University News

Media Experts on Economic Issues: Gas Prices, Inflation, Stock Market

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:07:30 PDT

The following University of California, Davis, sources are available to share expertise with media on various aspects of the economy, including climbing gas prices. Specific lists on trade (including supply chain), poverty and minimum wage are linked at the bottom. See also the overall federal issues experts list. This list was updated in 2026.

4 Elected as AAAS Fellows

Andy Fell — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:00:00 PDT

Four faculty from the University of California, Davis, have been elected as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, class of 2025. They are among nearly 500 scientists, engineers and other innovators that the society recognized this year for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.

Here are the new fellows, with their fellowship citations:

Managed Wetlands a Culinary Hot Spot for SF Bay Fish, But They Need Delivery Options

Katherine E Kerlin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:47:03 PDT

A �鶹��ý study shows that part of the San Fransisco Estuary is teeming with fish food — the managed wetlands of Suisun Marsh. Timing seasonal flood releases from them could feed more fish.

Rankings Recognize Global Leadership of �鶹��ý

Julia Ann Easley — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 03:00:52 PDT

�鶹��ý placed second in the world in veterinary science and agriculture and forestry in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.

February Crowdfund �鶹��ý Cohort Sets Records

Kat Arthur — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:30:00 PDT

The February Crowdfund �鶹��ý cohort started off with a record number of projects and ended the month setting cohort records in total amount raised, number of donors, number of gifts and number of projects to meet their goal.

Senate and Federation Honor ‘Transformative,’ ‘Inspiring’ Academics

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:00:00 PDT

The Academic Senate and Federation have announced their top awards, comprising 15 academics across various disciplines throughout the university.

The awards cite the impact these academics have had on their fields, on �鶹��ý students and on the broader community through public service.

Read more about the recipients below, from the citations prepared by the senate and federation award committees.

New Research Suggests FDA Should Consider Redesign of Proposed Nutrition Labels

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:20:27 PDT

Packaged foods offer convenience for families and individuals, but they can be a major source of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars, which when consumed in excess contribute to chronic disease. To help people build healthier diets, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a new front-of-package nutrition label in January 2025 that would inform consumers about the presence of these nutrients.

Unlocking Longevity Insights From Ancient Bristlecone Pine

Katherine E Kerlin — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:00:00 PDT

Scientists have sequenced the bristlecone pine genome, which could help unlock the secrets of this tree's exceptionally long life.

Checking In With Chancellor May: Preparing Our Students to Join the Workforce of Tomorrow

Cody Kitaura — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:00:00 PDT

To the �鶹��ý Community:

Spring at �鶹��ý is a season of transition. Students are already eagerly registering for commencement, and just a few weeks ago, we opened our doors to thousands of new students, notifying them of their acceptance to the Class of 2030.

Global Strategies to Protect Seals and Sea Lions from Avian Influenza

Katherine E Kerlin — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:02:00 PDT

When the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was discovered on a poultry farm in Asia in 1996, there was little indication that it would become so widespread and so destructive. Within 30 years, it reached every continental region except Oceania, infecting more than 400 million poultry, tens of thousands of elephant seals and sea lions, about 1,000 people and many other mammals and wild birds.

Pinnipeds, which include seals and sea lions, have been hit unusually hard by the virus.

The Unifying Impact of Javier Zamora’s ‘Solito’

Jose Antonio Vadi — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 08:42:53 PDT

The Mondavi Center’s Jackson Hall was buzzing Tuesday (March 10) in anticipation of Javier Zamora’s discussion on his critically acclaimed book Solito: A Memoir, this year’s selection for the Campus Community Book Project.

�鶹��ý Athletics Director Rocko Deluca Named NACDA Athletics Director of the Year

Cody Kitaura — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:00:00 PDT

University of California, Davis, Director of Athletics Rocko DeLuca has been named a 2025–26 NACDA Athletics Director of the Year, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, or NACDA, announced Monday.

$9.8M Grant Will Fund College Corps for 3 More Years

Julia Ann Easley — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:52:37 PDT

A nearly $9.8 million grant will extend the College Corps program at �鶹��ý and enable up to 225 undergraduates in each of the next three academic years to learn and earn as they serve the community.

�鶹��ý was selected as a returning partner for the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program, administered by California Volunteers in the Office of the Governor.

The 2026-27 grant of up to nearly $3.3 million is renewable for the following two years based on the availability of state appropriations and program performance.

LAURELS: RCSA, ESA, Inspiring Black Scientists, More

Kat Arthur — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:00 PDT

In this Laurels column, find awards given for proposals and innovation, as well as an induction, an addition to an index and two new fellows.

Dateline �鶹��ý welcomes news of faculty and staff awards for publication in Laurels. Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.

What Makes a Hit? On TikTok and Spotify, Listeners Only Partly Decide

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:21:21 PDT

TikTok is built for people to create and share their own content, so dance music and indie artists fill the platform’s Top 100. On Spotify, love songs and music from major record labels dominate its top charts. On both platforms, people’s preferences only partly explain what songs become hits.

What Does it Mean to Remember Just About Everything?

Jocelyn C Anderson — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:38:10 PDT

Marilu Henner can immediately remember everything she did Feb. 24, 1977. It was a Thursday. She was living in New York. She had just come back from a trip to shoot a TV pilot, and that day she was auditioning for a movie role. She can remember what she was wearing and the fight she had with her boyfriend at the time.

For Henner there was nothing particularly special about that day. Charan Ranganath, a �鶹��ý neuroscientist, chose the date to demonstrate Henner’s memory for his students during his PSC 130: Human Memory class in Young Hall 49 years later.

The Science of Fatherhood

Jocelyn C Anderson — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:30:08 PDT

In the kitchen of �鶹��ý Professor Emerita Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, overlooking a long dining table, hangs a painting by artist Isabella Kirkland.

Plant Cell Structure Could Hold Key to Cancer Therapies and Improved Crops

Andy Fell — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:22:25 PST

Can the bend of a banana give us insight into cancer? What does the shape of a rice grain have to do with infertility? The proteins that give plants their shape and structure are also involved in human disease. A team led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, has mapped out the structure of a key player, augmin, in exhaustive detail.

Study Improves Understanding of Food Safety Risks in California Central Coast Produce

Amy M Quinton — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:05:00 PST

�鶹��ý researchers found harmful strains of E. coli, including types that can cause serious human illness, in animal and environmental sources in the Salinas Valley.

Hawk Study Shows Potential Lessons of Bird Flight

Andy Fell — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:58:50 PST

Birds have an ability to fly through obstacles by shifting their shape in flight, which is difficult to reproduce in uncrewed aerial vehicles, commonly known as UAVs or drones.