News

Professors Johan Leveau and Jorge Mazza Rodrigues will take over as chairs of the Department of Plant Pathology and Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, respectively, Dean Ashley M. Stokes from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences announced. 

The appointments took effect July 1, 2026.

Leveau, who is a microbial ecologist and professor, has served as interim chair since January, replacing Dave Rizzo. 

Worker bees are the first line of defense when it comes to removing contamination in honeybee colonies, but a queen has her ways, too.

A honeybee queen facing chronic exposure to pesticides will take up that contamination and pass it along to her eggs, a process researchers call maternal offloading. 

The findings, which document for the first time the extent a queen will go to survive, are published in the journal Current Biology. Research was led by the University of California, Davis.

Scientists are detecting nanoplastics nearly everywhere, from Antarctica to the human brain, but lack established methods for understanding how they affect human health. University of California, Davis, researchers have received a nearly $4 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to develop the world’s first standardized method for measuring and describing the neurotoxicity of airborne nanoplastics.

Ice that doesn’t melt. Technology that restores voices. An AI chatbot that can improve your health. Forecasting tools that can protect neighborhoods, people and ecosystems from extreme weather. 

These are just a handful of research advancements supported by federal funding highlighted by UCDavisDelivers, a yearlong online and social media campaign meant to show the impact of research on everyday lives.

Ordering a hamburger might soon come with more than a calorie count. Food systems account for about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and some foods have larger environmental footprints than others. Some restaurants are beginning to display the environmental impact of food items on their menus. A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, shows that climate labels can nudge people toward more environmentally friendly food choices.

The Department of Animal Science is hosting its 33rd Annual Production Sale and showcase later this month to auction off seven horses and two mules bred, birthed and trained by undergraduate interns on the UC Davis campus.

The University of California, Davis, Department of Viticulture and Enology will begin this year’s wine sales June 16 from noon to 4 p.m. The wines are made by students, faculty and staff from grapes they grow on campus and at the Oakville research station in Napa Valley. Six new student-made wines will be released as well as three new UC Davis wines. 

We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements, dedication, resilience and determination that brought our students to this milestone. Their accomplishments inspire us and reflect the curiosity, innovation and leadership that define our Aggie spirit. A degree from UC Davis marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter, and we know our students are prepared for this next step. Wherever they go and whatever they do, they will inspire people, remain lifelong learners and bring light to the communities they serve.

As the school year wraps up, some students at the University of California, Davis, are celebrating more than their own accomplishments. They’re cheering on the budding scientists they’ve spent months mentoring through UC Davis EnvironMentors.

Staring into the depths of Lake Tahoe, you might think the view goes on forever. But researchers at the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center have been tracking precisely how far a person can see through the famed lake’s waters for nearly 60 years and sharing the results in the annual Lake Tahoe Clarity Report.