What started as a simple sketch in Brianna Bobadilla’s notebook has transformed into an eye-catching structure – a hanging table surrounded by benches and elevated side tables. Now on display outside Hunt Hall, just steps from Memorial Union, this piece is one of three unique structures crafted by students in the LDA 160 Design and Build Studio course, which challenges students to build a new small-scale project each fall.

UC Davis students are taking their soil skills to the big stage, earning a spot in the 2025 National Collegiate Soils Contest after securing third place at the Region 6 Soil Judging Competition in New Mexico.

Last month’s regional contest, where undergraduate student teams are scored on their ability to describe and classify soils and landscapes, was held near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The event was hosted by New Mexico State University with assistance by soil scientists with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS, within the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Using long fruit pickers, a UC Davis research team fans out along Putah Creek, plucking the tiny homes of gall wasps from the branches of oak trees. These small, round growths, created by California oak gall wasps, protect their larvae. In the lab, researchers are raising the insects and searching for clues about this cryptic species that’s all around yet rarely noticed.

On a campus where each budding scientist brings unique potential, a student organization at UC Davis recognizes that the future of science thrives on diverse voices and perspectives.

Driven by his passion for food science and brimming with ideas, UC Davis student Dion Skaria created Fit Candy – a nutritious treat that blends sweet and sour flavors while reducing food waste. This innovative gummy candy is crafted from upcycled watermelon rinds.

Distinguished Professor of Entomology Jay Rosenheim noticed a trend during his office hours a few years ago: Many of his undergraduate students wanted research lab experience but were unsure how to get started. Alongside colleagues Louis Yang and Joanna Chiu, they collectively decided to try something different in 2011.

“Our basic idea was to get students into the labs really early in their undergraduate programs,” Rosenheim recalled. “There’s a whole new set of skills that are very different from what students are typically working on in their formal coursework.”

Weather forecasting is a complex and challenging task. But UC Davis graduate student Allan Lee is up for that challenge.

In a celebration of friendship and fermentation, the 2024 UC Davis Iron Brew competition crowns "Brew La-La" as this year's winner. With each sip, this Belgian blonde ale features hints of honeysuckle, wildflowers and citrus blossoms that intertwine with subtle undertones of vanilla, bubble gum and honey. 

Starting May 30 – Available at Gunrock located on campus near the Silo

Starting May 31 – Available at Sudwerk Brewing Co. located at 2001 2nd St., Davis.

Georgian cheese bread, cilantro-blackened fish tacos, quesabirria tacos with seitan and cinnamon sugar churros – four culinary creations but only one was crowned winner of the Upcycled Iron Chef Competition at UC Davis.

April was a busy month for our barn managers and student residents! We can’t get enough of all the baby animals being born this spring. New life brings so much joy to campus and unparallel hands-on learning for our students who are assisting with the births. Take a look at the photo reel above for a peek at students in action. Our photographer managed to attend the birth of a new foal at midnight, caught several new kids on film at the goat barn, and captured students in action with baby chicks at Picnic Day.