University News

A UC Davis alumnus and emeritus faculty member has been awarded a $500,000 prize for his role in inventing disease-resistant rice strains that now are the dominant varieties planted across southern and southeast Asia.

Gurdev Singh Khush, an adjunct professor emeritus in the Department of Plant Sciences, received the Special Prize for Innovators from Developing Countries from the VinFuture Foundation during a ceremony today in Hanoi, Vietnam. The independent, non-profit foundation supports technological innovation improving people’s daily lives in Vietnam.

Happy holidays from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences! Every year I enjoy looking back on all that we’ve accomplished, and I am so proud of our collective work. Your contributions continue to make our campus a place of excellence and a beacon of light across California, the nation and around the world. Thank you to our faculty, staff, students, friends, donors, partners and stakeholders for your dedication and commitment to the college and campus.

Ahna Ballonoff Suleiman has been selected as the new executive director of the UC Davis Center for Regional Change (CRC), a hub for innovative, collaborative and action-oriented research.

Dean Helene Dillard is retiring in 2024 as leader of the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, or CA&ES, after 10 years of service. A national search for a new dean will begin in December, and Dillard will retire once her successor is in place.

Fall always feels like the most vibrant seasonal reminder of change, with the colors shifting and the temperatures cooling as we prepare for the cold and quiet of winter. This fall, in the spirit of change, I have announced my plan to retire as dean next year after 10 wonderful years at the helm of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. You can read the official announcement here. This decision is bittersweet for me.

Students often thrive when they feel seen and heard. Faculty members from the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are launching a new discussion series for educators to explore ways to further encourage inclusivity in the classroom and ensure all voices are heard.

The first “Coffee Chat” event is scheduled for 4 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 28 in the Plant and Environmental Sciences building (details here).

October has been a very challenging month on our campus and around the world. Here in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, we echo the message Chancellor May shared last Friday. Hate has no place at UC Davis. I see the resilience of our college, the compassion we have for our colleagues and students, and the strength and kindness shown for our community. I see brave people standing up for others, and I stand together with them.

Three staff members with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) are being recognized for their exceptional efforts to help incoming and current students thrive. Thanks to their tireless dedication and guidance, they have ensured a brighter future for those they serve.

Congratulations to the following recipients of the UC Davis Outstanding Advising Awards:

Welcome to fall quarter! It is always a joy to witness the campus come alive when the students come back to Davis. The quiet productivity of summer is replaced with the busy hum of bikes and scooters, colleagues catching up and the quick upswell of our community. Dorm move-in weekend was busy, and our college gave its usual warm welcome to thousands of incoming first-year and transfer students during College Welcome and at our ice cream social.

UC Davis Professors Joanna Chiu and Andrew Whitehead have been appointed as the new chairs of the Departments of Entomology and Nematology and Environmental Toxicology, respectively. Mary Delany has also been appointed as interim chair for the Department of Human Ecology. As the academic year gets underway, these visionary leaders are set to steer their departments toward groundbreaking research, interdisciplinary collaborations and exceptional experiences for students.