Associate Chancellor Susan Gilbert on May 29 announced the appointments of two UC Davis Human Resources veterans as executive directors, one for UC Davis Health System HR and one for Davis campus HR, each reporting to her.

Steve Chilcott will have primary responsibility for the strategic direction and overall HR service delivery at the UC Davis Health System, and Irene Horgan-Thompson will have the same responsibilities for the Davis campus.

Chilcott has been with UC Davis since 2004, Horgan-Thompson joined UC Davis in 1979 and serves as director of compensation, benefits and Temporary Employment Services on the Davis campus.

The appointments, effective June 1, are part of the Human Resources Strategic Transformation, initiated by Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi in early 2013.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Deborah Agee has been appointed director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, effective June 16.

She is coming here from the University of Texas at Austin, where she served as assistant director of the Office of Student Financial Services. She has 20 years of experience in Title IV student loan programs, enrollment management consulting, software solutions and policy analysis.

Lora Jo Bossio, associate vice chancellor, Student Affairs, announced Agee’s appointment, saying she “has consistently provided vision and leadership for strategic business planning, change management and business process reengineering to measurably streamline operations and improve customer service.

“She has extensive experience in policy and compliance, as well as a passion for higher education and financial aid.”

Agee holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Texas A&M University, Commerce, and a master’s degree in public administration from Texas Tech University.

Bossio acknowledged Trina Wilson’s “superb work” as interim director. “Trina has provided the leadership and expertise so crucial during a transition period and she has done so in her quiet, understated fashion,” Bossio said.

Ebeler named CA&ES associate dean

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences announced the appointment of Professor Susan Ebeler of the Department of Viticulture and Enology as associate dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs.

She succeeds Diane Ullman, who held the post since 2005 and is returning to teaching and research.

Ebeler, a member of the UC Davis faculty since 1994, served as a member and chair of the college’s Undergraduate Program Review Committee, where she advocated for program needs in the areas of student advising and support for laboratory, field and studio classes

She is a member of the CA&ES Undergraduate Advising Review Workgroup that is developing strategies to strengthen advising for students in the college, and she has a proven passion for improving the undergraduate experience in the college.

Ebeler holds two advanced degrees from UC Davis: Ph.D. in agricultural and environmental chemistry, and a master’s in food science. She received a bachelor’s degree in food science at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

She specializes in analytical chemistry, developing methods for analysis and identification of trace components in grape and wine products.

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