Campus & Community

As I begin my tenure as Dean of the College of Biological Sciences, I want to start by saying how honored I am to have the opportunity to serve this remarkable community.

I also want to express my deep gratitude to Mark Winey for his stewardship over the past decade. The college is stronger because of Mark’s leadership and because of the extraordinary dedication and resilience of our faculty, staff, students, and supporters. I am grateful for all that has been accomplished thus far, and excited about the opportunities ahead.

I am writing for the first time as the former dean of our college. The last decade of collaboration in support of our faculty, staff and students has shown me time and again that our college is made up of an extraordinary community. Whether you are a member of our esteemed faculty or one of our outstanding staff, you have my thanks for your ongoing support of our college. 

Frédéric Chédin will step into the role of dean of the College of Biological Sciences, or CBS, on Sept. 1. Chédin, a faculty member and chair in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, said the college’s strengths are its singular focus on the life sciences and its exceptional faculty, students and staff. 

Having spent his career at UC Davis, Chédin credited the CBS community as the reason for his long tenure on campus.

Mariel Vazquez, an internationally recognized applied mathematician who held a joint appointment as a professor in the Departments of Mathematics, and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (MMG), passed away on July 5, 2026, at the age of 55. She is survived by her husband Javier Arsuaga, a professor of mathematics and molecular and cellular biology, and their children Eithne and Cedric Arsuaga-Vazquez, as well as her parents Maria Elena and Rolando Antonio Vazquez and a large extended family. 

Three College of Biological Sciences research core facilities are among 20 across UC Davis selected to receive funding through the university's new Research Cores Central Investment (RCCI) Program. The one-time awards will help sustain essential shared research infrastructure, supporting advanced imaging, plant growth facilities, and other specialized resources that enable discoveries across the biological sciences.

Molecular biology labs rarely attract crowds, but white-coated students in UC Davis’s Esau Hall recently welcomed an unusual audience. The occasion? A celebration of the BIO123 series, the new introductory biology curriculum developed and run by the College of Biological Sciences (CBS) that serves students across UC Davis. To support the new courses, several lab spaces in Esau Hall were renovated — improvements enabled by donor funds. 

Philipp Zerbe, a professor of plant biology whose research explores how plants use chemistry to communicate with and adapt to their environment, has been named associate dean for research and graduate studies for the College of Biological Sciences. He will begin serving in the role on September 1.

Sean Burgess, a professor of molecular and cellular biology whose research has advanced understanding of chromosome inheritance, reproductive biology and human developmental disorders, has been named chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB). She will begin serving in the role on September 1.

Think of friendships forged at UC Davis and you might picture first-year students gabbing in dorms, or recent graduates tossing their caps into the air, but the university fosters countless close ties — from the classroom to the boardroom. 

A shared commitment to philanthropy and scientific learning is what sparked a friendship between two longtime UC Davis supporters, Elena B. “Lin” Weaver and Deborah J. “Deb” Neff ’76.

Finals are over, students are done, families are gathering—it’s commencement, the inspiring culmination of why we’re here, doing what we do. I will be on stage for this year’s ceremonies, as I have been for almost all of them over the last decade. This year, however, will be my last as dean of the College of Biological Sciences.