A sunrise over a row of greenhouses

CA&ES Campaign Impact Report

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) celebrated a successful multi-year fundraising campaign, Expect Greater: From UC Davis, for the World, which brought in $2.25 billion to support students, research, innovation and other academic efforts. More than $415 million in private support was invested in CA&ES, from a total of 9,328 alumni, friends, foundations and industry partners. This support will have a generational impact on our efforts to solve challenges facing California and the world.

Watch the Campaign Video Watch a College Overview Video

$415,263,505

Raised

9,000+

Donors

19,050

Gifts to the College

$232M

Funds for Research

$80M

Endowment Gifts

$75M

Departmental Priorities

$41M

Student Support and Instruction

Funds are allocated in alignment with donor wishes to support specified projects, scholarships, or initiatives.

Investments in Research 

CA&ES Dean Helene Dillard, Chancellor Gary S. May, Wonderful Company’s Chief Operating Officer of Corporate Social Responsibility Andy Anzaldo and Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations Shaun Keister at the groundbreaking of the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation. (José Luis Villegas/ UC Davis)

Historic $50 Million Gift Funds New Center for Agricultural Innovation

The Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation will accelerate the science and scholarship that defines the agricultural industry of the future.

Learn More
Matthias Hess and Ermias Kebreab stand together in the UC Davis cow dairy facilities.

TED Audacious Project Funds $70 Million UC Collaboration for Health and Climate

UC Davis scientists have teamed up with UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco researchers on a donor-funded initiative that aims to reduce climate change-causing emissions from cattle by using the genome editing tool CRISPR on microbes in the guts of cows.

Learn More
Students, in VEN 124L Winemaking Laboratory, are mixing the yeast into the fresh grapes.

$4 Million Endowment in Viticulture and Enology for Education and Research

The Department of Viticulture and Enology received an anonymous $4 million endowment that will provide support in perpetuity to continue the education and research that has made the department world-renowned in the wine industry.

Learn More
Four people wearing safety gear talk together while standing in a fruit processing facility.

The Power of Corporate Partners

Philanthropic investments from corporations play a significant role in meeting our college’s trifold mission of teaching, research and outreach. Both large corporations and small companies recognize the importance of our students as a pipeline for potential talent and our faculty as thought partners for developing scientific research that supports innovative business ideas and solutions. Our corporate partners understand the value of science to their business strategy. We deeply appreciate their insight, the role they play in hiring our graduates as future employees and leaders, and the financial gifts that help secure our commitment to California industries.

Seed companies support the future of plant science

The seed industry’s support of programs and research in the Department of Plant Sciences is a perfect example of how partnerships with industry help power solutions across the globe. 

Syngenta, a global agricultural technology company with a research and development site in nearby Woodland, is one such partner. During the Expect Greater campaign, their investment in the college included a gift to the Kent Bradford Endowed Chair in Seed Science. This is the first endowed faculty position at UC Davis to focus on seeds and honors the contributions of Professor Emeritus Kent Bradford. Syngenta joined HM.Clause and many other donors to raise $2 million to support an outstanding professor and the Seed Biotechnology Center in perpetuity.

International Impact

Syngenta also contributed to the UC Davis Plant Breeding Academy in Africa, a program designed to empower African scientists to implement the latest breeding technologies to fast-track improvement of nutrition and resilience in African food crops. Mars, Incorporated, Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, Bayer and many others have contributed to this innovative new program, which expands the use of biotechnology to improve crops around the world.
 

Examples of Philanthropy Empowering Corporate Innovation

African Orphan Crops
Investigating Agave
Resnick Center

Student Support

Students at the Aggie Jumpstart meeting.

Aggie Jumpstart

This program promotes inclusive academic excellence and student success, increases retention and address barriers that many first generation, low-income and underserved students experience. Philanthropic support has been critical to the program's success.

Learn More
Two students examining soil samples.

Financial Support for Students in Academics and Life

During the Expect Greater Campaign, CA&ES provided approximately $36,295,000 in scholarships, fellowships and financial support to benefit 5,463 undergraduates and 800 graduate students.

Learn More
A student shakes hands with Dean Helene Dillard.

The Helene R. Dillard Student Success Fund

UC Davis alumnus Mark Couchman ’80 in honored Dean Dillard’s legacy by establishing the Helene R. Dillard Student Success Fund to strengthen student student success, advising and experiential learning opportunities.

Learn More

Thank You

Thanks to the generosity of many donors, we are able to strengthen our college's future by expanding valuable student programs and advancing innovative research that addresses today's top environmental and agricultural challenges.

Ways to Give