The courtyard between Green Hall and Briggs Hall is sunny, and our trees are in full bloom. Spring is most definitely here.

And with it comes Picnic Day, the longstanding student-run UC Davis tradition, which is on Saturday, April 20. For those planning to attend, I hope you enjoy the fun and engaging activities across campus. From the parade to the doxie derby, there’s a lot to do and even more to see.

Sometimes I think time must be moving in fast-forward. The quarter ends in two weeks, and our students are gearing up for their final exams, which are followed by a welcome break and then it’s spring quarter — already.

There’s been much talk of atmospheric rivers here in California, where many are experiencing extreme weather conditions. Like all of us, I am thinking of the members of our University of California community who have been impacted by floods and other storm-related events.

Coming to Davis from Colorado was a shift – the scenery, the climate (no more show shoes!) – but after almost ten years in California, it’s now a bit of a shock when things get cold. But that is exactly what it is here now. (By cold, I mean 50°F, admittedly.)

Each year, the start of the holidays seems to get here earlier and earlier. This year is no different. It feels like just yesterday (or maybe last week) that we welcomed 6,400 CBS students back to campus for the start of fall quarter. And now, here we are—it’s time to wish them luck on their finals, and then send them back to their friends and loved ones for a well-deserved break.

Well, it’s fall. And November. Campus is busy this time of year - bikes on the streets, classrooms full and labs bustling with activity. Our students are in midterms, and we’re starting to feel winter in the air. 

Fall arrived just a few weeks ago. Summer felt longer this year than it really was, but that’s how things go when there’s so much activity. Since June, the college has welcomed a new associate dean of research and was proud to welcome back an alum as the new director of the UC Davis Genome Center.

It’s that time of year again. Campus is quiet. There are only a few bicycles on the streets. The halls and classrooms are empty. But it’s a joyous time. The class of 2023 has crossed the commencement stage and is embarking on the next stage of life, which is sure to be successful.

This week saw rain here in Davis. After a week of 90-degree heat, we’d gotten used to summer feeling closer. Seasons seem to last only a few days at a time now. It’s more like winter again, and though campus is on alert because of recent events in our community, I am glad to say that our spring quarter has seen many notable achievements.

We are in the final quarter of this academic year, which started at the beginning of this month. I know we’ve all said it ourselves in our own ways, but it really does amaze me how quickly the time passes. It feels like just a few weeks ago we were welcoming a new year and beginning the winter quarter. Now here we are, and it’s spring already.