University News

What’s Open, What’s Closed: Winter ’25

Jose Antonio Vadi — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:00:00 PST

It’s that time of the year to think twice about where to find food and drink options, and other services on campus. Fall quarter ends Friday (Dec. 12) and winter break is right around the corner. Here's a guide to what’s open and closed on campus until the first day of winter instruction begins Monday, Jan. 5.

11 Join the Ranks of Hellman Fellows

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:45:00 PST

Eleven faculty members are receiving support for their work through this year’s Hellman Fellowships, and it comes right when they need it most: early in their careers.

“It can be immensely helpful to provide direct research funding to faculty members after their second or third year, when their work is ramping up but initial funding is running out,” said Phil Kass, vice provost of Academic Affairs. “This support helps provide a boost for their work and is vital in securing external funding.”

Grants this year range from $15,000 to $40,000, for a total of $320,000 awarded.

Lighting Strongly Influences People’s Experience While Listening to Music, a New Study Suggests

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:11:27 PST

When you go to your next concert or listen to your favorite music on an app, you might first consider the lighting around you.

Music is widely known for its ability to arouse, change moods or trigger a cathartic emotional release in people. A multidisciplinary team from three universities found that indoor lighting of various hues so strongly influences listeners’ experiences that musical venues, health-care settings and even homeowners might wish to reconsider their lighting choices for maximal effect and enjoyment of their music.

Employees Can Claim 2 Tickets to Saturday’s Quarterfinal Football Game

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:00:00 PST

The 51�ԹϺ�� Davis football team is set to host a quarterfinal playoff game this weekend, and each employee can claim a pair of complimentary tickets while supplies last. Additional tickets are available at a discount.

The NCAA Football Championships Subdivision matchup is set for 2 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 13) at 51�ԹϺ�� Davis Health Stadium against Illinois State. The two teams also met in last year's playoffs, with the Aggies coming out on top.

51�ԹϺ�� Davis Degree To Be First for Family, Birthday Gift

Julia Ann Easley — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 10:47:16 PST

Editor’s note: Tickets are required for admission to commencement; to cover the ceremony, email jaeasley@ucdavis.edu or text 530-219-4545.

Trading smiles, Melissa Segura and her mother, Monica Segura, playfully warn each other not to start crying — either will set the other off.

Federal Budget Cut Halts Solar Heat Technology Project

Andy Fell — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:35:11 PST

A project to capture solar heat for industrial use — with potential spinoffs in other energy areas, including nuclear power — has been canceled by the U.S. Department of Energy on the cusp of its final phase. The University of California, Davis, received a letter from the federal agency stating that the work “does not effectuate the Department of Energy’s priorities.”

Plant Biologists Win VinFuture Prize for Developing Self-Cloning Crops

Andy Fell — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:11:16 PST

Two researchers at the University of California, Davis, have been awarded a VinFuture Prize in recognition of their work developing self-cloning crops, a breakthrough for sustainable agriculture.

New Study Charts How Cartel Violence Increases Risks for Migrants at the U.S.-Mexico Border

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:25:50 PST

As the U.S. government turns its attention to drug cartels in Mexico, new research from the University of California, Davis, suggests that violent competition among criminal organizations increases the risks migrants face at the northern border.

“Migrants face significant dangers across all border regions where criminal organizations operate, but when rival groups fight for territorial control, those dangers escalate sharply,” said Oscar Contreras-Velasco, the study’s author and an assistant professor of sociology in the College of Letters and Science at 51�ԹϺ�� Davis.

51�ԹϺ�� Davis Announces Winners of Autumn 2025 Science Translation and Innovative Research Grant Program

James Michael Nash — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:00:00 PST

The University of California, Davis, has awarded $100,000 through the autumn 2025 cohort of the Science Translation and Innovative Research, or STAIR, Grant Program to help scientists advance innovative research with strong commercial potential.

51�ԹϺ�� Davis Tops Continent in Sustainability Rankings

Julia Ann Easley — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:28:35 PST

GreenMetric ranks 51�ԹϺ�� Davis the most sustainable campus in North America for the 10th year in a row and seventh greenest in the world.

CHANCELL-ING: 51�ԹϺ�� Davis Builds a Healthier Future for Local Pets, People

Cody Kitaura — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:00:00 PST

At the 51�ԹϺ�� Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, compassion meets innovation. When Kailana, a joyful Golden Retriever puppy, faced the risk of paralysis, our neurosurgeons, supported by the Compassionate Care Fund, executed a delicate, seven-hour spinal surgery to secure her long-term mobility, showing how our boundary-pushing expertise transforms care.

51�ԹϺ�� Davis Conducts Contact Tracing After Case of Active Tuberculosis Identified

Julia Ann Easley — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:56:34 PST

51�ԹϺ�� Davis has completed contact tracing after a case of active tuberculosis was identified on the Davis campus.

Extracting Rare Earth Elements from U.S. Wastewaters

Andy Fell — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:10:50 PST

A new federally funded research project at the University of California, Davis, endeavors to extract valuable components for magnets, lasers and other modern technologies from an unlikely source: acidic wastewater from mines and industrial processes.

Rising Heat Leads to Minimal Losses for California Processing Tomatoes

Katherine E Kerlin — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 09:00:00 PST

California’s $1 billion processing tomato industry is highly efficient and likely will be able to withstand higher temperatures from climate change, as well as traffic.

Parenting Education Program Builds Community and Developmental Awareness Among Families

Anila Mary Lijo — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:00:00 PST

A parenting education and support program offered by the Center for Child and Family Studies, is helping families strengthen their understanding of child development while creating a supportive community for both parents and children.

Celebrating Excellence in Stewardship

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:30:00 PST

Each year, the 51�ԹϺ�� Davis Foundation honors faculty and staff who go above and beyond to engage donors and nurture relationships. Created in 2015, the Faculty and Staff Stewardship Awards recognize individuals who demonstrate a key part of the foundation’s mission — highlighting the impact of philanthropy and stewarding gifts to the university.

The 2025 awards were presented at a ceremony on Oct. 17 by 51�ԹϺ�� Davis Foundation Chair Deborah J. Neff ’76. The recipients are:

HOLIDAY HELPING: Virtual and In-Person Toy Drives

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:15:00 PST

Through a pair of toy drives, you can help kids have a happier holiday season no matter where you are.

Mail Services Toy Drive

The familiar blue bins for toy donations will return to the Davis campus Dec. 1-11. To help brighten the day of a Yolo County child, just deposit a new, unwrapped toy in one of the bins.

ORG CHART: Transportation Services, AVANZA, Letters and Science

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:00:00 PST

In this edition of Org Chart, Dateline 51�ԹϺ�� Davis is sharing news of two director positions, as well as a leadership role in one of the university’s colleges. Read on to find out more.

New Field of Ecological Medicine Emphasizes Health Benefits of Connectedness

Andy Fell — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:48:43 PST

Ecological medicine is a new approach to health science that draws on a very old idea: connecting with each other, with animals and plants, and with the natural world fosters health and well-being for people and the planet.

Among the Academies: Engineering With Nature, Not Against It

Cody Kitaura — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 09:00:00 PST

Some forms of engineering deal with predictable, controlled environments. Ross Boulanger deals with the kind that can change from place to place and day to day.

He is a distinguished professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering, focusing on geotechnical earthquake engineering, a field where decisions can be shaped by the unique geologic conditions found only in the location where a dam, bridge or other project is being built.