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A New Year of Discovery and Achievement


a busy and successful summer closes


Fall arrived just a few weeks ago. Summer felt longer this year than it really was, but that’s how things go when there’s so much activity. Since June, the college has welcomed a new associate dean of research and was proud to welcome back an alum as the new director of the UC Davis Genome Center. And those were just two of the many things we accomplished over the summer months.


Another source of pride – for our whole campus – was seeing UC Davis exceed $1 billion in research funding for the second year in a row. It’s a tremendous milestone and speaks to the impact, breadth and excellence of our faculty and their work. I am also very pleased to share that campus raised over $250 million dollars last year, including a record-breaking $18.4 million in philanthropic contributions to CBS alone. On behalf of the college, I thank all those who have given in support of our teaching, research and service mission.


It was a busy – and successful – summer for our students, too. One of our recent alums received the University of California's President's Award. We also welcomed over 2,000 new CBS students. I’ve said it many times before, and will say it again, but I never cease to be proud of our students. It's always such a pleasure to welcome new CBS Aggies to campus.


As the year continues, there will be no shortage of activity. In that way, this year is like all the others. On a university campus, we’re used to the rigors of the academic year, which are already ramping up, but there are also many great things to enjoy: the presence of our students, the chatter in the hallways, the crowded welcomes (three cheers for free t-shirts!) and the excitement of starting a new year of discovery and achievement.


Go ags!


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Mark Winey, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Biological Sciences

Distinguished Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology 


Featured image: Late in September, the college welcomed 300 transfer and 1,700 first-year students to campus. The orientation events were a chance to introduce new students to their faculty, advisors and staff in the college. Students took photos, grabbed free CBS t-shirts, and got to meet their peers before the start of the fall quarter. (TJ Ushing / UC Davis)



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Take a "Peek" at the Botanical Conservatory in Our New Web Series

Fall is move-in season on campus. (Actually, it's moove-in season.) To share some ideas for plants that do well indoors, we turned to our very own botanical conservatory students for their recommendations.


>> Watch the video



Research & Discovery

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Using Glowing Fish to Detect Harmful Pesticides

Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology researchers have developed a way to identify potential reproductive harm caused by pesticides using the power of fluorescence and the small, freshwater zebrafish.


>> Read more

Campus & Community

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101 Years of Microbiology at UC Davis

The Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics has played an integral role in our understanding of the microscopic world, and in advancing the life sciences at UC Davis. Take a decade-by-decade look at microbiology highlights on campus.


>> Read more

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A Guiding Light to Generations: Remembering and Honoring Dr. Judith Simpson Schreider

Schreider helped originate the Office of Health Professions Advising and was an unwavering support for countless students on their journeys to medical school. A new endowment in her name will help continue to shape futures at UC Davis.


>> Read more

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UC Davis Celebrates Professor Tracy Storer’s Centennial on Campus

Tracy Storer is known today as the author of the seminal General Zoology textbook. Storer Hall was named in honor of his contributions to UC Davis, and the Tracy and Ruth Storer Lectureship in the Life Sciences continues to bring science to the public. 


>> Read more


Undergraduates in the Spotlight

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Donor-Supported Program Fuels Continuing Exploration and Hands-On Learning




The CBS Dean’s Circle Summer Undergraduate Research Program offers student researchers the chance to continue their projects over the break and get support and guidance from faculty and college leadership. 


>> Meet the 2023 cohort



Health & Medicine

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$2.8 Million NIH Grant to Research How Zika Virus Causes Brain-Related Birth Defects

Priya Shah, an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, combines engineering and genetics to shed light on the intricate mechanisms underlying the devastating conditions that result from the Zika virus. 


>> Read more

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Using Machine Learning to Detect Coronavirus Threats

Researchers in the Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics have developed an artificial intelligence model to successfully identify coronaviruses capable of infecting humans. 


>> Read more


Graduate Student Spotlight

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CBS Graduate Student Leads in Environmental Research and DEIJ Advocacy




Elena Suglia, a Ph.D. candidate in the Population Biology Graduate Group, has spent her time at Davis tackling the “inextricably intertwined issues” of environmental protection, environmental justice, and equity.


>> Read more

Ecology & Environment

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Genome Study Shows Recent Spread of Eelgrass

Researchers in the Department of Evolution and Ecology have discovered that eelgrass migrated globally 243,000 years ago - an estimate that is considerably more recent than previously believed. 


>> Read more


Featured Philanthropy

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Support Transfer and Graduate Student Success Pathways this Crowdfund



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HBCU Pathways Fellowship in the Life Sciences


The UC-Historically Black College and University (UC-HBCU) Graduate Admissions Pathways Initiative supports an immersive summer research experience to provide students with exposure to UC programs.


>> Give now

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AvenueB: Community College Transfer Program


From application to graduation, AvenueB serves transfer students in the life sciences by providing a clear path from community college to their time at UC Davis, with a focus on reducing time to transfer, time to degree and student debt.


>> Give now

Media Mention

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"Race to Save the World's DNA" - Harris Lewin in The New Yorker

Harris Lewin, a distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Evolution and Ecology, was featured in an August article in The New Yorker about his contributions to an effort to catalogue the world's DNA.


>> Read more

Happening This Month

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Storer Lectureship on COVID Vaccines




Kizzmekia Corbett is an assistant professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases Harvard University. She has worked on novel vaccine development for pandemic preparedness, including mRNA-1273, a leading vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.

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Public Lecture: Hillsborough to Harvard: My Science Career Trajectory


A lecture on Dr. Corbett's career trajectory, from high school intern to Harvard professor, and personal insight of leading the team that developed the first-to-human COVID vaccine. 


>> Register here



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Peer Lecture: Moving Towards Universal Coronavirus Vaccines


This lecture will provide a history of coronavirus vaccine development and an overview of a novel technology towards broader coronavirus protection.


>> Register here

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Land Acknowledgement Statement

UC Davis acknowledges the land on which it stands. For thousands of years, this land has been the home of Patwin people, who have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands.

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