We are in the tail-end of the year. The quarter is in full swing, midterms are behind us and campus continues to bustle. There’s been no shortage of activity this fall, and I was very pleased to see UC Davis recognized as one of the top 10 public universities in the nation. 

Another source of pride is the accomplishments of our faculty and staff, some of whom were recently awarded 2025 CBS teaching, research and community awards. Each year we recognize the very best achievements from the faculty and staff who are committed to making our campus the place we all want it to be – and each year it is a challenge to choose just one (or two) recipients. My congratulations to this year's awardees. 

The longstanding Storer Lecture Series returned this fall too, with a talk by Science magazine journalist Charles Piller. His talk, Misconduct in Neuroscience Research: Problems and Solutions, examined how errors and fraud can distort science—and what researchers and institutions can do to strengthen transparency and trust.

October also saw the second Under the Microscope event, this time on sustainable agriculture, with a panel of leading plant and evolutionary biologists. I was very pleased to see our faculty speak so eloquently on such an important topic, and hope those who missed the event watch and share the recorded presentation of Under the Microscope: the Future of Food. 

Meanwhile, fall continues to roll in – and we will continue our research, teaching and service.