CBS Crowdfund Efforts Support COVID-19 Testing, Transfer Students, and Graduate Students
A year of Crowdfund projects supports diverse college programs and initiatives for undergraduate and graduate students
Campaign to support real-time COVID-19 response
Early in 2021, students in the College of Biological Sciences were already playing an integral role in the UC Davis effort to provide free, effective and rapid COVID testing for the Davis community.
Students who enrolled in the college’s “Mass Testing for COVID-19” course helped testing staff administer COVID saliva tests, gained hands-on experience working at the UC Davis COVID Testing Kiosk, and deepened their knowledge of coronavirus spread, treatment, and prevention while performing duties that improved kiosk efficiency.
Launched in the fall of 2020, the course “was designed to ‘make lemonade out of lemons’,” said Project Scientist David Coil, the manager of the COVID-19 testing protocols at the UC Davis Genome Center.
In support of this innovative course, the college’s February 2021 Crowdfund campaign raised over $3,400 from nearly 20 donors and provided additional financial support to cover expenses related to testing, staffing and supplies.
Support for first-gen., transfer and graduate students
Another Crowdfund UC Davis campaign is currently underway, and for the month of October the college is raising money for two student-focused projects.
The first, for AvenueB, supports transfer students, and helps ensure that community college students transition smoothly into their academic careers at UC Davis.
The AvenueB program provides mentors, tutors, advisors and connections with a cohort of fellow transfer students for access to industry tours, summer internships, and research experiences.
By creating a strong support network and eliminating barriers to the success of transfer students – a group that is often overlooked, and that often includes underrepresented students – AvenueB ensures diversity in the CBS student body, and in the life sciences workforce.
The college’s second project, for the Integrative Genetics and Genomics (IGG) graduate group, will help fund a graduate student retreat, as well as networking and professional development opportunities.
The IGG program is highly interdisciplinary and unites approximately 90 graduate students and over 100 faculty members across 25 departments. The IGG retreat will include student presentations on current research, poster sessions, mentorship and wellness workshops.
Additionally, the retreat organizers will invite IGG alumni from biotech companies in Sacramento and the Bay Area for a dedicated evening of career advancement and networking.
Support the IGG Graduate Group
Committed to supporting students in the life sciences and beyond
The college’s Crowdfund 2021 projects rely on the generosity of donors whose gifts make a positive impact on the CBS student experience. AvenueB and the Integrative Genetics and Genomics graduate group exemplify the innovative, collaborative and outstanding students that make our college and campus a world leader.