A woman takes a selfie with a group of children.
Dean Ashley M. Stokes visits the Human Needs Project in Nairobi to see their clean water production and bottling facilities and the nearby school where the kids demonstrated their hydroponics greenhouse.
A group of people sit and talk at a large table.
Dean Stokes attended meetings with the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture and the University of Nairobi. The conversations really underscored the opportunities for continued collaboration on issues that are local and global in nature.
A group of people in professional clothing stand together in a hotel lobby.
Dean Stokes connected with UC Davis alumni while abroad in Africa.
People work on a green grass couch.
Students in LDA 160 are giving the sod couch a refresh with a new layer of sod. (Jael Mackendorf/UC Davis)
A person holds a plant while others examine it.
Students explore the UC Davis Arboretum during their ENH 006 course. (Stephanie Perla/UC Davis)
Two people examine a lavender plant.
Elina L. Niño talks with Dean Ashley M. Stokes during a tour of the UC Davis Honey Bee Haven. (Jael Mackendorf/UC Davis)

A Message from the Dean - November 2025

  • by Ashley M. Stokes

Happy November, Aggies! 

We’ve had a busy month, and our faculty, staff and researchers continue to strive for excellence in everything they do. I want to thank our donors who supported several projects last month. We are so grateful for your gifts and commitment to the college!

This month’s Highlights is full of exciting news and research breakthroughs. We have a collaborative study with researchers from UC Davis, Berkeley and the Innovative Genomics Institute who’ve identified specific gut microbes in cows that naturally reduce methane without relying on special feed additives. Also, a chance sighting of a Jeffrey pine more than 12,000 feet high up in the Sierra Nevada sparked a 30-day, 240-mile trek to find more trees thriving at these unusually high elevations. New work on animal care shows simple things like hay feeders, giant activity balls and shatter-proof mirrors can improve the health and welfare of stabled horses. 

UC Davis researchers conducted field experiments in Woodland and near Stockton and found that super-high-density olive orchards can thrive with 25-50% less fertilizer, and adding compost enhances nitrogen uptake and soil health. There’s also an article and video featuring UC Cooperative Extension specialist Toby O’Geen and his team as they test crushed rock amendments in farm fields to pull carbon from the air and improve soil quality. 

With the festive, holiday season upon us, our Department of Nutrition has some practical tips for maintaining healthy eating habits during the holidays! Check out the video of our nutrition students making a bright and tasty salad that highlights several specialty crops that are known for their connection to UC Davis research.

I am so grateful for all you do to make our college number one, and I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving break!

Go Ags! 

 

 

 

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A Message From the Dean