awards displayed at a ceremony

Award of Distinction

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) at UC Davis is internationally renowned for its teaching, research and outreach. This is due to the collective effort of alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students.

Every year the college presents the Award of Distinction to honor individuals whose contributions and achievements have positively impacted our communities, advanced science and education or enhanced the college’s ability to serve California and the world.

There are six categories for the Award of Distinction:

  • Alumni of the Year
  • Early-Career Alumni of the Year
  • Distinguished Friend(s) of the College
  • Exceptional Staff Member
  • Exceptional Faculty Member
  • Exceptional Emeriti Faculty

Starting in 2025 we will be moving our Award of Distinction to a biannual event.  We look forward to hosting our next event in October 2026.  Questions? Please email us at caesevents@ucdavis.edu 

Click here to view the 2024 Award of Distinction Recipients

Nominations

Nominations for 2026 are open.

Nomination Deadline: June 5, 2026

Fill out a nomination form online

Submission Checklist

Complete the Award of Distinction nomination form

  1. Review the award criteria and provide:

Need help nominating? Contact Phil Schwartz.

NOTE: These awards are highly competitive. Please make every effort to keep the nomination confidential from your nominee.