Blogs

Today my guest is UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May, who happens to be my most-requested interview.

May became UC Davis’ 7th chancellor in 2017. He leads the most comprehensive campus in the University of California system, with four colleges and six professional schools. UC Davis enrolls more than 39,000 students, brings in nearly $850 million annually in sponsored research, and contributes $8 billion annually to California’s economy. It’s an institution that brought many alums, like yours truly, to Davis and helped us find a home and make a difference locally.

This week, UC Davis was once again rated among the top colleges in the country in the latest “Best Colleges” rankings by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked UC Davis the 11th-best public school in the United States, and the 39th-best school overall.

It is the time to celebrate Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, and honor the changing seasons and celebrate the harvest. This is a time of giving thanks for the things we have, whether it is abundant crops or other blessings. It's a time of plenty, of gratitude, and of sharing our abundance with those less fortunate.

This week's program will feature artists Lisa Thiel, Lúnasa, Malinky, Jenna Greene, Libana, two selections from the just released album "Wrackline" by Folkworks: Fay Hield, Omnia, the Afro-Celt Sound System, FAUN and Northern Ireland's Déanta.

Tune in Tuesday 11:00 to Noon with replay Wednesday evening from 6:00 to 7:00 pm or stream @kdrt.org. Celtic Songlines is available on iTunes. 

Each week on the "COVID-19 Community Report," we share local news and resources, focusing on what’s impacting Davis and nearby cities in Yolo County during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today on Episode 35, I'll interview Koren Motekaitis about her longtime role co-directing youth swim program Davis AquaMonsters. We'll discuss impacts of the pandemic on youth sports, including how it's narrowing future options for recognition and scholarships.

I'll also talk with Stacie Frerichs, executive director of the Davis Arts Center, about how they've had to pivot and change during the pandemic.

Tune in live Tuesdays at noon on 95.7FM or online, where you can also see the entire show archive.

Celtic Songlines celebrates the music, stories and traditions of Ireland, the United Kingdom and other Celtic lands.

On this week's program: accordionist extraordinaire Billy McComiskey with guitarist John Doyle and fiddler Liz Carroll, The Chieftains, Cherish the Ladies, vocalist Niamh Parsons, Scottish activist Alistair Hulett, Kevin Burke & Open House, Gaelic linguist and singer @Julie Fowlis, The Purple Minds of Lazeron, Loreena McKennitt, Lunasa, Natalie MacMaster, Steeleye Span, Alasdair Fraser & guitarist Tony McManus.

Tune into KDRT 95.7FM or stream @kdrt.org Tuesday at 11:00 a.m to Noon with replay Wed. 6:00 to 7:00 pm.

This unparalleled time we're living through affects not only our physical health, but our mental health as well. Today I'll speak with Sara Gavin, LMFT/LPCC. She serves as Chief Behavioral Health Officer at CommuniCare Health Centers, overseeing a 100-person team of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder services in Yolo County,  and also sits on the Board of Directors of National Alliance for NAMI-Yolo. We'll speak about current mental health challenges, how providers have pivoted in response to COVID, and what kinds of resources NAMI offers.

In our second interview, I'll also chat with Melanie Carr, a Davis resident who's been offering a "Tuesday Table" through the pandemic, a "take what you need" offering in one Davis neighborhood. We'll hear about why she started it, and what it offers.

Show airs live today, Sept. 1, at noon, and repeats and is archived at kdrt.org.

My guest tomorrow will be Dr. Larissa May, MD, MSPH, MSHS, who began serving as Yolo County's Public Health Officer earlier this Dr. May is a professor of emergency medicine and a public health expert at UC Davis Health. She is a board certified emergency physician, with an interest in quality improvement and patient safety. Her work has often focused on the epidemiology and management of infectious diseases, including best practices for diagnostic testing, outbreak response and infection prevention. Dr. May has many accomplishments and awards in the medical field, including recently receiving the American College of Emergency Physicians’ Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Section Service Award. She also was honored with a Chief of Staff Award for her outstanding contributions as leader of the Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship Program at UC Davis Health. Dr. May received her Bachelor of Science (BS), Medical Degree (MD), Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) and Master of Science in Health Science (MSHS) from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.