This year, members of the College of Biological Sciences received three special recognitions: the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and two Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research. Earlier this month, the recipients gathered with UC Davis Chancellor Gary May to receive their awards.

In winter 2014, Professor Sean Burgess, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, decided to create The Aggie Transcript, a life sciences publication featuring undergraduate writing. After winning the UC Davis Advancing Academic and Career Goals Award, the publication recently released its second print issue.

Pew Charitable Trusts has announced Kassandra Ori-McKenney as a 2018 Pew Biomedical Scholar, one of the most prestigious honors of its kind. With a four-year grant totaling $300,000, Ori-McKenney will investigate the role of a protein called tau in the development of neurodegenerative disease related to traumatic brain injury.

During her second year of undergraduate research in the lab of Aldrin Gomes, Emily Eijansantos felt ready for a solo project. She’d spent her sophomore year learning the lab’s techniques and shadowing more experienced undergraduates. She felt prepared. But like many things in life, the project—studying ibuprofen’s effects on heart cells—had its hurdles.

Two University of California, Davis, juniors are among the winners of what is the nation’s premier undergraduate award of its type in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. Honoring the late U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, the federally endowed Goldwater Scholarship Program was designed to encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

Last year, UC Davis undergraduate student Kelsey Klein began a project close to her heart. With assistance from the National Society of Leadership and Success, her idea to create a nonprofit organization benefiting prostate cancer research took shape. For her outstanding community service, research activities and scholarship, Klein is recognized with the College of Biological Sciences Medal.

Soon-to-be-graduate Connor Grant will leave UC Davis with one of its highest honors, the Veloyce Glenn Winslow Jr. Award, which recognizes a graduating male student for outstanding leadership and scholarship.

Graduating senior Bita Shahrvini will leave UC Davis with two of the College of Biological Sciences undergraduate research accolades, the Ronald and Lydia Baskin Award and the Undergraduate of the Year Award.

For excellence in biological sciences research, senior biochemistry and molecular biology major Benjamin Mallory is one of two recipients recognized with the Ronald and Lydia Baskin Award.

John and Lois Crowe, pioneering scientists and philanthropists, are among this year's recipients of the UC Davis Medal, the highest honor the university bestows on individuals.