The Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) has a number of announcements for April:
First, we send out this newsletter once a month plus many other notices from our partners and collaborators on social media. Please join us on these platforms if you are interested in keeping up with the latest: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Second, we are partnering with the Utah Treasurer’s Office and others to host the first annual Women in the Money: Financial Empowerment Conference at the Sheraton in SLC on April 22, 2019 (Register here), $25 for full day. There are workshops for any level, and you’ll not want to miss it. I’m moderating the opening session and panelists include: Reyna Aburto (LDS General Relief Society Presidency), Jonyce Bullock (Managing Partner, Squire), Susan Speirs (Utah Association of CPAs & Jump$tart Coalition), and Erin Jemison (Director of Public Policy, YWCA). You can see the program and breakout titles at the bottom of this page.
Third, we are pleased to announce the release of four new resources:
Fourth, we are now collecting data on Utah Companies Survey: Women's Programs, Initiatives, and Support. This brief survey is designed to gather information on activities and initiatives at Utah businesses aiming to recruit, retain, and advance women within their organizations. We are specifically looking for information in two areas: (1) formal and informal women’s groups and networks within a company, and (2) other practices (including HR policies and procedures) specifically benefitting women within a company. We invite companies, nonprofit organizations, government entities, and other types of organizations to complete this survey. We are also continuing to compile our list of women experts in the state at this link.
Fifth, if you are a researcher/scholar studying (or want to study) topics related to gender in Utah, Drs. Christy Glass (USU), Wendy Fox Kirk (WSU), and myself have created a network titled the Utah Gender Research Interdisciplinary Network (UGRIN). We will be holding a 3-hour network gathering at the University of Utah titled, “UGRIN Inaugural Statewide Meeting of Scholars” on May 7, 10:00am-1:00pm. Our institutions and the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah are sponsoring this event. Contact Dr. Fox Kirk (wendyfoxkirk@weber.edu) if you want more details.
Finally, check out a few March editorials: Guest opinion: Utah has a great deal to celebrate During Women’s History Month, How Did Utah Rank on WalletHub's "2019's Best & Worst States for Women"?, Guest op-ed: Martha Hughes Cannon statue going to Washington, Susan R. Madsen: What women want from men — A sponsor, Susan Madsen: Why I opened savings accounts for my newborn grandchildren. Also, here is the latest LinkedIn article: How Can You Evaluate a Company's Impact on Women Employees?
Enjoy April!
Susan
Dr. Susan R. Madsen
Orin R. Woodbury Professor of Leadership and Ethics
Woodbury School of Business, Utah Valley University
Founding Director, Utah Women & Leadership Project
madsensu@uvu.edu
www.utwomen.org
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Receive 10 Free Shade Trees by Joining the Arbor Day Foundation
National Arbor Day is Friday, April 26, this year, and the Arbor Day Foundation is making it easy for anyone to celebrate the annual tree-planting holiday. Join the Foundation in April and receive 10 free shade trees.
By joining the Foundation in April, new members receive the following trees: red oak, sugar maple, weeping willow, baldcypress, thornless honeylocust, pin oak, river birch, tuliptree, silver maple and red maple.
The free trees are part of the Foundation’s Trees for America campaign.
“These trees provide shade in the summer and vibrant colors throughout the fall,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Through the simple act of planting trees, one person can make a difference in helping to create a healthier and more beautiful planet for all of us to enjoy.”
The trees will be shipped postpaid with enclosed planting instructions at the right time for planting in April or May. The 6- to 12-inch trees are guaranteed to grow or they will be replaced free of charge.
To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, visit arborday.org/april or send a $10 contribution by April 30 to:
Arbor Day Foundation
Ten Free Shade Trees
100 Arbor Avenue
Nebraska City, NE 68410
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(WASHINGTON, D.C., April 2, 2019) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) today announced its toxoplasmosis research has been redirected and the use of cats as part of any research protocol in any ARS laboratory has been discontinued and will not be reinstated.
“Food safety research in ARS is of paramount importance for agriculture and the public we serve,” ARS Administrator Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young said. “We are continually assessing our research and priorities and aligning our resources to the problems of highest national priority. We are excited for the next chapter of work for these scientists and this laboratory.”
Background:
ARS is a world leader in research on the Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) parasite, which causes toxoplasmosis, a disease considered to be a leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, especially for individuals with weak immune systems such as children and HIV patients. The agency’s research in this area has borne undeniable results – including helping to cut the prevalence of T. gondii by as much as 50 percent in the United States.
Over the course of this research, ARS worked to minimize reliance on cats – the only hosts in which T. gondii can complete its life cycle and produce oocysts (eggs) – as agency researchers worked to understand and combat toxoplasmosis.
In May 2018, after hearing the feedback of our customers and stakeholders, USDA took several actions, including commissioning external and internal scientific reviews that assessed the agency’s involvement in this research area and the feasibility of adoption for cats used in the research. Additionally, no cats have been infected with toxoplasmosis pathogens or euthanized since September 2018.
In November 2018, an external independent panel charged with reviewing the safety of adopting the cats unanimously agreed that cats infected with toxoplasmosis pathogens should not be placed for adoption, as the risk to human health was too great. ARS has had no infected cats on any facility premises since September 2018.
The panel recommended that cats that were never infected with the T. gondii parasite should be made available for adoption. USDA is in the process of adopting these 14 cats to USDA employees in accordance with regulatory guidelines.
ARS toxoplasmosis research has reached its maturity and ARS considers the project’s objectives for agriculture achieved. While there is still additional research needed in this area regarding human health, this research area is outside of USDA’s stated mission.
Effective immediately at the recommendation of ARS scientists under the leadership of Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young:
USDA remains committed to its mission of finding scientific solutions for the nation’s most critical agricultural problems with the strictest adherence to ethical standards.
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With Tax Day fast approaching and the new tax code taking effect this year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its 2019 Tax Burden by State report as well as accompanying videos, along with its 2019 Tax Facts infographic.
In order to determine which states tax their residents most aggressively, WalletHub compared the 50 states based on the three components of state tax burden — property taxes, individual income taxes, and sales and excise taxes — as a share of total personal income.
States with Highest Tax Burdens (%)
States with Lowest Tax Burdens (%)
1
New York (12.97%)
41
Wyoming (7.51%)
2
Hawaii (11.71%)
T-42
Alabama (7.28%)
3
Maine (10.84%)
T-42
South Dakota (7.28%)
4
Vermont (10.77%)
44
Montana (7.27%)
5
Minnesota (10.25%)
45
Oklahoma (7.12%)
6
Rhode Island (10.20%)
46
New Hampshire (6.86%)
7
New Jersey (9.86%)
47
Florida (6.56%)
8
Connecticut (9.70%)
48
Tennessee (6.28%)
9
Illinois (9.67%)
49
Delaware (5.55%)
10
Iowa (9.49%)
50
Alaska (5.10%)
Key Stats – Tax Facts Infographic
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-highest-lowest-tax-burden/20494/
