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Energy, Enthusiasm and Excitement


all we're grateful for this fall


Well, it’s fall. And November. Campus is busy this time of year - bikes on the streets, classrooms full and labs bustling with activity. Our students are in midterms, and we’re starting to feel winter in the air. 


November is a time to give thanks. I'm thankful for the contributions of the college’s faculty and staff to the successes of this year, as well as for our students for being the source of energy, enthusiasm and excitement that they are for all of us. No matter what else is happening on campus, or in the world, our students and their commitment to exploration and discovery are an ongoing source of pride and inspiration. I’ve said all this before, of course. But it’s worth repeating!


On the note of thanks, I would also like to express my gratitude for the dedication of our advisors. The Biology Academic Success Center (BASC), which is made up of nearly 20 hardworking and passionate staff advisors, recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. We did some (very) rough calculations and determined that BASC has administered tens of thousands of advising appointments in that time and supported nearly as many students. My hat is off to them, and I know I’ll be thinking of them when I give thanks for all I’m grateful for later this month.


Though we’re in the final two months of the year, there’ll be no shortage of activity. As ever, our faculty continue to make new discoveries. New research, new innovations - there’s always something around the corner.


Said another way, go Ags!


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Mark Winey, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Biological Sciences

Distinguished Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology 


Featured image: In October, the college celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Biology Academic Success Center (BASC). Over the last decade, BASC has offered tens of thousands of advising appointments, supported almost as many CBS students, and grown into the full-service, on-campus model advising hub it is today. (Helen Schurke Frasier / UC Davis)



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Chloroplasts Do More Than Photosynthesis; They’re Also a Key Player in Plant Immunity

Researchers in the Department of Plant Biology have uncovered a new function of chloroplasts: they're not just the powerhouses of photosynthesis. The research sheds new light on how plants defend themselves.


>> Read more



Research & Discovery

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Experiments in Yeast Hint at Possible Origins of Cancer and Autism

Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics researchers used yeast to elucidate new details about errors in a cell’s effort to repair DNA strands. The work may help researchers better understand markers of disease in humans. 


>> Read more

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How Sunflowers See the Sun

New research from the Department of Plant Biology shows the unexpected way sunflowers rotate to follow the sun’s light.


>> Read more

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Take a "Peek" at Carnivorous Plants in the Second Episode of our Conservatory Series



For Halloween this year, we took a look a look at some spooky plants that eat insects and other small animals. They’re also astonishingly diverse in size, shape and how they trap their prey. Plus, one of them can even count!


>> Watch the video



Campus & Community

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Center for Neuroscience Building Named "Robert D. Grey Hall"

The Center for Neuroscience’s main building has been renamed in honor of the provost and executive vice chancellor emeritus who devoted 37 years of service to UC Davis and the University of California system. 


>> Read more


Featured Philanthropy

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"Aggie Sweethearts" Give $1M to CBS 50 Years After Meeting on Campus




Graduates of the class of 1976, Charles and Nancy Cooper share a special connection with UC Davis, and have pledged $1 million to support undergraduate student research opportunities.


>> Read more



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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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