University News

ORG CHART: Chief of Staff, Department Chairs, More

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:30:00 PDT

In this week's Org Chart, we have news of new department chairs, plus a new chief of staff to the chancellor and more. Read on to find out the details.

LAURELS: 10 CASE Awards, NSF CAREER Award, More

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:20:01 PDT

In this Laurels column, find honors from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the National Science Foundation and more.

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

2026-27 Poster Calendar Available Now

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:00:00 PDT

As a new academic year is taking root, a new poster calendar is available from �鶹��ý Stores to help you track important university dates and deadlines.

The 2026-27 calendar, designed by the Office of Strategic Communications, celebrates the 90th anniversary of the �鶹��ý Arboretum and Public Garden. It features university holidays, dates for each quarter, commencements and more.

Announcements are forthcoming for additional celebrations for the Arboretum’s anniversary.

Manetti Shrem Museum Opens Fall Season with Exhibitions Tracing Northern California’s Rich Art History

Amy M Quinton — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:48:47 PDT

The Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at the University of California, Davis, kicks off its 10th anniversary year with three exhibitions that explore the artistic connections and relationships among Northern California artists, and their impact on art history.

All 50 States Have Introduced Bills to Regulate Digital Media for Kids — A New Database Tracks Them

Amy M Quinton — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:20:38 PDT

A new public database allows people to track bills that regulate social media or other digital platforms for minors.

�鶹��ý Chancellor May Selects Jason K. Stewart as Chief of Staff to the Chancellor

James Michael Nash — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:30:00 PDT

Following a national search, University of California, Davis, Chancellor Gary S. May has appointed Jason K. Stewart as the next chief of staff to the chancellor. Stewart will begin his new position Sept. 21, 2026.

Stewart currently serves as assistant executive vice chancellor and chief of staff to �鶹��ý Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan, a position he’s held since 2022.

CHANCELL-ING: A Hopeful Conversation about Adolescent Mental Health

Anila Mary Lijo — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:10:02 PDT

When our daughters were teenagers, LeShelle and I had many conversations about when we should give them cellphones. We were sensitive to potential mental health challenges that adolescents faced related to cellphone use and social media. We wanted to be careful about exposing our daughters to the inherent risks of social media, which were still emerging at that time.

How Does the Human Brain Help Us Navigate?

Jocelyn C Anderson — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:09:51 PDT

Scientists use epilepsy research to better understand how the hippocampus helps us navigate the world.

Global Affairs Vice Provost and Dean Regulska to Retire

Cody Kitaura — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 10:00:00 PDT

After more than a decade of advancing global education and engagement and strengthening �鶹��ý’s connections around the world, Joanna Regulska will retire on Nov. 1 from her role as vice provost and dean of Global Affairs.

�鶹��ý Researchers Selected for Landmark DOE Genesis Mission Awards

James Michael Nash — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:31:06 PDT

Five researchers from the University of California, Davis, were among the recipients of the inaugural awards through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Genesis Mission — a national program leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, discovery science and national security.

Metabolite Reverses Gut Dysfunction and Boosts HIV Therapy

James Michael Nash — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 11:11:03 PDT

Scientists at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine have identified a naturally occurring metabolite that repairs gut damage caused by HIV infection and significantly improves the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the nonhuman primate model of HIV/AIDS.

Study Reveals How Avocados Reverse Sexes Throughout the Day

Katherine E Kerlin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:16:27 PDT

Some avocados are female in the morning and male in the afternoon, while others are on the opposite schedule. How avocados do this has been unclear — until now, thanks to a �鶹��ý study that could help avocado breeders.

�鶹��ý Admits 48,000 for First-Year Studies in Fall 2026

James Michael Nash — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:42:29 PDT

The University of California, Davis, has extended offers of admission to 48,015 applicants for first-year study for fall 2026, a 4.5% increase over last year and a new record high, according to statistics released today (July 29) by the University of California.

�鶹��ý also made offers of admission to 10,138 transfer students, including 9,456 from California Community Colleges. Both of those numbers also are increases from the previous fall.

How the LGBTQIA Resource Center Is Preparing for the New Academic Year

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:00:00 PDT

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual Resource Center, or LGBTQIA Resource Center, is introducing a new education training initiative for the next academic year. This program will be tailored to staff and faculty, as the staff of the center say they want to make �鶹��ý a more inclusive environment for students.

Among the Academies: Questions for Plants

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:30:45 PDT

As the planet warms, how will plants respond? For a clue, evolutionary ecologists like Sharon Strauss can move a plant outside of its comfort zone.

Strauss, a distinguished professor emerita of evolution and ecology, has conducted numerous experiments growing plants under conditions where they aren’t usually found, with the aim of studying how they’ll respond.

Prescribed Burns Saved Thousands of Giant Sequoias

Katherine E Kerlin — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:00:00 PDT

When two major wildfires burned through the Sierra Nevada in 2020 and 2021, they took thousands of giant sequoia trees with them. Without prescribed burns, thousands more would have died, according to a new study from the University of California, Davis.

How Will AI Affect Social Inequality?

Jocelyn C Anderson — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:50:05 PDT

Over the past few years, artificial intelligence, or AI, has emerged as an important topic of discussion among social scientists, particularly in terms of its usefulness as a research tool, ethical implications, and potential effects on society. For the most part, these conversations have been speculative.

A Native California Wildflower Isn’t Keeping Up with Climate Change

Katherine E Kerlin — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 09:00:00 PDT

The mountain jewelflower inhabits a wide swath of California and Oregon, from summer-scorched foothills to high mountains where snow falls during winter. But it is already suffering from climate change, with plants in the mountains struggling to survive both summers and winters, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.

Surfing Webcams Help Demystify Oregon’s Coastal Fog

Katherine E Kerlin — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:00:00 PDT

Webcams commonly used by surfers are helping scientists measure Oregon's coastal fog, shows a study from �鶹��ý and the USDA Forest Service.

Tahoe State of the Lake Report Released

Katherine E Kerlin — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:43:11 PDT

The University of California, Davis, Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) today released its “Tahoe: State of the Lake Report 2026” which presents data from 2025 in the context of the long-term record.

The report provides an annual update for non-scientists on the Lake Tahoe Basin’s ecological health. It includes data related to temperature, precipitation and snowmelt, nutrients, algae, water clarity and more.