2007 UC Davis Fall Convocation

Welcome and introductions

By UC Regent Odessa Johnson

UC Regent Odessa Johnson's sources of inspiration included her mother, who valued education, and a professor from New York University who offered Johnson a scholarship. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis photo)

Good morning everyone and welcome to UC Davis’ 2007 Convocation.

I’m University of California Regent Odessa Johnson, and I’m so pleased to have been asked to serve as your emcee today.

Before we get started with the formal program, please join me in thanking the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra under the direction of D. Kern Holoman for that wonderful music.

Fall Convocation is such a special occasion because it marks a beginning — and it offers an opportunity to bring the university community together.

It is a time to celebrate the start of a new academic year and all of the great promise and possibilities for achievement the coming year holds.

Again, I am honored to be taking part in this important tradition at UC Davis.

It’s great to see so many of you here today — students, faculty and staff who, together, make UC Davis such a wonderful academic community and, of course, the many donors and volunteers — including UC Davis Foundation trustees and members of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association, among others — all the many great friends of UC Davis who do so much to support the great work you’re doing every day.

Thank you for coming. In just a few moments, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from our guest speakers about today’s theme, “Finding — and Being — the Inspiration.”

But first, please allow me to present the stage party.

Will you please stand as I call your names?

First, please extend a very warm welcome to Larry Vanderhoef, chancellor of UC Davis.

Next, please join me in welcoming UC Davis’ interim provost and executive vice chancellor, Barbara Horwitz.

And here to represent UC Davis’ outstanding faculty are:

Robert Powell, vice chair of the Academic Senate
and Barbara Goldman, Academic Federation Representative

Here to represent dedicated staff all across the university, please welcome

Lin King, Class of ’92, chair of the UC Davis Staff Assembly

And here on behalf of UC Davis’ exceptional student body are:

Kareem Salem, Class of’ ’08, president of the Associated Students of UC Davis, the student government of undergraduates
And James Hodgson, chair of the Graduate Student Association.

The next member of the stage party is chair of the UC Davis Foundation. Please welcome Meg Stallard, Class of ’68.

Next, please welcome the president of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association, Floyd Shimomura, Class of '70, J.D. ‘73.

And now I’d like to introduce our five guest speakers, who will be sharing their thoughts on this year’s convocation theme:

Alfredo Arredondo, Class of ’08, senior anthropology major;
Mertie Shelby, Sacramento educator and former principal of Father Keith B. Kenny College Prep Elementary School;
Isao Fujimoto, senior lecturer emeritus of Asian American Studies;
Craig McNamara, Class of ‘76, founder of the Center for Land-Based Learning and president/owner of Sierra Orchards;
Debra Cleveland, Class of ’97, Student Affairs Web content coordinator.

Many thanks to each of you for being here today. We look forward to hearing from you later on in the program.

When Chancellor Vanderhoef invited me to share in this occasion, he asked if I might speak a bit to this year’s theme of “Finding — and Being — the Inspiration.”

When I think about where I came from — having gone to school where I never had a new textbook and having worked in someone else’s kitchen for a good portion of my life.

It's hard to believe that I’m standing here now as a University of California regent and emcee for UC Davis’ convocation.

There are two people who stand out as the greatest inspirations in my life:

My mother, who taught me to value education and Dr. Jeanne Nobel, who provided me with an opportunity that changed my life.

Dr. Nobel was a professor at New York University and president of the sorority I belonged to at Tennessee State. She also happened to be the “founder’s day” speaker for my sorority when I was an undergraduate.

Dr. Nobel didn’t know me, but she asked me an important question that day: “What do you want to do when you graduate?” I told her: “I don’t know — maybe be a secretary and have seven kids or so.”

Dr. Nobel took a risk and offered me an opportunity. She said:

“How about this? I know the dean at the business school at New York University. I’ll hook you up. We’ll give you a national scholarship, and make sure that you have housing and a job. That way, you can get your master’s degree.”

I don’t know why Dr. Nobel did that, but that hand-up changed the course of my life and I’ve never forgotten it.

I’m guessing that she did it because she had someone in her own life who inspired her or offered her an unexpected opportunity — and that this was her way of “paying it forward.”

We all have our own personal histories, but we’ve got to look back sometimes and realize how others have helped us along the way.

The point is that each and every one of us can be an inspiration to those around us and, by doing so, can truly make a difference in others’ lives.

It’s clear to me from all of the wonderful things happening at UC Davis that you are indeed finding and being the inspiration every day.

UC Davis has made so many advances over the years, and has become a tremendous asset — a treasure really — to the UC system and to Northern California.

And the work that UC Davis is doing is clearly engaging others, and inspiring them as well.

This beautiful Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, for example, not only represents UC Davis’ vision to enrich the cultural landscape of the Sacramento region, but it also represents the generosity of Robert and Margrit Mondavi —and the many other donors and friends of UC Davis — who shared in, and helped to realize, that vision through their philanthropic support.

The recent $100 million philanthropic grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation provides another example of how UC Davis is inspiring others to provide unprecedented support.

UC Davis has most certainly been making impressive contributions to medical research, patient care and healthcare education and will continue to do so as the soon-to-be site of the state’s newest professional nursing school — the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.

And, of course, it’s not surprising that UC Davis — with its agricultural roots dating back nearly 100 years — is also leading the way toward a healthier environment, healthier living, and energy alternatives that are mindful of the earth’s precious resources.

The recent Washington Monthly rankings — which placed UC Davis eighth among all universities nationwide for your contributions to society — is most certainly testimony to all of this great work — work that reflects an inspired academic community dedicated to making a real difference in people’s lives.

Last updated Oct. 1, 2007

Questions or comments? Contact Susanne Rockwell, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-2542