Spring has arrived on campus! The trees are blooming and there are vibrant flowers everywhere. The sky is a brilliant bright blue, and the sun finally feels warm. Spring is one of the most tangible examples of change and a reminder that we are firmly rooted in growth and rebirth. As an institution, it is our business to facilitate growth and change in ways that inspire faculty to encourage greater understanding and expanding thought, while creating impactful solutions that educate and support our students and the communities we serve.  

Eight faculty from UC Davis – including three from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences – are among 471 scientists, engineers and innovators newly elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the society announced today, March 27. AAAS fellows are recognized for their exceptional achievements in science, including research, teaching, administration and science communication.

Here are the new fellows from UC Davis, with their fellowship citations:

Recent testing of material distributed from the Foundation Plant Services Classic Foundation Vineyard at the University of California, Davis, detected zero cases of grapevine red blotch and grapevine leafroll associated virus-3 infections, after one positive result during annual testing last fall.

California produces 99% of the nation’s pistachios, generating nearly $3 billion in economic value in the state. But pistachios have been slightly understudied in part because of the lack of a high-quality map of their DNA. University of California, Davis, researchers have now generated the most comprehensive genome sequence of the pistachio, allowing plant breeders to create better — perhaps more nutritious — varieties. They’ve also detailed how pistachio nuts develop, which will help farmers manage their crop more sustainably.

Almost everywhere in California, salmon are on the decline. But in Putah Creek — a restored stream running through the University of California, Davis, campus — wild salmon are not only increasing, they also are completing their life cycle.

Ashley Stokes, professor and dean emeritus at the University of Tennessee, will join UC Davis as its new dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences on July 1. 

Stokes, a professor of veterinary large animal clinical sciences, served as dean of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s UT Extension, overseeing a budget of $100 million and 1,000 faculty and staff. She also has held leadership roles at Colorado State University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa and has more than 30 years of experience in higher education. 

Diet. Just the word alone can trigger an uneasy feeling and heated discussions with seemingly endless flavors of recommendations. Over the years, Americans have shifted in our general approach to food based on evolving guidance. In the span of a few decades we have gone from the “eat less fat, cholesterol and salt” model to a heightened focus on reducing sugar consumption, and most recently towards eating more natural foods and avoiding those that are heavily processed.

Now we are hearing a lot about ultra-processed foods.

The plants in our backyards do more than add beauty – they support local insects and thrive, or struggle, depending on the climate. As temperatures shift and rainfall patterns become less predictable, the timing of when plants bloom and insects emerge is changing.

It was the late 1970s, and a young Chris van Kessel was at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, working on his doctoral degree in the field of nitrogen fixation in plants. His co-supervisor Robert H. Burris, a biochemist known for important contributions to the field, offered him a chance to continue his research with additional financial support. 

In communities across California, residents are grappling with poor air quality, often without a clear understanding of the pollutants in their environment. In Vallejo, a neighborhood near a cement mixing plant struggles with constant dust on the inside of homes, including kitchen cabinets, counters and tables. Other communities contend with traffic and aircraft emissions, industrial pollution and seasonal wildfire smoke.