Research Powered Through Collaboration
Donor support plays an important role in making this progress possible. Through generous gifts, our college is advancing research and pioneering new solutions across all of our departments. It’s a team effort, and we’re so thankful for the support we receive that helps turn big ideas into real impact that benefits people and communities.
A Gift that Grows
Pistachio Research for a Changing Climate
Thanks to a generous gift from pistachio grower Rod Stiefvater, owner of Oro Vista Farms in Kern County, students and researchers are working alongside faculty and Cooperative Extension specialists using tissue culture techniques that efficiently grow new pistachio cultivars. This approach helps the team test and develop stronger varieties that can withstand extreme heat, drought and other climate challenges facing California’s $3 billion pistachio industry.
Endowed Chair Supports Bold, Sustainability-focused Research
Ben Montpetit, yeast biologist and chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology, is the new Richard M. Kunde Endowed Chair, named in honor of a pioneering Sonoma grape grower and UC Davis alum whose generous gift supports the future of grape and wine research. With support from the endowment, Montpetit and a team of researchers are studying wild yeast strains in California vineyards, including some newly evolved hybrids of European and native oak yeasts. These could yield wines with enhanced flavors and regionally unique identities.
Supporting the Science Behind Every Bite
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has established the Kathleen Nelson Feicht Endowed Chair, which will bring lasting support to the Department of Food Science and Technology. As a proud UC Davis graduate, Katie Nelson Feicht’s experience working alongside faculty on research projects sparked a lifelong journey into food science and ultimately inspired this gift. Feicht is president and founder of Asta Food Research, a product development and consulting firm. This endowment will help keep the department resilient and impactful by supporting a top faculty member with unrestricted funding to allow the department’s research and curriculum to stay at the forefront of the food industry, with a focus on topics like food safety, product innovation and microbiology.
Supporting Plant-forward Innovation
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has established the Mohini Jain Presidential Chair Fund that will support research that explores how food can prevent chronic disease and promote long-term health. The position is held by Professor Francene Steinberg with the Department of Nutrition, whose work focuses on plant-forward diets and how food components like polyphenols and healthy fats impact inflammation, metabolism and heart health. With this support, Steinberg’s research team is using advanced tools and clinical trials to generate insights that could influence public health policy, food innovation and everyday well-being.
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Donor support drives lasting solutions for agriculture, communities and the environment.
Contact us to learn how to give to our programs and initiatives.