Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi will receive an honorary degree from the American College of Greece during its commencement this Saturday (June 28).
 
Each year, the college confers honorary degrees on distinguished leaders who rank among the most influential academicians, artists, politicians and philanthropists in the world. The college has previously honored Doris Kearns Goodwin, historian; Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University; and George Mitchell, former U.S. senator and peace negotiator.
 
Founded in Smyrna (present-day Turkey) in 1875, the American College of Greece is the oldest and largest U.S.-accredited college or university in Europe. The college relocated to Athens in 1923. Enrollment today exceeds 3,000 students, and the college has 37,000 alumni worldwide.
 
Named chancellor in 2009, Katehi holds faculty appointments in electrical and computer engineering, and in women and gender studies.

Her work in electronic circuit design has led to numerous national and international awards both as a technical leader (she holds 19 U.S. patents, and has several additional U.S. patent applications) and and educator.

She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Sustainability partners: UC Davis and Dubai-based developer

Inspired by the energy-efficient UC Davis West Village, Diamond Developers is building its own sustainable city on the outskirts of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The company is collaborating with UC Davis to expand research and develop curricula related to sustainable communities.

The agreement will benefit interdisciplinary research and study on the UC Davis campus and at the developer’s center in Dubai. Scholars throughout the world will be involved in the project, enabling knowledge and research on sustainable development in a variety of climates and settings worldwide.

Under the agreement, Dubai-based Diamond Developers has agreed to disburse to the UC Davis-led project $2.9 million during the next three years. Diamond Developers already has provided the first installment of $200,000 under the agreement.

Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi and Faris Saeed, chief executive officer of Diamond Developers, signed the agreement in Dubai.

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July trainings on collaboration, career management

• Making Collaboration Work — The Office of Campus Dialogue and Deliberation has scheduled two presentations: Wednesday, July 9, on the Sacramento campus, and Thursday, July 10, on the Davis campus. The workshop is open to faculty and other academics, staff, and graduate students and undergraduate students.

Experienced mediator and teacher Carolyn Penny will lead the workshop, which she described as a highly interactive exploration of collaboration: what it is, ways to build trust and accountability, considerations when deciding whether to collaborate, and options to address common collaboration pitfalls.

Registration can be arranged online. The three-hour workshop is free. Space is limited, however, and interested people are expected to register with a commitment to engage fully for the entire workshop. Questions? Contact Peter Hendricks by phone, (530) 754-7741, or email.

• Career Management Academy — Registration is underway for this one-day program to be held Friday, July 18, the last academy of the 2013-14 academic year.

“The Career Management Academy offers comprehensive career assessment that facilitates self-knowledge, job satisfaction and the development of professional goals,” reads an announcement from Staff Development and Professional Services.

Nationally certified career counselora Constance Stevens and Andrea Weiss lead the academy, assisting the participants in inventorying their work values, personality, interests and skills — all of which are integral to developing career goals.

The academy runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Hamilton Room at the Heitman Staff Learning Center. Online registration: lms.ucdavis.edu (click on the Career Management section in the catalog). If you have questions or need enrollment assistance, contact Staff Development and Professional Services by telephone, (530) 752-1766, or email.

Office of Undergraduate Education to relocate

The Office of Undergraduate Education is on the move — first to a temporary home in Haring Hall for the summer and part of the fall, then to Surge III.

In leaving Mrak Hall, the Office of Undergraduate Education will join most of its student-serving units in Surge III. Those units will also be in Haring this summer and part of the fall, while Surge III is renovated.

Surge III will also get a new name: Undergraduate Education. It will house the core administrative team, including the director of Academic Advising, plus the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (including Scantron functions), Academic Assessment, Center for Leadership Learning, University Honors Program, English as a Second Language (director) and Summer Sessions.

The move to Haring Hall (first floor) is scheduled for July 28, and the move to the new Undergraduate Education building is set for mid-October.

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