Team Henlight — three young UC Davis employees with a vision for boosting global chicken production and food security with a small solar-powered LED light — won first place and $10,000 in the international Thought for Food Challenge Summit in Berlin.

Two of the team members are alumni: Emily Sin, a recent avian sciences graduate who now examines sustainable sourcing of raw agricultural materials for the Information Center for the Environment and Agricultural Sustainability Institute; and Edward Silva, a recent international agricultural development graduate who is now program coordinator for the Sustainable AgTech Innovation Center in the Graduate School of Management.

The third member of the team isLorena Galvan, a University of Oregon graduate who is program coordinator for the Central Valley Scholars Program with the Internship and Career Center.

One of more than 115 teams to enter the challenge, Team Henlight was selected over four other finalist teams that also progressed to the summit, with a team from the Netherlands taking second place.

Earlier coverage.

Reading the Past Across Time and Space

Prominent scholars from UC Davis and around the world will participate in a three-day conference focusing on ancient, medieval and early modern texts and how they are received by different cultures, at different times.

Receptions: Reading the Past Across Time and Space, sponsored by the UC Davis Humanities Institute and the Academic Senate's New Research Initiatives, is scheduled from Friday through Sunday (Sept. 27-29). Admission is free and open to the public at the conference's two venues: 126 Voorhies Hall and the Conference Center.

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter, distinguished professor of classics and comparative literature, is scheduled to give a Friday night talk, “Epic Worlds."

Wai Chee Dimock, the William Lampson Professor of English and American Studies, Yale University, will address “Recycling the Epic: Gilgamesh on Three Continents,” in the conference keynote on Saturday.

Discussion topics include classical interpretations of medieval maps, a look at crusade narratives, examinations of ancient verse, and contrasting takes on the Arthurian and Knights of the Round Table legends.

Disability Awareness Symposium

“UC Davis Veterans: Challenges and Successes” is the theme for this year’s Disability Awareness Symposium, scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, in the multipurpose room at the Student Community Center.

The Accessible Technology and Resource Fair will be taking place around the same time, only longer, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the same room.

The resource fair and symposium are free and open to the campus community. For accommodation requests, please contact Dave Ritz, daritz@ucdavis.edu, by Thursday (Sept. 26).

The symposium’s featured speakers, all veterans:

• Albert Revives, Readjustment and Counseling Service, Sacramento Veterans Center, speaking on “Life after Active Duty for Our Veterans”
• Ben Kavoussi, student, Family Nurse Practitioner-Physician Assistant Program, UC Davis Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing
• Victor Garcia, student affairs officer, Transfer, UC Davis Re-Entry, and Veterans Center.

Kavoussi and Garci, who enrolled at UC davis after serving their country, will share their experiences of returning to academic life and some of the challenges those who have served in the military face when they return to civilian life.

Sponsors: Chancellor’s Disability Issues Administrative Advisory Committee, and the Office of Campus Community Relations.

Wine leaders enthusiastic about industry future

Despite long-term concerns about climate change and regulatory pressures, California wine industry leaders are once again quite bullish about their business, according to two new surveys conducted by UC Davis.

Findings from the surveys of wine executives and industry professionals were due to be presented this morning (Sept. 24) during the Wine Industry Financial Symposium at the Napa Valley Marriott in Napa.

"The wine industry, by and large, has weathered the worst of the economic downturn of this decade," said Robert Smiley, professor and dean emeritus of the Graduate School of Management.

Read more.

Follow Dateline UC Davis on Twitter.