Welcome to fall quarter! It is always a joy to witness the campus come alive when the students come back to Davis. The quiet productivity of summer is replaced with the busy hum of bikes and scooters, colleagues catching up and the quick upswell of our community. Dorm move-in weekend was busy, and our college gave its usual warm welcome to thousands of incoming first-year and transfer students during College Welcome and at our ice cream social.

UC Davis Professors Joanna Chiu and Andrew Whitehead have been appointed as the new chairs of the Departments of Entomology and Nematology and Environmental Toxicology, respectively. Mary Delany has also been appointed as interim chair for the Department of Human Ecology. As the academic year gets underway, these visionary leaders are set to steer their departments toward groundbreaking research, interdisciplinary collaborations and exceptional experiences for students.

Chancellor Gary S. May issued the following statement today (June 29). University of California President Michael V. Drake also issued a statement.

James “Jim” Seiber, a renowned environmental chemist whose work kickstarted research into the effects of air pollution and who spent decades at UC Davis dedicated to teaching, research and service, died earlier this month. He was 82.

Over the course of more than 25 years and during two different stints, Seiber mentored students, supported faculty, published hundreds of research papers, served as an associate dean and edited many scientific journals.

The University of California, Davis, this week presented its 2023 Innovation Awards, recognizing faculty, community partners and industry leaders who are developing innovative solutions to improve the lives of others and address important needs in our global society.  

At an in-person ceremony June 13, the university presented awards for Innovator of the Year, Innovative Community Partner and Lifetime Achievement in Innovation. The awards program is managed by the Office of Research.

Congratulations to the class of 2023! We are so happy to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of our students. This year, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is graduating approximately 1,850 undergraduates and 176 graduate students. Undergraduate commencement will be held June 16-18 at the Golden 1 Center. Our graduating class always inspires me and it is a joy to watch them grow from first-year and transfer students into future leaders ready to move forward onto new paths of opportunity. Our graduates embody dedication, commitment and so much potential.

In the aftermath of a tragedy, the process of healing can be difficult. At UC Davis, there’s a committee that works to ensure support and assistance are provided after a sudden student death.

Sue Ebeler, associate dean of Undergraduate Academic Programs within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES), has been a member of the UC Davis Postvention Committee since its inception in 2019, and is reminded of the importance of community, compassion and resilience in the face of adversity.

There is no way around the fact that May has been a difficult month for our community. The violent attacks on three of our community members have left us shocked and horrified. We are still grappling with the heartache we feel over the loss of UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm and Davis resident Henry Breaux whose mission in life was to define compassion. We also hold space for the third victim, Kimberlee Guillory, and hope that she is recovering well. Karim was a beloved and exceptionally bright student and he is missed dearly.

Mary Jade Farruggia, a Ph.D. candidate with the Graduate Group in Ecology, is this year’s recipient of the Neal Van Alfen and James MacDonald Graduate Student Award for her outstanding academic performance and dedication to service and leadership.

This $7,500 award was established to honor the contributions of former dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Dean Van Alfen, and former executive associate, Dean MacDonald.

Three professors from the University of California, Davis, have been elected as members of the National Academy of Sciences. They are among 120 new members and 23 international members announced by the academy May 2. Members are elected in recognition of their contributions to original research. Membership in the academy is considered one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve.