Welcome back, Aggies!

I am so excited to see so many new and returning students on campus! This week has been filled with amazing energy and enthusiasm with our first year and transfer College Welcome events, the ice cream social and Aggie Jumpstart welcome. I had the privilege of meeting some of our new students and their parents during dorm move-in. After joining the college this summer, it is great to see all the preparations as we gear up for fall quarter and start the school year!

Our faculty continue to innovate and inspire through their excellent teaching, outreach and research. In this month’s Highlights, we feature stories about a team of UC Davis researchers who developed “sunglasses” for greenhouses, a multi-layer film that goes on greenhouse panels that block heat but let in plant-friendly light. Next time you’re out grocery shopping, think of UC. We have a story about the important research that’s behind many of the fruits, veggies and snacks that fill up your cart. Thanks to a generous donation by a local community member, our graduate students training to become bilingual lactation consultants can get much-needed financial support while completing service-focused internships. And our Department of Environmental Toxicology has a new paper out that looks at the effects of toxins passed down through generations of killifish.

This summer our staff and faculty have been working hard to get ready for fall in preparation for classes and events both on and off campus. I’m especially excited for this weekend’s Salute to Ag football game, which is being sponsored by the CLEAR Center. Come join us at the tailgate party and watch the game as we celebrate our accomplishments as the number one ag school in the nation and show our Aggie pride!

I also wanted to highlight the three-day Terra Madre Americas event in Sacramento starting tomorrow (Friday, September 26). We have such an impressive list of faculty, staff and students from the college and across campus who will be sharing their research and innovations on various topics including regenerative agriculture, the importance of small farms and biodiversity, food and wine, climate impact, waste reduction, aquaculture and so much more. I'm looking forward to moderating a critical discussion with several of our outstanding faculty on the opportunities and challenges for agriculture in California. This event is a reminder of how our work here at the university connects not only locally for Californians, but also global communities.

We are very proud of our outstanding Aggies, including a recent graduate who received the 2025 Fulbright–National Geographic Award. Also, congratulations to Ermias Kebreab associate dean for Global Engagement, who was named one of the 2025 Top Agri-Food Pioneers by the World Food Prize Foundation, and to Clare Cannon, associate professor in the Department of Human Ecology on being appointed as interim director of the UC Davis Institute of the Environment!

I am looking forward to the school year and continuing to meet with you all. If you see me on campus, stop and say hi! I know that together we will continue to do great things.

Go Ags!