Ashley M. Stokes

Since becoming dean in 2025, Ashley M. Stokes has focused on amplifying the reach and impact of the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences through collaboration, innovation and public engagement. Her first year has been marked by transformative philanthropic investments, the opening of the Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation and expanded connections with agricultural leaders, alumni and communities throughout California and beyond. 

With more than 30 years of experience advancing education, research and public engagement, Stokes has built a career dedicated to connecting science with community impact. Her leadership spans the University of Tennessee, Colorado State University and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she strengthened extension programs, expanded student success initiatives and served diverse communities across the United States and the Western Pacific. 

Stokes earned a Bachelor's degree in physiological psychology from the University of Alabama, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a Ph.D. in cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology from Louisiana State University, and an MBA from Colorado State University.