Three smiling women pose for a selfie in front of a building sign.
Dean Ashley M. Stokes was joined by Morgan, an undergrad scholar-athlete, as part of the Chancellor’s Leadership Job Shadowing program. Together, they attended meetings with students from the Aggie Ambassadors program and met other associate deans from the college. (Ashley M. Stokes / UC Davis)
Two researchers stand beside their presentation posters at a conference, smiling.
UC Davis experts attended the American Seed Trade Association's 65th Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference in San Diego. Dean Stokes joined faculty, staff and students at this popular networking event for global leaders in agriculture. (Ashley M. Stokes/UC Davis)
A group of smiling people poses for a selfie at a UC Davis booth with various materials on a table.
The number one agricultural school in the United States was well represented at the 2026 World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA. Dean Stokes, faculty and staff welcomed future Aggies, alumni and visitors to their booth. (Ashley M. Stokes / UC Davis)
Two people collaborate on a laptop, with snacks, in a busy cafe setting.
Students grabbed a slice of pizza and sought answers to their advising questions during a recent Slice of Advising event hosted by Undergraduate Academic Programs at the Student Community Center. (Jael Mackendorf / UC Davis)
Two individuals work at a table, engaged in a creative project with various materials.
UC Davis welcomed many visitors to the 15th annual Biodiversity Museum Day on February 21, 2026. Attendees explored different campus museums and saw a variety of hands-on exhibits thanks to the faculty, staff and students. (Ashley M. Stokes/UC Davis)

A Message from the Dean - February 2026

  • by Ashley M. Stokes

We kicked off the month of February with several exciting activities, including our annual trip to the World Ag Expo. Several members of our college traveled to Tulare, including academic advisors, students, deans and experts in animal science, agricultural economics and horticulture to meet with attendees, alumni and prospective students. The college was also strongly represented at seminars and panel sessions addressing topics in the dairy industry, including screwworm, labor policy and management operations. This was my first World Ag Expo event as dean, and I really enjoyed connecting with our friends in the Central Valley!

This month’s Highlights reflects our commitment and collaboration in advancing science, serving our communities and connecting with the world around us. One researcher is part of an international team of scientists and clinicians hoping to better understand gut health while another project with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is examining if a calcium spray can protect grapes from wildfires, which presents a threat to this $88 billion industry in California. Researchers have also uncovered how Salmonella spreads and why an aggressive bacteria can have a heart-attack effect on plants. Also, if you’re still in a Valentine’s Day mood, we released new research on how frog love songs change during warm and cool weather. We’re also sharing the love by supplying eggs from our Avian Facility to be used on campus, at food banks and other community programs. 
 

 

Our latest Field Notes gives us  more insight on the Ragle Human Nutrition Center where we learned more about clinical work and our partnership with the USDA. The Ragle HNC is a part of the UC Davis Department of Nutrition and through clinical trials, researchers investigate the relationship between food and essential nutrients to health and wellness. This is another great example of how our students get hands-on experience outside of the classroom and gain valuable skills. 

Finally, this week I had the honor of joining my colleagues in Washington, D.C. to represent UC Davis with several other land-grant universities; the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching and the Association for Public and Land Grant Universities to advocate for funding and federal support for science. UC Davis stands as the leading institution in agriculture, and we are dedicated to honoring our commitment to the land-grant mission, advocating on behalf of food and agricultural education and upholding our promise to serve, as we have done for more than 100 years. 

Go Ags!

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A Message From the Dean