Tim Beatty, who joined UC Davis in 2014, is the new chair of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, or ARE, which routinely ranks among the best agriculture and applied economics programs in the world. 

ARE trains both graduate and undergraduate students and its managerial economics major is the fifth largest at UC Davis. Faculty researchers address issues in agriculture, the environment, natural resources and international development.  

Dan Potter is the new chair of the Department of Plant Sciences, overseeing graduate and undergraduate programming, 60 faculty members, several emeriti professors and many greenhouses, labs and teaching facilities. 

Ben Montpetit, a yeast geneticist and biochemist, is the new chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at University of California, Davis.

Montpetit joined UC Davis in 2016 and became department vice chair in 2021.

In his new role, he plans to enhance student offerings, continue to advance diversity efforts and foster investment in students, faculty, staff and department operations.