Dean for Research from the UC Davis School of Medicine and Dr. Brad Pollock, Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences Faculty.
December 2017
Gendering STEM Education - UC Davis faculty participating in the Gendering STEM Education project met twice in December to explore the underlying assumptions in the theories, methods and pedagogy of STEM disciplines.
Lunch Lecture Series - On December 5, UCDAR hosted the first of its lunch lecture series. Dr. Alan Meier and Ms. Nermin Dessouky addressed how the international residents of The Sustainable City in Dubai found community and increased their awareness of their energy footprint.
TRMH - The Transforming Refugee Mental Health workgroup met online to review a needs assessment tool. Participants included Dr. Suad Joseph, Dr. Raquel Aldana, Dr. Marius Koga, Dr. Kate Ellis, Dr. Fouad Fouad, Dr. Mary Lou Saenz and Francesca Wright.
January 2018
Gendering STEM Education - UC Davis faculty participating the Gendering STEM Education workgroup continued to meet and prepare for the international workshop in March.
TRMH - On January 22 and 23, the Transforming Refugee Mental Health workgroup met in Amman, Jordan. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Suad Joseph. Participants included Dr. Mariette Awad (AUB), Dr. Kate Ellis (AUC), Dr. Carmel Bouclaous (LAU), Dr. Rita Giacaman and Dr. Weam Hammoudeh (BZU). Dr. Fouad Fouad (AUB), Dr. Raquel Aldana and Dr. Marius Koga (UCD) joined by conference call. At this meeting the participants developed the maximal proposal, discussed country-based approaches to baseline assessments, and fundraising.
STRP - Two Sustainability Research and Training Program research grant teams visited The Sustainable City in Dubai to conduct field research. This included principal inestigators Dr. Alan Meier and Dr. Bassam Younis.
UCDAR Steering Committee - Dr. Wei Zhao, Chief Research Officer for American University of Sharjah (AUS) joined the UCDAR Steering Committee as the AUS representative (replacing Dr. Mohamed El-Tarhuni). Dean Samer Saab, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, Lebanese American University, joined the UCDAR Steering Committee as the LAU representative (replacing Dr. Fuad A. Hashwa).
February 2018
Lunch Lecture - On February 7, UCDAR held its second lunch lecture. Dr. Jean VanderGheynst and Dr. Chris Simmons described their research on integrating organic waste recycling with agriculture in a resource-limited environment. Both their projects were funded by the Sustainability Research and Training Program.
TRMH - On February 12, the Transforming Refugee Mental Health workgroup met via conference call. Participants included Dr. Suad Joseph, Dr. Fouad Fouad, Dr. Rita Giacaman, Dr. Carmel Bouclaous. The workgroup developed a Training Needs Assessment Proposal to circulate for potential funding.
Dr. Suad Joseph traveled to Beirut where she met with Dr. Fouad Fouad, Co-Director of the Refugee Health Program at American University of Beirut.
SRTP – Sustainability Research and Training Program researchers Dr. Alan Meier (UC Davis), Dr. Rick Tutwiler (AUC) and Sarah Yousry (AUC) presented initial findings of their field work to Diamond Developers in Dubai. February 1-8, SRTP researchers Dr. Giovanni Circella and Dr. Farzad Alemi conducted field research at The Sustainable City in Dubai. Karim El-Jisr, Executive Director of SEE NEXUS Institute, an affiliate Diamond Developers and The Sustainable City planned to visit UC Davis and participate in the 3 Revolutions Policy Conference. Unfortunately, his visa request was denied.
March 2018
Gendering STEM Education - March 19-21 the first international meeting of the Gendering STEM Education workgroup occurred at UC Davis through a seed grant from Global Affairs. The meeting opened with welcome remarks from Vice Provost and Associate Chancellor Joanna Regulskay, Associate Vice Provost, Fadi Fathallah, and Chancellor Emeritus Linda P. B. Katehi. Visiting participants included: Dr. Liva Wick, American University of Beirut; Dr. Ghada Karaki, Birzeit University, and Dr. Iman Osta, Lebanese American University. Dr. Martina Reiker and Dr. Hanan Sabea participated through online conferencing.
April 2018
Mapping Knowledge Production - April 19, 20, 21 the Gender Mapping Project met at the Arab Council for the Social Sciences Headquarters Beirut, Lebanon. At that meeting the project objectives were clarified and the project name was changed to the UCDAR Mapping Production of Knowledge on Women and Gender in the Arab Region. Participants included: Dr. Lina Abirafeh, Lebanese American University; Dr. Nada Chaya, Arab Council for the Social Sciences; Dr. Nawar Golley, American University in Sharjah; Dr. Suad Joseph, University of California, Davis; Dr. Eileen Kuttab, Birzeit University; Dr. Sara Mourad, American University of Beirut; Dr. Martina Reiker, American University in Cairo; and Dr. Seteney Shamia, Arab Council for the Social Sciences. The workshop was funded through a grant from Global Travel and Learning Fund (GTLF), funded by the Ford Foundation, and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in New York.
UCDAR Steering Committee - Dr. Alaa El Din M. Adris, Associate Provost for Research, Innovation and Creativity and Professor of Practice of Energy Engineering at American University of Cairo (AUC) joined the UCDAR Steering Committee as the AUC representative, replacing Dr. John Swanson. Dr. Suad Joseph was invited to the University of Jordon (UJ) to present the history and work of the UCDAR Consortium. UJ President Azmi Mahafzah expressed interest in joining UCDAR.
May 2018
Lunch Lecture - May 16, UCDAR hosted the third lunch lecture with a presentation by Professor Bassam Younis entitled “Let there be UV Light: Novel Technology for Water Disinfection.” Dr. Younis explained the technology, prospects of mass production with 3-D printing, and how it is being used in refugee communities in Lebanon. His work received funding through the Sustainability Research and Training Program.
June 2018
Mapping Knowledge Production - On June 6-7, the UCDAR Mapping Production of Knowledge on Women and Gender in the Arab region met at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Suad Joseph. Participants included: Dr. Connie Christiansen, Lebanese American University; Dr. Deema Kaedbay, Consultant to The Arab Council for the Social Sciences; Dr. Eileen Kuttab, Birzeit University; Dr. Sara Mourad, American University of Beirut; Dr. Martina Reiker, American University in Cairo; Dr. Seteney Shami, The Arab Council for the Social Sciences; and Dr. Jennifer Skulte-Ouaiss, Lebanese American University.
SRTP – Sustainability Research and Training Program researchers Dr. Alan Meier and Dr. Angela Sanguinetti (UC Davis) and Dr. Rick Tutwiler (AUC) conducted additional field work at The Sustainable City in Dubai.
September 2018
UCDAR Steering Committee – met online on September 6.
October 2018
Gendering STEM Education – October 11-13, the second international workshop met at the International Center of UC Davis.
SRTP – October 23-25, SRTP grantee Dr. Alan Meier and Nermin Dessouky presented findings at the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition in Dubai, UAE.
December 2018
UCDAR Steering Committee – met online on December 13.
January 2019
UCDAR Steering Committee – met online on January 28.
February 2019
Gendering STEM Education – February 7-9, the third international workshop met at the International Center of UC Davis.
March 2019
Lunch Lecture – On March 5 Yaser Abunnasr, PhD; Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management; Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut and Stephen M. Wheeler, Ph.D., Professor of Urban Design and Sustainability, Landscape Architecture Program, Department of Human Ecology, UC Davis and Jake Dialesandro, PhD student in the Department of Land Air and Water Resources at UC Davis presented their research on Mitigating Heat Islands in Dryland Communities. Their project was funded by the Sustainability Research and Training Program.
UCDAR Steering Committee – met online on March 14.
April 2019
UCDAR Steering Committee – will meet on April 23 via videoconference.
June 2019
Gendering STEM Education – June 10, the fourth international workshop will convene at the the American University of Beirut.