We are entering the holiday season—a time that has always been about coming together to share a meal and spend time with family, and this is probably the most unusual Thanksgiving any of us will ever experience. We’re being advised not to do what is our natural tendency—to gather with the people we care about the most. This is a hard request after nine months of sheltering in place.

The beautiful ducks, herons and other birds have returned to Lake Spafford, right in time to welcome students, staff and faculty to another rewarding school year for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. This won’t be a typical fall quarter, of course, since most classes will be held online and extensive safety protocols will be in place on campus. But I, like so many of you, am hopeful for the future and eager to start the new academic year.  

Congratulations to the class of 2020! The hard work and perseverance of these students, whether they joined us as freshmen or as transfer students, has been a wise investment in the future for them individually and collectively for society as a whole. Their UC Davis bachelor’s degrees will open the doors of opportunity throughout their lives, and we expect they will make the most of those opportunities because of the values and skills they cultivated here.

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

Spring quarter 2020 has been a challenge for all of us, with a pandemic in full swing, the difficulties of teaching, learning and working online, and most recently, the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the resulting protests nationwide.

I have struggled to find the words that express my shock, anger, sadness and despair. As an African American mother of an adult son, watching the George Floyd video on television triggered feelings of fear, distress and worry for all my family members.

There are numerous reasons the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is a world leader in so many areas—bright students, hard-working staff and, of course, the willingness of our faculty to innovate and seek opportunities to keep California moving ahead whatever the circumstances.

The one word that keeps coming to mind as we collectively reinvent our day-to-day lives is resilience. While these changes to our world were brought about suddenly, our college is adapting well and remains flexible in our efforts to educate our dedicated students, conduct essential research and engage the public in new ways. Even though we are all sheltering in place, our spring remains incredibly busy and full of online activity.

These last few weeks have brought about a lifetime of change for many of us. We are living through an unprecedented time, and I want to thank each of you for your extraordinary efforts and incredible resilience.  

Spring is in full bloom in Davis, and the early blossoming trees and flowers remind us of the importance of plants and the role they play in our lives. We depend on plants for the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the natural areas we enjoy. Plants are so important to our wellbeing that the United Nations designated 2020 the International Year of Plant Health.

One of the things I enjoy about the start of a new year is the sense of renewal and regeneration that surrounds us here at UC Davis. This year, that includes a new campus-wide marketing and rebranding effort to bring greater public attention to our accomplishments and to our vision for the future.