News Articles

Each year, the Dean’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) helps provide vital support to students wishing to stay on campus —and in the lab — over the summer term. 

The University of California, Davis, is celebrating its most successful fundraising campaign — Expect Greater: From UC Davis, for the World — a multi-year effort that raised over $2.25 billion for student support, health research and care, sustainability, innovation and more.

Gifts to the campaign have empowered first-generation students to achieve their dreams, funded groundbreaking research across disciplines, and expanded resources that contribute to the university’s vibrant culture and academic excellence.

The University of California, Davis, once again exceeded $1 billion in new external research awards in the fiscal year 2023-24, surpassing the amount received in the

Commitment. Passion. Empathy. These descriptors were just a few of the plaudits the winners of the 2024 Graduate Program Advising and Mentoring Award received in their nomination letters.

“[This professor’s] mentorship is always the perfect balance of pushing you to your full capacity, while also supporting at a level that fosters independence, creativity and self-ownership.”

“[This professor] combines a deep sense of empathy with a steely commitment to student development.”

The University of California, Davis, is awarding over $480,000 to help scientists advance compelling research and innovations toward commercial applications through the Science Translation and Innovative Research (STAIR™) proof-of-concept grant program. The program plays an important role in helping campus innovators bridge the early-stage hurdle of access to funding during one of the most challenging phases in new technology development.

The college was pleased to welcome five new faculty members to its ranks during the 2023-24 academic year. Joining the Departments of Plant Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, and the Center for Neuroscience, each faculty adds breadth and depth to the college’s research and teaching portfolio. 

For many plants, more branches means more fruit. But how does a plant branch or not branch? New research from the Department of Plant Biology has shown how plants break down the hormone strigolactone, which suppresses branching, to become more “bushy.” Using a combination of structural biology, biochemistry, and genetic engineering, the team confirmed the specific enzymes responsible for dismantling strigolactone, and their mechanism. Understanding how strigolactone is regulated could have big implications for many crop plants.

Brie Tripp, an assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior is among this year’s cohort of five new Chancellor’s Fellows for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The prestigious fellowships reflect the campus priority of creating and maintaining a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all members of the UC Davis community.

Siobhan Brady, a professor in the Department of Plant Biology and Genome Center, has been selected as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator. The prestigious Investigator program, which Brady describes as “life changing,” will provide her with roughly $9 million in research support over a seven-year term, with the option to renew.

The college is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 CBS Faculty Teaching and Research Awards. These two prestigious awards honor faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to teaching and research, and highlight the integral role each plays in advancing the frontiers of biological sciences.