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.”

“[This professor’s] mentorship has not only enriched my academic experience but has also instilled in me a deep sense of confidence and passion for my field of study.”

Among the 27 faculty members who won this year’s award, five were from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, five were from the College of Biological Sciences, seven were from the College of Engineering, eight were from the College of Letters and Sciences, and two were from the School of Veterinary Medicine.

As one of many Graduate Studies initiatives dedicated to showcasing and promoting positive advising and mentoring experiences within graduate education at UC Davis, this award recognizes faculty members for their outstanding contributions to the graduate student experience. Jean-Pierre Delplanque, vice provost and dean of Graduate Studies, expressed his deep appreciation for this year’s winners and their role.

“Effective advising and quality mentorship are crucial components of graduate student success and well-being,” he said. “That’s why these components are central to our UC Davis Graduate Studies strategic plan, and it’s why I’m so grateful to this group for giving their time and talents to our graduate students.”

Here are the 2024 winners by college/school

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences      

• Mary Horne                    Pharmacology & Toxicology Graduate Group
• Mark Lubell                     Environmental Policy and Management
• Elizabeth Maga               Animal Biology Graduate Group
• Maria Marco                   Food Science Graduate Group
• Alyson Mitchell               Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry

College of Biological Sciences

• Titus Brown                   Integrative Genetics and Genomics
• Eamonn Dickson           Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology Graduate Group
• Bruce Draper                 Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
• Audrey Fan                    Neuroscience
• John Gray                      Neuroscience
• Igor Vorobyov               Biophysics

College of Engineering 

• Audrey Fan                                      Biomedical Engineering
• Boris Jeremic                                   Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Harishankar Manikantan                 Chemical Engineering
• Julian Panetta                                  Computer Science
• Cindy Rubio-Gonzalez                     Computer Science
• Kari Watkins                                     Transportation Technology and Policy
• Weijian Yang                                     Electrical and Computer Engineering

College of Letters and Science

• Drew Cingel                      Communication
• Davide Donadio                Chemistry and Chemical Biology
• Liz Miller                            English
• Emilija Pantic                     Physics and Astronomy
• Katie Peterson                   Creative Writing
• Anne Schilling                   Mathematics
• Juan Tellez                         Political Science
• Michael Yonan                   Art History

School of Veterinary Medicine

• Lisa Miller                      Integrative Pathobiology
• William (Bill) Murphy    Immunology Graduate Group

More about the award

To be considered for this award, graduate programs nominated faculty members who displayed outstanding excellence in advising and mentoring of their graduate students. As part of the nomination process, these Graduate programs highlighted faculty for their service to the program, commitment to advising and mentoring, and positive impact on graduate students and colleagues. This was an optional recognition program and graduate programs participated at will. The award recipients received a letter of recognition from the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies that can be included in merit and promotion files or to document their service for grant applications or organizations.

For more information on Graduate Studies' mentoring resources, awards, and programs, visit the mentoring website.