University News

The University of California, Davis, announced the recipients of the 2022 Chancellor’s Innovation Awards at an in-person event on June 16. The awards recognize faculty, community partners and industry leaders developing innovative solutions to improve the lives of others and address important needs in our global society.  

We have so much to celebrate this June! The class of 2022 is graduating after a profound and successful school year, and we look forward to the first spring commencement in two years, happening June 10-12. This year, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is graduating approximately 1,844 undergraduates and 106 graduate students.

The end of the academic year is a time to celebrate students’ successes. Eight undergraduate students are being honored by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) for their exceptional accomplishments in the areas of academic excellence, distinctive leadership and community service. This year, a CA&ES student will be honored as the top graduating senior at UC Davis.

Senior Amanda Portier of the University of California, Davis, led the team of hundreds that put on this year’s Picnic Day — attended by tens of thousands of people and believed to be the largest student-run event in the country. She also has been a mentor to individuals with intellectual disabilities, shed light on social justice issues and achieved a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average. 

Trisha “Tris” Nicole Sabay Yasay was a cherished and beloved student in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. Her untimely death in a collision on May 25 leaves a hole in our classrooms, at our Student Farm, in our homes and in our hearts.

“The community of students, staff and faculty of Department of Plant Sciences express their deep condolences to the family of Tris,” department Chair Gail Taylor said. “We are all devastated by the loss of her life. At our Plant Sciences Symposium today, we observed a minute of silence to hold Tris and her family in our thoughts.”

Adapted from the Hispanic Outlook magazine news release:

UC Davis student Laura Garza Díaz, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in hydrologic sciences, has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Neal Van Alfen and James MacDonald Graduate Student Award. She’s being recognized by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Graduate Education Committee for her demonstrated leadership and original research that supports the college’s mission to serve agriculture, the environment and human health and development.

Three faculty members from the University of California, Davis, have been elected as members of the National Academy of Sciences. They are among 120 new members and 30 international members announced by the academy May 3. 

Four advisors at UC Davis are being recognized for all the ways they support student success in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The recipients of the 2022 Eleanor and Harry Walker Academic Advising Awards are:

Two faculty from the University of California, Davis, have been elected as new members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Established in 1780, the academy honors individuals dedicated to its message and goal of examining new ideas, addressing issues of importance to the nation and the world, and advancing the public good.