Spring is a traditional time of renewal, a reawakening of life. We see this through the new growth in our fields and greenhouses, the births happening in our barns and from the energy in our communities as people start to enjoy the outdoors. This year feels even more renewing as our society rebounds from the pandemic, and we are experiencing that here as our town and campus slowly come back to life.

Chancellor Gary S. May issued the following statement today (April 20):

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”  — Martin Luther King Jr.

Today, we learned that a jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

UC Davis alumnus Bill Werner has been promoted to lead manager for the extensive network of greenhouses located across campus. He has worked with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) greenhouse team since 2017.

I can’t believe that I am once again struggling to comprehend the senseless killing of black men and women. Coupling that with the rise in hate crimes against the Asian Pacific Islander community, I wonder, when our communities will become safer for people of color? To quote Chancellor May, it’s exhausting.  

They influence policymakers, train those caring for the underserved, have helped the university respond to the coronavirus pandemic, mentor students and more — they are the 16 scholars honored by the Academic Senate and Academic Federation this year.

Professor and CA&ES Associate Dean Patsy Eubanks Owens has been named a fellow of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA). She was one of two individuals to receive the honor during the organization’s 2021 conference March 19.

The University of California, Davis, took top spots in veterinary science, and agriculture and forestry, according to the 2021 QS World University Rankings by Subject released today (March 3). 

Quacquarelli Symonds, considered one of the most influential international university rankings providers, ranked UC Davis first in the nation and second in the world in both subjects.

Last year, the CA&ES Dean’s Office established the 2020 Academic and Strategic Planning (ASP) committee to review and update the 2015 Academic and Strategic Plan at the request of campus leadership. For the past five years, our college strategic plan has served as the foundational guide for how we continue to uphold our land grant mission to serve the public through research, academics and public service. 2020 marked the five-year anniversary of the initial plan, and we were due for an update.

Department of Animal Science Professor Jim Fadel has been awarded a certificate of merit from The Global Community for Academic Advising (NACADA).

Fadel is the former master advisor for the animal science and management major. He was selected in the region 9 excellence in advising category for a faculty advisor and will be honored during the organization’s virtual regional conference March 23-24.

From encouraging increased diversity to an innovative leadership program that employs interdisciplinary training in soil and plant health, two professors are spearheading projects that advance graduate and postgraduate training in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis.

Charlie Brummer, professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, will lead a program that seeks to recruit two doctoral and two master’s students in plant breeding from underrepresented groups.