A woman stands and smiles as people around her applaud her.
June in CA&ES
CA&ES hosted a fun and bittersweet retirement party honoring Dean Helene Dillard’s inspiring leadership and cherished friendship. (Jael Mackendorf/ UC Davis)
Students look at the compost bin.
UC Davis students shared a lesson on composting while kids looked for worms in the compost bin. (Jael Mackendorf/ UC Davis)
Two people stand a top of a hill surrounded by sheep.
While the UC Davis Sheepmowers were grazing near the Silo last month, Dylan Moore asked her girlfriend Lauren Mabe, a big question: “Wool ewe marry me?” She said yes and the sheep said “baaa” – which we assume meant congratulations! (Annie Miyadi/UC Davis)
Two students smile with their awards at the 2025 End of Year Banquet by Aggie Jumpstart.
Aggie Jumpstart welcomed students to their end of the year celebration and recognized them for their achievements. (Elyssa Lieu/ UC Davis)
Four people smile another a tent.
Club officers welcome visitors at the 2025 Pre-Vet Students Supporting Diversity Fun Dog Show.
Four people raise pints of beer and smile.
(L-R) Ivan Delgado (viticulture & enology), Javier Vidal (biotechnology), Ebi Hadi (viticulture & enology/chemistry) and Wolfgang Peterson (viticulture & enology) are members of the winning student team for 2025 Iron Brew. (Tiffany Dobbyn/ UC Davis)
Cheers to our Aggie winemakers! This week, the Department of Viticulture and Enology celebrated the release of Hilgard631, wine handcrafted by students! They make wine every year for class, but this is the first time it’s being sold to the public. (Gregory Urquiaga / UC Davis)
Cheers to our Aggie winemakers! This week, the Department of Viticulture and Enology celebrated the release of Hilgard631, wine handcrafted by students! They make wine every year for class, but this is the first time it’s being sold to the public. (Gregory Urquiaga / UC Davis)

A Message From the Dean - June 2025

  • by Helene Dillard

Congratulations to the class of 2025! We are so happy to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of our students. Our graduating class always inspires me. This week we celebrate their efforts and incredible achievements. A degree from UC Davis unlocks opportunities and signifies commitment to a higher level of learning and represents a major milestone. We are so proud of all of our graduates and look forward to hearing about their continued success.

In the spirit of acommplishments, each year the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences honors several students for their exceptional accomplishments in the areas of academic excellence, distinctive leadership and community service. These awards include the College Medal for scholastic excellence, the Mary Regan Meyer Prize for serving humanity, the Charles Hess Community Service Award for outstanding public or community service and the Dean’s Circle Award for outstanding academics and community service. Read about this year’s stellar award winners.

We recently launched a new campaign to highlight breakthroughs that improve the food we eat, protect the environment and boost community health. In partnership with the Office of Research and Colleges of Letters and Science and Biological Sciences, we hope to show people how our research supports and impacts our every day lives. We see examples of this work in longer-lasting strawberries, drought-resistant rice and wildfire prevention. Supported by federal funding, these innovations help create a healthier, safer and more resilient world for everyone. Now more than ever, it is important to recognize the role science and research helps shape our lives and continue to advocate for this work. Learn more about how UCDavisDelivers!

This month’s Highlights reveals an active and engaged community of scholars, entrepreneurs and adventurers. This week we launched Hilgard631, a new small-batch wine label made by students, faculty and staff. For the first time ever, the public will be able to purchase wines made by students at UC Davis. We also have stories about telehealth for cats and research on the benefits of a low-fat diet and pancreatic cancer. And, we see some joy through the eyes of kids in the garden and a successful race to break the Big Day county record to see the most birds in a 24-hour period!

This is my last dean’s message before I officially retire at the end of the month. I am so proud of our faculty, staff and students in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. You are the reason the college has high rankings in all of our disciplines. Your dedication to our research, teaching, outreach and extension mission is incredible, your work ethic is outstanding, and your willingness to tackle difficult multidisciplinary problems is honored and recognized throughout the world.

Together we have championed student success and created inclusive pathways for students to thrive—from expanding academic advising and mental health resources, to increasing access to experiential learning and field research—you all believed in this mission to provide our students with the ability to get the most out of their college experience.

During my tenure, we served as leaders in advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, including integrating the Principles of Community and values into our strategic mission. We launched Aggie Jumpstart to support our students, launched Coffee Chats for faculty to share ideas for creating a more inclusive environment in the classroom, and founded the college’s first diversity, equity and inclusion committee back in 2020.

We’ve led major improvements for the college’s infrastructure, including building new greenhouses and facilities and modernizing our irrigation systems.Together we raised approximately $500 million in philanthropic support, including the historic $50 million gift from Lynda and Stewart Resnick—a gift that will lead to sustainable innovations in agriculture and the environment for generations to come.

The last 11 years represent some of my most outstanding accomplishments and greatest memories. I am proud of our work together and leave a legacy of commitment and dedication. I am so confident in the future of our college!

 

Go Ags!