Join Us
Want to attend our
next Aggie Hour?
If you didn't receive the email invite from the Dean's office, email Stephanie Perla.
CA&ES faculty and staff are invited to join Aggie Hour, a monthly one-hour zoom webinar hosted by Dean Ashley M. Stokes. This live event will be held on the last Thursday of every month and will have a standing agenda highlighting college updates and new initiatives. Each month one to two guest speakers will attend to share news about their work or spotlight their newest project.
Upcoming 2026-2027 Dates
- Thursday, June 18
- Thursday, July 23
- Thursday, August 27
- Thursday, September 24
- Thursday, October 29
- Thursday, November 19
- Thursday, December 17
- Thursday, January 28
- Thursday, February 25
- Thursday, March 25
- Thursday, April 29
- Thursday, May 27
- Thursday, June 24
Past Agendas
- July 13, 2025
Welcome—Dean Ashley M. Stokes
Update on campus goals—Provost Mary Croughan
Leadership Update—Jason Bond, interim executive associate dean
Staff Spotlight—UC Davis Delivers—Caren Weintraub, director of communications
Recap of the “Big Day of Birding” with the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology including:
Daniel Karp, associate professor
Rob Furrow, assistant professor
Zane Pickus, undergraduate student
- August 28, 2025
Welcome—Dean Ashley M. Stokes
Special Guest—Secretary Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture
Leadership Update—Brian McEligot, executive assistant dean of finance and administration
Staff Spotlight—Salute to Ag—Joe Proudman, CLEAR Center associate director for communications and Jen Thayer, associate director of development and donor relations
Brian Bailey, assistant professor
Christine Diepenbrock, assistant professor
Mason Earles, assistant professor
- September 25, 2025
Welcome—Dean Ashley M. Stokes
Special Guest—Andrew Holtz, director of mechanized equipment development, D’Arrigo Brothers of California
Leadership Update—Sue Ebeler, associate dean of undergraduate academic programs
Staff Spotlight—Advising and Recruitment
Leslie Charlton, director
Co Hawes, student leadership program coordinator
Nick Lee, Aggie Jumpstart and community coordinator
Vanessa Talavera, student outreach coordinator
Research Highlight–Ian Faloona, professor, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, California wildfires and air quality
- October 30, 2025
Welcome—Dean Ashley M. Stokes
Leadership Update—Annie Roeser, assistant dean of development
Staff Spotlight—Early Childhood Lab School—Kelly Twibell, director
Faculty Highlight–Ben Montpetit, professor, Department of Viticulture and Enology
- November 20, 2025
Welcome—Dean Ashley M. Stokes
Special Guest—Brandon Minto, federal government relations director, UC Davis Government and Community Relations
Leadership Update—Ermias Kebreab, associate dean of global engagement
Staff Spotlight—CalFresh—Kamaljeet Khaira, director
Faculty Highlight–Rob Lusardi, assistant professor
- December 18, 2025
Welcome—Dean Ashley M. Stokes
Special Guest—Chancellor Gary May
Leadership Update—Marcel Holyoak, associate dean for environmental sciences
Staff Spotlight—Employee Sentiment Survey—Nephi Lewis, human resources director
Faculty Highlight–Eduardo Blumwald, distinguished professor, Department of Plant Sciences- January 29, 2026
Welcome—Dean Ashley M. Stokes
Special Guest—Shannon Douglass, president, California Farm Bureau
Leadership Update—Caren Weintraub, communications director
Staff Spotlight—Digital Accessibility Program—Brad Starkey-Owens, digital accessibility program manager
Faculty Highlight–Carson Jeffres, adjunct professor and senior researcher, Department of Environmental Science and Policy- Friday, February 27, 2026
Welcome—Dean Ashley M. Stokes
Special Guest—Douglas Steele, senior vice president of food, agriculture and natural resources, APLU
Leadership Update—Amanda Guyer, associate dean of human and social sciences
Staff Spotlight—California Native Plant Foods Symposium—Dan Potter, professor and chair, Department of Plant Sciences; and Heather Hayashi, communications specialist, UC ANR
Faculty Highlight—Dan Sumner, distinguished professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
- Thursday, March 26, 2026
Welcome—Dean Ashley M. Stokes
Special Guest—Chris Zanobini, president and CEO, Ag Association Management Services, Inc., and CA&ES alum
Leadership Update—Anne Todgham, associate dean of agricultural sciences
Staff Spotlight—Florence (Flora) Jathanna, student activities and engagement coordinator, Undergraduate Academic Programs, and Kathryn L. Teixeira, associate professor of teaching, Department of Animal Science
Faculty Highlight—Florent Trouillas, professor of Cooperative Extension, Department of Plant Pathology
- Thursday, April 30, 2026
Welcome—Dean Ashley M. Stokes
Special Guest—Keali'i Bright, undersecretary for natural resources, California Natural Resources Agency
Leadership Update—Brian McEligot, Executive Assistant Dean of Finance and Administration
Staff Spotlight—Israel Herrera, manager and Luis Loza, row crop supervisor, Russell Ranch; Alexis Wivell, graduate student, CLEAR Center
Faculty Highlight—Daniele Zaccaria, Associate Agricultural Water Management Specialist in Cooperative Extension, Land, Air and Water Resources
- Thursday, May 28, 2026
Welcome—Dean Ashley M. Stokes
Special Guest—Danny Bernstein, CEO and managing partner, Reservoir
Leadership Update—Brian McEligot, executive assistant dean of finance and administration
Resnick Center—Annie Roeser, assistant dean of development
Faculty Highlight—Chris Simmons, department chair and professor, Food Science and Technology