As graduation approaches, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) proudly honors eight outstanding undergraduates for their academic excellence, remarkable leadership and impactful contributions to their communities. Below are the recipients of this year’s CA&ES commencement awards, which are 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.

College Medal

Neha Gondra, who is earning degrees in both managerial economics, and neurobiology, physiology and behavior, is the recipient of the College Medal. During her time at UC Davis, she has worked as an emergency medical technician with the UC Davis Fire Department and the campus Health 34 program, which provides free, non-emergency mental health and basic medical care support. Gondra is the founder and president of “Students for Rare” organization at UC Davis, which aims to spread awareness on the challenges in the rare disease community and provides support to those with rare diseases. She plans to pursue a career in healthcare and business.

Charles Hess Community Service Award

Sloka Suresh, who is earning a degree in global disease biology with a minor in technology management, is a recipient of the Charles Hess Community Service Award. Her senior practicum project focuses on assessing the impact of differential state Medicaid expansions on smoking cessation and infant birth outcomes among pregnant smokers. She has been a volunteer and is currently the undergraduate director at Joan Viteri Memorial Clinic, a student-run clinic that offers free medical care. In that role, she oversees volunteer placement, teaches classes and manages funding for auxiliary services like wound care and hygiene kit creation. She also co-founded Cardamom, a nonprofit platform dedicated to connecting women with essential postpartum care. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in public health.

Amy Matthea Salim is earning a degree in animal science and plans to attend Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine this fall. Since she was in second grade, she’s aspired to become a veterinarian. During her time at UC Davis, she has volunteered at the Mercer Veterinary Clinic, which provides free veterinary care for the pets of people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. She served as a mentor and co-coordinator at the Global Ambassador Mentorship Program and as director of public relations for the Animal Science Student Mentorship Program, where she provided fellow students with counseling and academic support. She also worked as a student technician at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and conducted research on exploring new therapeutic strategies for triple-negative breast cancer.

Mary Regan Meyer Prize

Rachel Shey, who is earning a degree in entomology with a minor in chemistry, is a recipient of the Mary Regan Meyer Prize. During her time at UC Davis, she has been a city news reporter covering community issues and business topics for the university’s California Aggie. She also worked as a chemistry tutor with the Academic Assistance and Tutoring Center on campus. Shey enjoyed her time volunteering in Professor Bruce Hammock’s lab, where she worked on several research projects including one that focused on developing a test to detect aflatoxin B1 in cannabis. She plans to attend graduate school at Rice University this fall with aspirations to become a professional chemist.

Brittany Vang is earning a degree in community and regional development with a minor in geographic studies. After graduation, she will work as an assistant planner for Sacramento County. She spent more than two years as a research assistant within the Department of Human Ecology and collaborated closely with Associate Professor Noli Brazil on a project that examined how parking tickets were distributed across different neighborhoods to better understand connections between where tickets were issued and the racial and economic makeup of those neighborhoods. She also conducted her own research focusing on the spatial analysis of college choice and access for students from the San Joaquin Valley and participated in a research-focused internship with Associate Professor Jennifer Falbe, studying healthy food policies in retail. She was a member of the Hmong Student Union on campus, previously serving as its vice president and co-conference coordinator.

Dean's Circle Award

Anika Levy-Groth, who is earning degrees in environmental science and management and sociology, is a recipient of the Dean’s Circle Award. She plans to work alongside Professor Andrew Latimer in the Department of Plant Sciences this summer to gather data on forest wildfire restoration in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. During her time at UC Davis, she was an intern and then promoted to lead student farmer at the Ecological Garden on campus. In that role, she supervised interns and worked with colleagues to create a welcoming environment. The experience served as inspiration for her senior thesis, which focused on agroecology at the Ecological Garden. She worked alongside Cameron Pittelkow, associate professor with plant sciences, and Colin Dixon, director of the UC Davis Student Farm, to explore the importance of sustainable food systems in today’s world.

Madison Wong is earning a degree in environmental policy analysis and planning with a minor in psychology. She’s been accepted into UC Berkeley Law, where she will study environmental law this fall. While at UC Davis, she conducted research with the Center for Environmental Policy and Behavior to study how cities are integrating hydrogen energy technology. She worked for Student Housing and Dining Services as a community advisor, a role that promotes well-being among students living on campus by providing support, planning activities and ensuring a safe environment. She was also a volunteer with Guide Dogs for the Blind and the UC Davis Equestrian Center.

Olivia Anne Bodner, who is earning a degree in animal science with a minor in music, plans to attend the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine to pursue a career in equine medicine. Since her first year, she has been a student barn nurse in the equine unit at the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital. While there, she held a variety of roles, including being a member of the overnight Foal Team and assisting large animal anesthesia. She was also a resident at the UC Davis Horse Barn, living on site to help to care for a herd of 40 teaching horses. She participated as a competitor and treasurer for both the UC Davis Event and Dressage Club teams and played tenor saxophone for the UC Davis Concert Band.