University News

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.

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.

A new fellowship in memory of UC Davis alumnus and Napa Valley winemaker Richard A. Ward has been established in the Department of Viticulture and Enology by his widow, Linda Reiff, to help in the development of a new generation of winemakers.

Javier Fernandez-Salvador has been appointed director of the UC Davis Olive Center by Helene Dillard, dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Tributes poured in this week from across the nation for agricultural icon Richard Rominger, who died of a heart attack Sunday near his home in Winters. Rominger, a UC Davis supporter and alum, was a fourth-generation farmer who played pivotal roles in local, state and national agriculture.

Rominger, 93, collapsed at a restaurant as he was arranging to buy meals to donate to families in need, something he did each week.

As we prepare to say goodbye to 2020, we want to share with you a few bright spots—images of our faculty, staff, students and friends of the college who have continued to support our efforts in spite of the challenges we’ve faced during the pandemic. Every day, we are privileged to work and learn with a remarkable and inspiring group of individuals who balance learning, research, teaching and service to the community, even in the face of extreme adversity.